Acid Use

Acid Use

“Acid” is the street name for the drug LSD. Acid is a psychoactive drug that can distort reality and cause hallucinations. Known as “acid,” “blotter,” or “dots,” It is one of the most common hallucinogenic drugs. It is known for its psychological effects. Acid use is not physically addictive, and has a low toxicity in small doses. Acid is a liquid, but it can also be sold on paper, in gel tabs, or on sugar cubes. In these forms, it’s usually taken orally. In its liquid form, it can be injected or put in the eyes.

Acid Use: The High

Acid usually kicks in between 20 minutes and 2 hours after it is ingested. The “trip” lasts between 7 and 12 hours. The experience when you engage in acid use is highly subjective. Each individual may experience different things, but generally most users experience strong sensory and visual distortion. Colors may seem brighter, patterns could seem to “breathe” and users can experience an altered sense of time. LSD may also impair judgment and the ability to perceive danger, so accidents on LSD are common, sometimes even fatal. When the acid kicks in, you may have increased heart rate and a sense of anxiety.

Acid Use: The Danger

Acid use is not physically addicting and there is no evidence of brain damage or other physical consequences. However, there can be psychological repercussions. A “bad trip” is an experience where the euphoria of acid use turns into something more sinister. It may be triggered by a threatening environment or the surfacing of an unconscious memory or simply because you become overwhelmed by the trip and can’t make the effects of the drug stop. A bad trip is characterized by intense feelings of paranoia, sensations of dying, fear, and anxiety. It may also include frightening visual hallucinations.

Another danger of acid use is that it can augment an underlying mental condition. Most medical experts don’t think that acid use can actually cause you to develop a mental condition. One needs to already be present for this to occur, but depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia can be exacerbated when you engage in acid use.

Some acid users report having “acid flashbacks” for months or years after taking the drug. Flashbacks are a recurrence of some part of the experience of the trip, without having taking the drug again. A small percentage of those who engage in acid use experience what is known as Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder.  People suffering from this syndrome experience flashbacks that are persistent, instead of momentary.

Frequent or long term acid use can cause a person to be disconnected with reality and with the people around them. While there is no physical addiction with acid use, you can become psychologically addicted. Some people become captivated by the way it makes them feel and the insights they have while under the influence of the drug. It may become difficult for these users to connect with the “real world” in many ways. They may not be able to differentiate between hallucination and reality.