As the name implies, hallucinogens are types of illegal substances that cause users to have hallucinations. This means that users of these drugs can become wildly out of touch with reality while high and difficult to control or communicate with. Moreover, these drugs are addictive and can have a serious impact on the life of your or a loved one. There are different categories and types of hallucinogens. Learning about them and the ways in which they can affect the brain can be the first step toward getting help.
What are Hallucinogens 
Hallucinogens are a class of drugs that distort the perception of reality. Therefore, those abusing hallucinogens will often see, feel, or hear things that are not there. Some hallucinogens are found in naturally-existing mushrooms or plants. However, other types are man-made in a laboratory setting.
When you use hallucinogenic drugs repeatedly, you can begin to develop a tolerance. Soon, you’ll need to take more simply to experience the same high you used to. You might begin to crave the drug when you don’t have it or maybe you won’t even be able to function without it. This is what leads to addiction. Different hallucinogens can have different levels of addictiveness but this does not mean there are safe ones.
Hallucinogens affect the ways serotonin is processed in the brain. This neurotransmitter regulates a number of bodily functions, including muscle movement, sensory perception, emotional state, feelings of hunger, sex drive and even the ability to control one’s own behavior. Also involved in the responses to hallucinogenic drugs are the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine. Someone using these drugs might exhibit hallucinations and rapid changes in mood among other symptoms, depending on which drug they’re taking. Due to the wide range of effects on the brain’s function, it is difficult to gauge an individual’s exact reaction.
Common Types of Hallucinogens
Categories of hallucinogenic drugs include psychedelics, dissociatives, and deliriants. Psychedelic drugs work by allowing the brain to process everything in an individual’s environment, rather than filtering it out. Drugs in this category are peyote, mescaline, magic mushrooms, and LSD. Dissociative drugs like PCP, ketamine, DXM, and salvia deprive the user of their sensory perceptions and cause them to have “out-of-body” type experiences. Finally, deliriants such as nightshade and jimson weed create false perceptions and confusions to a person’s reality. The trademarks of these classes of drugs are the changes to a person’s perception they cause in their users.
Side Effects of Hallucinogens
Hallucinogens can cause many side effects that can be disturbing for those abusing them. For example, consider the following list of effects that can occur with these drugs:
Disorientation and Confusion
Specifically, hallucinogens can cause extreme confusion. They may be unaware of important information such as their location, the present time, or who they are currently with.
Hallucinations
Hallucinations involve seeing, feeling, or hearing things that are not really there. Moreover, this can be extremely confusing for the person experiencing these effects.
Loss of Memory
Over time, those who abuse hallucinogens can experience a great degree of memory loss. Furthermore, the loss of important memory function can impact the person’s ability to carry out normal daily functions.
Anxiety or Paranoia
Mood changes are also a fairly common effect of all hallucinogenic drugs. Therefore, those abusing these drugs most often experience extreme paranoia or anxiety that worsens over time.
Nausea and Vomiting
Hallucinogens can also upset the digestive system. For example, digestive symptoms can include pain, cramping, nausea, or vomiting.
How CVRC Can Help
As you can see, the different types of hallucinogens each have their own various effects. The feeling can be quite freeing and pleasant, making these substances even more appealing. Despite that, they still lead to potentially serious legal and personal consequences. A professional facility like Crest View can provide services like substance abuse counseling and detox that can make getting clean less overwhelming.
For example, highlights of our center include:
Overcoming dependency on different types of hallucinogens is overwhelming on your own. Therefore, the staff at CVRC has the know-how and the resources to make it seem more manageable. The road to recovery doesn’t have to be traveled alone. Please call us at 866-327-2505 to learn more about the ways in which our program can help.
