Essay/Term paper: Lysergic acid diethlamide (lsd)

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Alcohol and Drugs

Lysergic Acid Diethlamide (LSD)


LSD or lysergic acid diethlamide is a commonly used drug of teens. LSD
is a hallucinogenic drug which effects the nervous system. The drug is ingested
in many different ways, absorbed through the skin, taken orally or absorbed
through the eye or ear. This drug was originally developed by the government of
the United States as a treatment for psychological conditions such as alcoholism
and drug addiction. In Canada, where experimentation is not heavily restricted,
LSD has been used to reduce the suffering of terminally ill cancer patients.
The drug was tested for the effects it would have on autistic children. This
drug induces a physiological response that is consistent with that of a central
nervous system stimulant. Little is known about the effects of LSD, but what is
known shows that it is harmful to the nervous system. Physically, there is an
increase in heart rate, an increase in blood pressure, dilation of the pupils,
and some facilitation of the spinal reflexes.
Once ingested, LSD takes approximately 30 to 60 minutes to fully onset
and the effects last anywhere from six hours to four days, depending on the
dosage. If taken in large enough amounts, one can die of an overdose of LSD.
Psychologically, LSD has a tremendous effect on a person. LSD is an
unpredictable drug in which the effects are different each time it is ingested.
A person under the influence of LSD ifs flooded with visual experience, as much
when the eyes are closed as when open. Light is greatly intensified; colors are
vivid and seem to glow; images are numerous and persistent, yielding a wide
range of illusions and hallucinations; details are sharp; perception of spaced
is enhanced; music may evoke visual expressions, and light may give the
impressions of sound. Quite often, mood swings occur with unpredictable actions
of the person under the influence of the drug. A feeling of awareness of one's
self is greatly enhanced. The lapse of time may slow down or time may pass
faster than it literally is. A rare occurrence is a feeling of immortality.
This has been documented in cases where individuals have jumped out of buildings
or jump in front of cars, perhaps to test the feeling of invincibility.
Recent studies have begun to show that LSD may cause chromosomal damage
which could, in future generations, cause deformation or genetic illnesses. The
studies, done on animals, do not conclude that LSD could cause deformations, but
the possibility is present.