Author: Alex Thompson

Hallucinogens Effects, Addiction Potential & Treatment Options

While short-term positive and negative mood changes are common with psychedelic and dissociative drugs, more research is needed to better understand the long-term effects these substances may have on mental health. If you or someone you love is experiencing a problem with hallucinogen misuse, reach out to our inpatient drug and alcohol rehab in Mississippi right now. Here at Oxford Treatment Center, we strive to provide each patient with as seamless of an experience as possible so that they can get on the road to recovery quickly.

How To Help Someone Having a Bad Trip, According to Medical Professionals

It is important toseek treatmentif your life revolves around hallucinogen use. Classic hallucinogens include psychedelic mushrooms, LSD, peyote and other hallucinogenic substances. These drugs can cause euphoric and hallucinogenic effects, and they can be produced synthetically or found naturally in certain plants.

  1. While high on hallucinogens, people might act in ways that they normally wouldn’t.
  2. Driving while high on hallucinogens can increase the risk of experiencing a fatal crash.
  3. These changes can include visual distortions, changes in perception of time, and feelings of depersonalization.
  4. During a bad trip, people often experience intense anxiety and panic attacks.
  5. The Ohio Recovery Center is a state-of-the-art addiction treatment center on a 55-acre campus.

Behavioral Therapies

If you are ready to take that first step, call us right now at to be connected to one of our rehab admissions navigators. Treatment for hallucinogen misuse and addiction focuses strongly on helping patients put an end to their substance abuse and heal from the negative effects that these drugs can cause. In most cases, behavioral therapies are the main treatment options for recovery, and patients can learn better attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs that can help them understand the dangers of drug abuse and avoid relapse. Rehab facilities offer behavioral treatments and other resources for people experiencing hallucinogen abuse or addiction.

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According to the NIDA “It is often difficult to disentangle the overlapping symptoms of drug addiction and other mental illnesses”. A detox program for hallucinogen abuse or addiction can help people safely stop using hallucinogens, and any other substances of abuse, by offering treatment for withdrawal. Hallucinogen addiction is a mental illness that is treatable like other mental illnesses and behavioral therapies are key elements of support for illness management and recovery (IMR).

See NIDA-funded projects related to psychedelic and dissociative drugs, and learn more about related clinical trials. However, research shows that certain hallucinogens can be addictive. A 2013 report by the University at Buffalo states that MDMA is addictive because it acts on the same neurotransmitters in the brain that other addictive drugs also affect.

Hallucinogens Addiction and Abuse

Hallucinogens can lead to drug addiction because of the euphoric state that these drugs induce. LSD is a hallucinogen that leads to changes of perception of time and space. Addiction Resource aims to provide only the most current, accurate information in regards to addiction and addiction treatment, which means we only reference the most credible sources available.

Peyote (Mescaline)

These facilities offer evidence-based therapy and teach people ways to overcome their substance abuse problems. Hallucinogen use disorder is the persistent and strong urge to use drugs that cause sensory perception distortion despite experiencing damaging disruptions in daily life. Mixing psychoactive substances together can produce severe physical and mental health problems. Mixing hallucinogens with drugs or alcohol can cause overdose or death because the body often cannot handle the intense effects caused by these interactions. Though very few hallucinogens carry the risk of physical dependence, nearly all of them can cause severe side effects when misused and can lead to psychological addiction. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the long-term psychological and cognitive effects of hallucinogens vary by drug.

The emergency and referral resources listed above are available to individuals located in the United States and are not operated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). NIDA is a biomedical research organization and does not provide personalized medical advice, treatment, counseling, or legal consultation. Information provided by NIDA is not a substitute for professional medical care or legal consultation. They cause people to see, hear and feel things that seem real but do not exist. Some people experience intense trips that result in anxiety, despair and terrifying thoughts.

Repeated use of hallucinogens can make a person prone to damage to neurons. This is because they are potent neurotoxins, and with time they can deplete the chemical messenger serotonin from the body. It regulates consciousness, mood, cognition, learning, memory, and numerous other functions.