What is LSD?
Background:
Lysergic acid diethylamide is a very potent hallucinogenic substance that was first manufactured by the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann, who was working for Sandoz laboratories. LSD appears as a white, odorless powder. However, these quantities are not necessary to induce LSD’s psychoactive properties due to its high potency. Hofmann was able to synthesize LSD in 1938, but his discovery didn’t produce the benefits he expected in his lab animal tests, thus, the discovery was shelved for the next five years. It wasn’t until the 16th of April, 1943, that the hallucinogenic properties of LSD were discovered.
LSD is a very potent psychoactive substance compared to other drugs. Hallucinogenic effects of the drug are experienced in doses as low as 250 micrograms. A microgram is a millionth of a gram and is drastically lower than the milligram (1000mg = 1g), the unit of measure that is usually used to measure the dosage for most drugs.
LSD is manufactured from the grain fungus, ergot. In the late 40’s, LSD has been advocated as a promising therapeutic agent that can be used for a vast array of psychiatric conditions like alcoholism, schizophrenia, and criminal behavior. This generated high expectations for the drug and this prompted various studies and publications about LSD. This continued until the mid 70’s. Sandoz, now known as Novartis, stopped the manufacture of LSD in August of 1965 due to the wide recreational use of the substance. LSD is now a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substance Act, meaning LSD has no accepted medical use and that possession and use of the substance is illegal.
The term "psychedelic" was coined by the author, Aldous Huxley, who used the word to describe the hallucinogenic effects of LSD. The widespread use of LSD fueled the emergence of a subculture that related the drug’s psychoactive properties to mysticism and religious symbolism. This subculture campaigned for the use of LSD as a means to reach religious enlightenment. It was also during this time that psychedelic rock musicians emerged, further bolstering the popularity of the drug. LSD is known by many names such as acid, blotter, liquid, liquid A, microdots, Owsley, hits, paper, paper acid, Lucy in the sky with diamonds, and a lot of others.
Side Effects of LSD:
The effects of LSD are very unpredictable from person to person. The hallucinogenic properties of LSD can cause a feeling of strangeness, perception of vivid colors, alteration of space and time perception, confusion, insomnia, and euphoria. LSD is also known to cause uterine contractions and hyperthermia, elevated heart rate, and pupil dilation.
LSD has a very intense effect on the perceptions of those who take it. Synesthesia, or the sensation wherein two or more of the five senses are mixed with each other, may manifest in various settings. A good example of this is how music might be perceived with/as colors by those high on LSD.
LSD’s psychological effects also vary greatly depending on every individual person and the users’ current mood and/or setting. For example, a LSD user who is in a jovial mood might experience varying degrees of euphoria and calmness, while those who are in a stressful environment or in an unpleasant mood might experience a sensation of impending doom and paranoia.
There is also a tendency of experiencing "flashbacks," wherein an LSD abuser might experience an acute recurrence of the sensations he felt while under the influence of the drug. These flashbacks might occur long after the user has stopped using LSD.
Recreational Use of LSD:
The recreational use of LSD experienced a boom in the 40’s to the mid 70’s. It was widely used as a party drug used on raves, and concerts. LSD is synthesized in crystalline form, and then is usually processed to various forms that can be taken orally. It first took the form of sugar cubes, evolving to tablets, and the "microdot" tablets. LSD is also distributed illicitly in the form of blotter papers with various designs. It’s very high potency means that producing small quantities of LSD is enough to supply a lot of LSD users, and is fairly easy to smuggle.
LSD users claim to experience unparalleled clarity while under the influence of the drug. Although LSD does not induce cravings, patients taking LSD tend to develop tolerance to the drug, requiring them to take higher doses to re-experience the drug-induced euphoria.
LSD Abuse Rehabilitation:
The use of LSD is a problem that needs to be addressed immediately. Substance abusers tend to use a cocktail of substances in conjunction with each other, which is a dangerous practice. The Use of LSD together with other psychoactive drugs poses a serious health risk to LSD users. Also, the hypersensitive state of people under LSD’s influence poses a danger to themselves and the people around them due to the radical behavioral changes brought about by being high on LSD.
It is important that people who use LSD undergo counseling to identify and address underlying factors that lead to substance abuse. Also, if the person used LSD in conjunction with other substances, he or she might need to undergo detoxification.
What LSD Rehabilitation Patients say about Malibu Horizon
The identities of the people writing these testimonials have been withheld to protect their inalienable right to privacy. The names that follow are fictional names of the author’s choosing.
"I used to be a tripper, and I even smoked weed while I was on acid. I used to think that LSD would give me insights about life’s mysteries, because everything would become so vivid. I’d get off on acid but the other stuff had stuck on me pretty good. I needed help. That is what Malibu Horizon gave me and I am a better man because of them." –Chris
"I did weed and acid when I was young. I guess I was trying to find the meaning in everything and people I knew were recommending LSD with cannabis. The trip I got at times were terrible and I knew I’m not gonna be getting the answers I seek while I’m high. Malibu Horizon helped me realize that. And no one can make me believe otherwise." –Cory
"Malibu Horizon really knows what they’re doing!" –Carol
"I wouldn’t be having this new lease on life of it weren’t for Malibu Horizon’s effective intervention." –Carla