Dr. Tajuddeen A. Williams

Effects of Psychotropic of Drugs

· Personal Essays

The use of drugs has a colored past. Since the earliest times of man, there has been drug use. Some of them were used in conjunction with religious rituals. Others have been used recreationally. Then there are those that have medicinal properties that cure or help us to heal. There is a special categorization of drugs that are able to cross the blood-brain barrier. These drugs are known as psychotropic (Coon & Mitterer, 2013). Drugs in these categories have a direct effect on who we are, how we behave, and how we view things while we are under their effect.

Lysergic acid diethylamide, also known as LSD, is a hallucinogen that was first synthesized by Albert Hoffman in 1938 (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2009). The drug was primarily created for psychiatric use and it showed a lot of promise. Though its use has been banned in the United States for a number of years, clinical trials have started again around 2009 as a treatment for depression (Harding, 2010). During the 1960s, LSD was the drug of choice for many recreational users. As LSD is not addictive, you will rarely hear about someone going to rehab for its use.

LSD users experience something referred to as trips. Users experience dilated pupils, increased blood pressure and body temperature. Trips typically last anywhere from an hour to twelve hours. There is a difference between good trips and bad trips. A bad trip is enough to swear off LSD forever due to the experience. Researchers do not know what causes bad trips but believe it may be due to the mood that the person is currently experiencing. Dr. Hoffman described as everything in the room spinning and familiar objects took on grotesque and threatening forms. He exclaimed that everything was in continuous motion (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2001).

Since LSD is a hallucinogenic, scientists are still unsure exactly how it works because there have never been research studies on how it affects the brain. Scientists believe that LSD works similarly to serotonin, the neurotransmitter that regulates muscle control, mood, appetite, sensory perception, sexuality, and sleep. It is believe that LSD interferes with the way serotonin’s receptors work (Bennet Jr. & Snyder, 1975). It is possible that it can stimulate it neurotransmitters, stimulate it, or both.

There are no known long-term effects for users of LSD but a user may experience flashbacks (Goldman, Galarneau, & Friedman, 2007). Researchers have speculated that residual trips that may come back after weeks, months, or even years after its usage. However, these claims are unsubstantiated. Though the long-term affects are unknown, there are plenty of short-term effects that include: poor hygiene, anxiety, mood swings, psychosis, and depression (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2001).

LSD is a drug where its bad uses outweighed the good. Though it could be used for treatment of those dealing with mental illness, there are other side effects that could possibly make the illness worse or almost impossible to bear. I also wonder how researchers will deal with bad trips in their trials of attempting to treat depression. Likewise, LSD’s effects only last for a short amount of time, so there has be something else that addresses the immediately and long term affects on depression.

References

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