Jun 18, 2013 | By Tim Stoddart

Long Term Effects of LSD

Hallucinogens Addiction

LSD is a hallucinogen that, in the past, was used in a variety of ways, such as to enhance psychotherapy or inspire creativity. Now, LSD is mainly used as a recreational drug. Like so many other illegal drugs, LSD can cause a variety of negative long term effects. What exactly is LSD? and what does it to you?

Long Term Effects of LSD on the Brain

While LSD significantly alters a person’s psychological state during a trip, there is little evidence that shows long-lasting effects on the brain. Flashbacks are the biggest possibility, but not all LSD users experience them. The more LSD a person uses, the higher the chance of flashbacks. Flashbacks, in which a person experiences the feeling of being on LSD without taking any, become less common the longer it’s been since their last trip.

Flashbacks can cause positive or negative feelings, and they’re usually triggered by something. Triggers might be alcohol, the use of another drug, stress, or other changes. It’s unknown exactly what causes flashbacks. Some flashbacks are only visual or auditory.

There are some people who develop a rare disorder called Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD) after lots of LSD use. HPPD is when a person has chronic flashbacks, and they are usually only visual flashbacks. While there is a link between HPPD and LSD, it’s unknown why some people develop it and if it is actually caused by LSD use or not.

Some people who use LSD may experience long term effects like depression, mood swings, and anxiety, and they may show signs of schizophrenia or psychosis. LSD might cause those disorders, or a person might have already had them, with LSD causing them to manifest. Long term LSD use can also lead to chronic confusion, difficulty thinking critically, and memory loss.

Long Term Effects of LSD on the Body

With long term LSD use, it’s possible to sustain eyesight damage. There are not many long term effects of LSD on the body that are known, but that does not mean it isn’t a physically significant or dangerous drug. Oftentimes people suffer long term damage to their bodies that is caused indirectly by LSD – not by the drug itself, but by poor decisions they made during a trip when their inhibitions were lowered and their perception of reality was skewed, like broken bones or STDs.

Other Long Term Effects of LSD

There are various possibilities for long term effects of LSD, and most of them have to do with decisions that were made while tripping. A physical addiction to LSD isn’t likely, but a person may become psychologically dependent on the drug, leading them to do things they wouldn’t do otherwise in order to get it. They might also make decisions that could harm their relationships, financial security, or job, or they could get into trouble with the law.

While LSD may have fewer long term effects than other drugs, it is still important to be aware of the physical and psychological consequences of long term use.