Treatment for Hallucinogens in Arizona

Addiction to hallucinogens can affect people from all walks of life. Getting help from a specialized treatment center could be the most important first step you take toward putting your life back on track.

What are Hallucinogens and Psychedelic Drugs?

“Hallucinogens” is a blanket term for substances altering your view of reality. These drugs affect perceptions of your thoughts, senses, and feelings about the world around you. They can be naturally occurring or man-made.

Some common hallucinogenic drugs include:

• D-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): This extremely potent drug is made from lysergic acid. It can be found in crystalline form or diluted as a liquid. Generally, the liquid is placed on microdots, blotter paper, or sugar cubes. LSD can have unpredictable effects ranging from extreme mood changes, delusions, and visual hallucinations. Street names include: acid, doses, blotter, trips, or dots.
• N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT): This psychedelic drug has origins from plants found in the Amazon, but it can also be produced in a lab. Sometimes referred to as the “spirit molecule” the psychedelic experience is brief, but powerful. This white, crystalline powder is usually smoked or taken orally in tea brews like ayahuasca. DMT street names include dimitri, businessman’s trip, forty-five-minute psychosis, and fantasia.
• Magic Mushrooms: These wild or cultivated mushrooms contain the mind-altering ingredients psilocin and/or psilocybin. They are often dried, but they can also be eaten fresh. Taking magic mushrooms can cause powerful hallucinations, an “out-of-body” experience, and mood changes. They may be referred to as shrooms, caps, mushies, boomers, or blue meanies.
• Phencyclidine (PCP): This drug is used during surgeries because of its sedative and anesthetic effect. It produces auditory and visual hallucinations as well as a detached feeling from the body and surrounding world. PCP may come as a white powder, capsule, liquid, or crystal. It is usually snorted, swallowed, or smoked. PCP is known as angel dust, wack, rocket fuel, and love boat.
• Dextromethorphan (DXM): Commonly found in over-the-counter cold, flu, and cough medicines, when taken in high doses it can result in euphoria, hallucinations, and loss of body functioning. Many states now have regulations restricting the customer’s age and amount of DMX purchased. DXM is known as Triple Cs, CCC, Robo, and Skittles.

While these are the common hallucinogens, others include peyote, ketamine, salvia divinorum, and ayahuasca.

Are Hallucinogens Addictive?

While some generally aren’t considered to be highly addictive, users may develop a tolerance making it necessary to take higher doses to get the desired effects. Since many of these drugs come from illegal, unregulated sources, taking high doses can be very dangerous. Other drugs, like PCP, can lead to cravings and other uncomfortable hallucinogens withdrawal symptoms.

Habitual use of hallucinogens may also suggest an underlying mental health issue like depression, trauma, or history of abuse. Psychedelic drugs provide a quick, but fleeting, escape from these distressing emotions. In addition, these drugs directly affect brain chemistry which can be a trigger for some mental illnesses.

Pinnacle Peak Recovery provides support for those seeking recovery from psychedelic drug use and addiction. We understand the complex relationship between psychedelics and mental health and provide individualized treatment options to better your chances for recovery.

How Do Hallucinogens Affect the Body and Brain?

Hallucinogens work by interacting with brain neurons and neurotransmitters. This often involves stimulating the serotonin 2A receptors in the prefrontal cortex. This area of the brain is responsible for cognition, perception, and mood. In addition, some psychedelics interfere with the brain’s glutamate levels affecting pain perception, emotions, and memory.  

Taking psychedelic drugs causes the person to see, hear, and feel things that do not exist. Many times, the experiences are unpredictable and can last as long as twelve hours. These “trips” distort the way you think, perceive reality, and interact with others. Some claim using these drugs offer mental clarity and a deeper connection with the world.

In some cases, these trips are pleasurable. Other users experience “bad trips” where they endure long periods of anxiety, terrifying thoughts, and fear of losing control. These intense feelings may be difficult to ignore. Those suffering from “bad trips” may enter an extreme period of panic or psychosis putting them in dangerous and vulnerable situations.

Short-Term Effects of Hallucinogens

When taking these drugs, one typically experiences at least some of the following symptoms:

• Very intense feelings
• Altered sensory experiences such as seeing colors more vividly
• Feeling a heightened spiritual connection
• Increased heart rate
• Higher body temperature
• Dry mouth
• Increased blood pressure
• Excessive sweating
• Nausea and vomiting
• Altered perception of time
• Increased energy levels sometimes leading to agitation
• Experiencing mixed senses such as “hearing” colors
• Paranoia
• Psychosis from disordered thought patterns not aligned with reality

An individual may experience varying levels of these symptoms based on the type and amount of drug used. Other factors include one’s tolerance, mood, expectations, and surroundings.

Long Term Effects of Hallucinogens

Since hallucinogens alter the way the brain works, long term use can cause some alarming effects. These include:

• Memory problems: Frequent, long-term use has the possibility of impairing neurological functions involving memory and learning.Trouble sleeping: Since using psychedelics can increase energy and interrupt the body’s natural circadian rhythms, it can lead to sleep problems and insomnia.
• Depression: Hallucinogens interfere with the brain’s serotonin production, one of the main factors in mood regulation.
• Anxiety: This symptom is common with most drug abuse due to the psychological and physical changes in the body. In addition, anxiety can be heightened by using psychedelics to escape from the pressures of life.
• Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD): Commonly known as “flashbacks”, these recurrences of previous “trips” can appear without warning days, months, or even years after taking the drug. These are often visual disturbances such as seeing trails coming from moving objects or unexplained flashes of color.
• Persistent psychosis: This rare condition represents a series of continuing mental health problems including mood instability, paranoia, visual disturbances, and disorganized thinking.

Other Risks of Using Hallucinogens

Different psychedelics present significant risks to mental and physical health. These include:

• Poisoning that leads to the possible of death from taking too many or the wrong type of psychedelic mushroom.
• Taking high amounts of PCP can result in a coma, seizures, or death.
• Those experiencing “bad trips” in public may put themselves in dangerous situations or find themselves facing legal issues.
• Hallucinogens impair one’s ability to drive or operate heavy machinery, increasing the risk for serious injury or death.

Are There Hallucinogen Addiction Treatment Centers Near Me in Scottsdale, Arizona?

If you are struggling with an addiction, hallucinogens rehab is available. Since the disease of addiction can effectively be treated with a variety of therapies, it helps to know that our experts in the field of recovery can help you get your life back.

Our therapy program provides individualized therapy and support using proven treatment approaches. If you live near Scottsdale, Arizona, Pinnacle Peak Recovery is ready to help. Our campus is conveniently located near Phoenix, Tucson, Tempe, Glendale, Mesa, Chandler and surrounding areas.

If you are from out of state and believe that a change of scenery to get your life back on track, we accept clients who are struggling with addiction from all over the country.

Call Our 24/7 Hotline Today for Hallucinogens Rehab

If you feel like drug use is controlling your life, you are not alone. Others using hallucinogenic drugs have made the simple phone call that eventually led to their successful recovery. While battling addiction may take you out of your comfort zone, our treatment center can provide a supportive environment to face your addictions.

The experts at Pinnacle Peak Recovery can help you discover the causes of your substance use and make positive changes to live drug free.  All it takes is one call, anytime day or night. Speak with a caring, knowledgeable addiction professional right now by dialing 866-377-4761.