LSD known as acid, blotter, doses, hits, microdots, sugar cubes, trips, tabs, or window panes—is one of the most potent mood- and perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. It was discovered in 1938 and is a clear or white, odorless, water-soluble material synthesized from lysergic acid, a compound derived from a rye fungus.
LSD is initially produced in crystalline form, which can then be used to produce tablets known as “microdots” or thin squares of gelatin called “window panes.” It can also be diluted with water or alcohol and sold in liquid form. The most common form, however, is paper soaked with the drug and punched into small individual squares, known as “blotters.”
Signs & Symptoms
LSD users can also experience flashbacks, or recurrences of certain aspects of the drug experience.
- Dizziness
- Insomnia
- Numbness
- Tremors
- Loss of Appetite
- Dry Mouth
- Intense Mood Swings
- Hallucinations – Seeing, Hearing and Feeling
- Decreased Heart Rate
A Success Story
“In 8th grade I was diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed Ritalin. I also took my first drink that year. It was not a coincidence!
“During the next two years I was in and out of rehabs, my parents home, and colleges. My second arrest was for possession of a large quantity of LSD. I started an outpatient rehab, but got arrested for possession of marijuana and Xanax. I was looking at a lot of jail time.
“At Adult & Teen Challenge I learned to be submissive and I learned about God. There is something life-changing about being in a room with 150 rough, tough, drug-addict types singing worship songs together. I grew in my faith and found freedom at Adult & Teen Challenge.
God delivered me from my legal mess and from the mental, and emotional pit I had created.”
Effects of Use
Sensations and feelings change much more dramatically than the physical signs in people under the influence of LSD. The user may feel several different emotions at once or swing rapidly from one emotion to another. If taken in large enough doses, the drug produces delusions and visual hallucinations. The user’s sense of time and self is altered. Experiences may seem to “cross over” different senses, giving the user the feeling of hearing colors and seeing sounds. These changes can be frightening and can cause panic. Some LSD users experience severe, terrifying thoughts and feelings of despair, fear of losing control, or fear of insanity and death while using LSD.
LSD users can also experience flashbacks, or recurrences of certain aspects of the drug experience. Flashbacks occur suddenly, often without warning, and may do so within a few days or more than a year after LSD use. In some individuals, the flashbacks can persist and cause significant distress or impairment in social or occupational functioning, a condition known as hallucinogen-induced persisting perceptual disorder (HPPD).
