LSD (Acid, Barrels, Trip)

An odorless, colorless, slightly bitter tasting hallucinogenic drug that is either...

  • Licked off a postage stamp
  • Eaten off clothing
  • Eaten in sugar cubes
  • Swallowed as pills or liquid
  • Added to absorbent paper, divided into squares and placed in the mouth

Possible Positives

  • A euphoric "trip" or hallucination beginning after 30 to 90 minutes and lasting from 12 to 18 hours. Intense emotions and a change in the way you perceive your environment may occur. Your sense of time, yourself, hearing or vision may be altered. You may experience a crossing over of sensations, such as hearing colors or seeing sounds.

Possible Negatives

  • Very unpredictable
  • Dilated pupils
  • Flushed skin
  • Chills
  • Sweating
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Dry mouth
  • Tremors or shaking
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Increased heart rate
  • Increased breathing rate
  • Panic
  • Fear of losing control
  • Fear of insanity
  • Fear of death
  • Despair
  • Increased likelihood of accidents
  • Paranoia
  • Frightening, painful hallucinations
  • Nightmares
  • Flashbacks: An unpredictable reoccurrence of the hallucination long after the drug has worn off.
  • Depression
  • Paranoia. A state of mind, in which a person becomes extremely distrusting and suspicious of others, fearful for their safety, unable to relax and enjoy life and delusional, believing they are more important for some irrational reason.
  • Death

LSD is highly unpredictable.
No two people respond to LSD the same way. A trip can become a nightmare, known as a "bummer." Most bummers can last from 12 to 18 hours. Imagine not being able to wake up from a nightmare for 18 hours. Now imagine having that nightmare come back uncontrollably for weeks, months or even years after you stop taking the drug. Now imagine jumping out a window, because you think that your flesh is being consumed by insects. Once a person has a "bummer" they can irrationally put themselves in great danger in order to escape a bad trip. This irrational behavior can result in death.

  • Drug Topics

Related Info

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and National Hotline
Treatment & referrals
www.samhsa.gov/csat/csat.htm
 1-800-662-4357

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
www.health.org
1-800-729-6686

Narcotics Anonymous World Service Office in Los Angeles
An international, community-based association, holding weekly meetings for recovering drug addicts.
(818) 773-9999 To locate your local chapter
www.na.org/links-toc.htm

Alcoholics Anonymous
Group support for your addiction to alcohol
www.alcoholics-anonymous.org

Alcoholics Anonymous Family Group Headquarters
Group support for those with family members who suffer from alcoholism
www.al-anon-alateen.org

American Cancer Society Information on quitting smoking
www.cancer.org
1-800-227-2345

Smoking, Tobacco and Health Information Line
1-800-232-1311

Tips 4 Teens - Stop Smoking Help
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/osh/tipsteen.htm