Why unprescribed Hallucinogens are dangerous

Hallucinogens are drugs that alter the perceptive ability of our minds and project false scenarios (or hallucinations) in front of our eyes as though they are real. These drugs were initially used as early anaesthetics or cures to mental conditions. But in the modern era such drugs are being abused for recreational activity in inducing fun or as a respite for unwinding and stress relief. These drugs include the commonly known D-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), the dissociative type of hallucinogens such as phencyclidine (PCP), or the common anaesthetic Ketamine.  The effect that most of these drugs have in common is that they manipulate the functions of our sensory organs, majorly our brain and the nervous system by sensitising the reaction to external stimuli, meaning colours feel brighter, noises feel louder, the mood of the person is altered, inability to experience pain and excess release of hormones like serotonin leading to the abuser feeling excessively happy or euphoric. These drugs are swallowed as tablets or pills, injected, ingested as liquids, snorted, smoked and absorbed through the lining of the mouth using dissolvable drug-soaked paper.

These drugs were found to be highly addictive and abusing them for prolonged periods of time eventually leads to loss of thinking ability, loss of motor skills, anxiety, depression and suicidal tendencies in users. Overdosing on such drugs may have lot of negative consequences ranging from blackouts, hospitalisation, loss in the functionality of organs to the point where there is a threat to life or even fatalities in extreme cases.

How hallucinogens effect unconditioned human behaviour

What is unconditioned human behaviour? When a subconscious reaction is triggered to natural instincts such as retracting hands upon experiencing excess heat, coughing due to dust inhalation or shrieking due to pain. These instincts are affected in a major way by the continuous use of hallucinogens. Hallucinogens work by drastically impairing the function of our nervous system, i.e., our sensory communications are affected. This leads to a change in the reaction to unconditioned stimulus which could sometimes land the users in dangerous conditions. 

Hallucinogen abuse might lead to a loss in the ability to sense a threat and reflexes grow increasingly dull, for example if the user touches a hot substance post use of these drugs, he/she may not realise their hand is being burnt and not retract it. As the brain tricks them into imagining false situations and they have other hallucinations too, their body doesn’t know that these are not real and will act according to whatever image is being displayed by the brain/ the mood of the abuser, this will lead to him reacting in a variety of way. Precisely, when intoxicated with hallucinogens, the abuser may not realise that he/she is hurt and their body is being damaged. This may pose a major threat to the life of the abuser. 

Traditionally, Hallucinogens are therapeutically used for anaesthetic purposes to dull pain or cure depression in many cases. Upon testing prolonged use in animals, a twitch in the head was observed among rats, rabbits and cats which share similar bodily make as humans. Therefore, it is evident that unprescribed use of hallucinogens can be dangerous to humans.

If you or a loved one need help for hallucinogen de-addiction, feel free to contact a rehab for guided de-addiction therapy that is both safe and comfortable.