Hallucinogens
Hallucinogenic drugs are substances such as LSD and hallucinogenic amphetamines that produce heightened and distorted perceptions, over-activity and, when taken in quantity, can cause a psychotic condition with delusions very similar to those found in schizophrenia.There is controversy as to whether these drugs can produce a true schizophrenic illness or merely mimic the symptoms. What is clear is that some people diagnosed as having a schizophrenic illness have a history of prolonged indulgence in hallucinogenic drugs. The hallucinogenic psychosis produced may often take a long time to settle and does not necessarily clear up rapidly when the drug is withdrawn. Further indulgence may lead to a relapse and should be avoided.
LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide)
LSD is a drug derived from ergot, a fungus that grows on rye. It is a white powder that is so potent that it is generally mixed with other substances and made into tablets or absorbed on gelatine, paper or sugar cubes. It is taken by mouth, and produces heightened self-awareness, a feeling that colours are stronger, a sensation of being outside one's body and ecstatic or mystical experiences. However, it can also induce severe suicidal depression and potentially dangerous delusions.
LSD may also produce a schizophrenia-like psychosis with paranoia and hallucinations that appear to be much more common among those with actual or incipient mental illness. There is no clear evidence that the use of LSD will trigger schizophrenia or other psychotic illness or bring a relapse, but it would be wise for sufferers not to take the risk.
Hallucinogenic mushrooms
Certain mushrooms contain hallucinogens, such as psilocybin, with properties similar to LSD. It takes about 20-30 Liberty Cap mushrooms, eaten raw, cooked or dried, to produce a hallucinogenic experience. There is a greater physiological effect on heart rate and blood pressure than with LSD, and it is possible that the mushrooms may precipitate a schizophrenic reaction.
Ecstasy
Ecstasy is a hallucinogenic amphetamine that in small doses induces a feeling of euphoria, followed by a sensation of serenity and calm together with a heightened perception of the surroundings. Users often experience a degree of anxiety, panic, confusion and insomnia. Much more rarely, you may experience a paranoid psychosis with hallucinations such as those found with other amphetamines.
About 100,000 people, mostly young, are believed to use Ecstasy each weekend. Most of them have no ill effects, so the drug has gained the reputation of being safe. One of the problems is that it is produced in illicit drug factories and laboratories, so that its composition is very variable and may contain toxic additives or more potent varieties, such as DOB, which is a very strong hallucinogenic amphetamine.
While Ecstasy may initially enhance mood by raising levels of the chemical messenger serotonin in the brain, long-term abuse of the drug may damage serotonin receptors and neurons, causing a depletion of serotonin and mood depression. In addition to the development of psychotic reactions, some deaths have been reported after taking Ecstasy as well as a number of severe reactions, including seizure and prolonged coma, so it is far from being a harmless drug and should not be taken by people with mental illness.
Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate
There are reports from our inner cities of the increasing abuse of the substance GHB, which is used as an anaesthetic in the US and some European countries, although not in the UK. GHB is also available in powder, granule and capsule form and is used as a cheap substitute for such stimulants as amphetamine or Ecstasy. GHB may provoke seizures, respiratory depression and coma.
Cannabis
Cannabis is used as a relaxant and mild intoxicant. Different parts of the plant vary in their potency. Cannabis is by far the most widely used of the street drugs and surveys have shown that at least five per cent of the population admits to having used it. There are about one million users in the UK.
The most common effects are talkativeness, relaxation, cheerfulness and enhanced appreciation of sound and colour. There is a reduction in the ability to do complicated tasks, short-term memory can be affected and there is some difficulty in concentration. Heavy use in some people may produce a similar psychosis to that found in amphetamine users. There is evidence that cannabis can cause temporary psychosis in those who have already experienced schizophrenia. Cannabis is best avoided by any schizophrenia sufferer since it may aggravate the condition.
How pure are street drugs?
Drugs bought on the street will either have been medical drugs stolen from the manufacturer at some point in the distribution chain, or will have been imported or manufactured illicitly. Many of these drugs will be impure and may have been adulterated. For this reason, the strength of the drug preparation is unknown (or there may in fact be no active agent present at all) and the adulterants may be very dangerous, especially if injected.
What to do if you become addicted
Although some people who have become dependent on drugs can break from them by their own initiative, most find it difficult. Help is available through your family doctor or through specialist agencies. Such assistance is designed to combine withdrawal from the drug with psychotherapeutic insights into the reasons why you need to escape through the use of drugs.