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Dangers of Hallucinogenic Drugs

The hallucinogenic drug we are perhaps most familiar with is LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide). It is more commonly known as ‘acid’, and is sold in the form of small paper squares. Once ingested, it can take anything from 20 minutes to an hour to feel the effects of what is referred to as a ‘trip’. There is then no going back. The ‘trip’ can last up to 12 hours, and you have no way of knowing how strong the acid is nor how you will be affected.

Magic mushrooms have a similar hallucinogenic effect to LSD. There are generally two categories of mushroom this capacity, the most common being the liberty cap (psilocybe semilanceata), the other, fly agaric (amanita muscaria) which is a particularly powerful form of the species. They can be bought or picked and can be eaten dried out or raw. The effects kick in between 30 minutes to 2 hours after being eaten and can last as long as 16 hours, depending on how much you take.

Both LSD and magic mushrooms cause you to hallucinate. This includes having a distorted view of reality such as colours, sounds and objects. The senses can become confused, causing you to experience colours as sounds and vice versa, and a speeding up or slowing down of movement and time. Magic mushrooms in particular can induce a dream like state, making you feel relaxed and happy.

Neither LSD nor magic mushrooms are addictive, although you can quickly build up a tolerance to their effects, leading you to take higher doses. Whether you have a good or bad ‘trip’ can often depend on the kind of person you are and how you are feeling at the time. Often, a person’s own imagination fuels the kind of trip they have. Someone having a bad trip can become frightened and panicky. They may even cause themselves physical harm, whether intentional or not. Magic mushrooms and LCD can even exacerbate or even trigger mental health problems. There is also the possibility of having a ‘flashback’, whereby you re-live part of the experience. This can happen weeks or even months later.