Psychedelics

About Psychedelics

Psychedelics are a type of drug that changes a person’s perception of reality. Also known as ‘hallucinogens’, they make a person see, feel and hear things that aren’t real, or distort their interpretation of what’s going on around them. Some you will feel their effects quickly, others will take longer before you feel something. Being under the influence of a psychedelic is commonly referred to as ‘tripping’.

Some psychedelics are manufactured, like LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), PCP (phencyclidine, or ‘angel dust’) Others are naturally occurring compounds found in particular plants. For instance, the peyote cactus produces the hallucinogen mescaline, while psilocybin is found in certain mushrooms, known as ‘magic mushrooms.’

Types of psychedelics

Psychedelics come in a number of different forms. For example:

• LSD comes in small squares of blotting paper or gelatine that are soaked in LSD, which are then swallowed, it can also come in tablets or capsules.
• Psilocybin (magic mushrooms) can be cooked, boiled into a drink or eaten raw. The dried version is sometimes smoked, mixed with cannabis or tobacco. Psilocybin can also come dried in capsules.
• Mescaline from the peyote cactus can be found as a white powder, while dried, ground peyote buttons can be found as capsules. It is usually swallowed, but can be chewed or smoked.
• Ayahuasca is a plant based hallucinogenic tea. Traditionally used in parts of South America.
• DMT is found in a variety of plants and is the psychoactive ingredient in ayahuasca. It usually comes as a white crystalline powder when produced synthetically.

Some drugs can have hallucinogenic-like effects in higher doses, such as cannabis or MDMA (ecstasy).

Since a person’s sense of distance, time and objective reality are warped when under the influence of psychedelics, serious injury and accidental death are risks.

Synthetic psychedelics

In recent years, a wide range of synthetic drugs have become available in Australia. These are commonly referred to as new psychoactive substances (NPS), which are designed to mimic established illicit drugs and claim to have similar effects. Among these NPS’s are synthetic psychedelics, such as NBOMes or 2C-B. The active ingredients in these products can be a number of unknown chemicals, and are often sold as other drugs, yet contain very different ingredients that can lead to potentially harmful and unexpected effects.

How psychedelics work

Psychedelics target specific centres of the brain to alter its understanding of sensory input. For instance, a person may be looking at a blank wall, but their hallucinating brain may interpret the blank wall as moving and swirling, and they might also be hearing noises that aren’t really there.

Effects of psychedelics

The effects a person experiences will depend on the type of psychedelic, the strength of the dose, their tolerance, whether other drugs have been taken as well and the persons functioning/state of mind.

Generally, some of the common effects of psychedelics include:

• hallucinations of sight, sound, taste and touch
• a blurring of the senses, such as sounds being ‘felt’ or colours being ‘heard’
• feeling detached from the body
• distortions of time, direction and distance
• relaxation
• accelerated heart rate
• dilated pupils
• nausea and loss of appetite.

Psychedelics and ‘bad trips’

Psychedelics can be unpredictable drugs. If someone has an enjoyable ‘trip’ the first time, this doesn’t guarantee they will always have pleasant experiences.

Every person runs the risk of having a ‘bad trip’. Symptoms can include scary hallucinations, extreme panic, paranoia and nausea. It is also possible to have a mixture of good and bad experiences in the one trip.

If a large amount or a strong batch is consumed, other unpleasant side effects can include:

• muscle spasms and loss of coordination
• convulsions and unconsciousness
• aggressive, hostile or risky behaviour
• psychosis.

If an overdose is suspected, dial triple zero (000) for an ambulance immediately.

Dependence, tolerance and withdrawal

Like many other drugs, it is possible to build up a tolerance to psychedelics. This means larger doses are needed to achieve the same effect. Some people can develop a psychological dependence and feel that the drug is an important part of their lives.

It’s not likely you can become physically dependent on psychedelics, so there are no withdrawal symptoms even after using them for a long time.

There is however the possibility of experiencing ‘flashbacks’, which can happen days, weeks, months or even years after taking the drug. This is when someone briefly relives the hallucinations of a previous trip. The experience could be pleasant or it could cause severe feelings of anxiety. Flashbacks can be triggered by stress, fatigue, physical exercise or the use of other drugs.

Where to get help

• If an overdose is suspected, call triple zero (000) for an ambulance immediately
• Your GP (doctor)
• Alcohol and other drug service
• Alcohol and Drug Foundation
• DrugInfo Tel. 1300 85 85 84 – information and referral services for anyone seeking help for alcohol or drug use
• DirectLine Tel. 1800 888 236 – for 24-hour confidential drug and alcohol telephone counselling, information and referral
• Self Help Addiction Resource Centre (SHARC) Tel. 1300 660 068 – for information and support for people concerned about a relative or friend using drugs
• Youth Drug and Alcohol Advice service (YoDAA), Victoria Tel. (03) 9415 8881 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday)