Primary Behavior Changes and Cide Effects of LSD Essay -- Chemistry Ch

Primary Behavior Changes and Cide Effects of LSD LSD (D lysergic acid diethylamide) is a very potent synthetic hallucinogen. It is manufactured from lysergic acid, found in ergot, which is a fungus that grows on grains. In its original form, LSD is a white or clear, odorless, water soluble crystal that can be crushed into a powder and dissolved. LSD goes by the street name â€Å"acid† or â€Å"blotter† and is sold in tablets, capsules and sometimes liquid form. Oftentimes LSD is added to absorbent paper and sold in individual squares or â€Å"doses† which are then dissolved on the tongue. LSD is an extremely potent mood changing chemical. A person’s subjective world changes drastically once LSD is taken (Blacker, Jones, Stone, & Pfefferbaum, 1968). Users refer to their experience with LSD as a â€Å"trip.† These experiences generally begin about 30 to 90 minutes after taking the drug, and last from 6 to 12 hours. LSD is sometimes described as a drug that breaks down barriers, but the results of taking LSD are complex and variable. Every trip is different and users show a wide range of reactions (Terrill, 1964). The first signs of LSD are usually physical, and can include dilated pupils, salivation, sweating and nausea, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, tremors, dry mouth, chills, raised body temperature, rapid heartbeat and elevated blood pressure. As the trip progresses, one’s mood, perceptions and sensations become affected (Palfai & Jankiewicz, 2001). In the first phase of the trip there may be abnormal body sensations, changes in mood, space and time distortions and visual hallucinations (Palfai & Jankiewicz, 2001). Time may seem to stand still, or race forward or backward... ... lasting LSD side effect [Letter to the editor]. American Journal of Psychiatry, pp. 1233-1234. Blacker, K.H., Jones, R.T., Stone, G.C.,& Pfefferbaum, D. (1968). Chronic users of LSD: the â€Å"acidheads.† American Journal of Psychiatry, 125, 341-351. LSD JustFacts. (n.d). Retrieved February 8, 2005, from http://www.cesar.umd.edu/cesar/jf/drugs/lsd.asp Pahnke, W. (1967, March). LSD and religious experience. Paper presented to a public symposium at Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT. Palfai, T., & Jankiewicz, H. (2001). Drugs and human behavior (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw Hill. Terrill, J.(1964). LSD, the consciousness expanding drug. New York: David Solomon. Ungerleider, J.T., Fisher, D.D., Fuller, M., & Caldwell, A. (1968). The â€Å"bad trip.† The etiology of the adverse LSD reaction. American Journal of Psychiatry, 124, 1483-1490.