LSD
What it is
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a hallucinogenic drug. In its pure form, it is colourless, odourless and mildly bitter. LSD is diluted from its crystalline form, and paper is sometimes soaked in the liquid to produce ‘tabs’ of acid.
What it does
Because it is a hallucinogen, taking LSD will cause distortions to a person’s reality. Their senses and emotions will be heightened after taking a dose of LSD. A ‘trip’ of LSD can last between 8–12 hours, and because it is difficult to tell the potency of a dose, the effects can be variable and unpredictable.
Risks
The biggest risk from LSD is the uncertainty of how strong a dose a person might be taking. If the person is not expecting a strong dose, it can be a frightening experience to hallucinate or feel strong emotions. A bad trip can cause the user to feel like they have things crawling on their skin, lose control of their emotions or feel like they have lost their grip on reality.
People who have existing mental health issues can also be at risk from LSD use because it can exacerbate symptoms of their illness or trigger LSD psychosis.
The 'come down' from LSD usually lasts for 24 hours and can cause the user to feel depressed, panicked or paranoid. These symptoms will vary from person to person and they usually go away. In some cases, they can last for several days or even months.
Although LSD is not thought to be addictive, a person can become psychologically dependent, relying on using it in certain situations.
