LSD (Acid): Effects, Dangers, & Addiction Potential

LSD is a hallucinogen, which means it affects the user’s senses and alters their thinking, their sense of time, and their emotions. Produced in illegal laboratories, LSD is a synthetic chemical made from a substance found in ergot, which is a fungus that infects rye. Like many other hallucinogens, LSD is a Schedule I drug, which means it currently has no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.¹ 

In its pure state, LSD is a white, odorless, crystalline substance, though it is often diluted with other chemicals. LSD is sometimes sold as a liquid, in a tablet, or in capsules. The most common form of LSD is drops that have been dried and placed on gelatine sheets, pieces of blotting paper, or sugar cubes, which release the drug when swallowed. Street names for LSD include acid, tabs, Lucy 2, and mellow yellow.⁵

How Does LSD (Acid) Work?   

LSD acts on the central nervous system to change mood, behavior, and the way the user sees and reacts to the world around them.  

The drug interacts with proteins on the surface of brain cells called serotonin receptors. Serotonin is a chemical messenger that helps brain cells communicate, controlling behavior, mood, sense perception, and thinking. According to medical studies, LSD appears to act through a particular receptor called 5-HT2AR.^3,7  

LSD causes hallucinations, making the user see, hear, or feel things that seem real but are not. LSD users call these hallucinogenic experiences “trips.”4 Depending on how much one takes and how their brain responds to the drug, an LSD trip can be “good,” meaning stimulating and pleasurable, or “bad” meaning uncomfortable and frightening.4

Acid’s effects are similar to other hallucinogens like PCP, mescaline, and psilocybin.5 Taken orally, LSD’s effects can usually be felt within 20 to 30 minutes, with effects peaking after two to four hours and lasting up to 12 hours. If taken by injection, the effects of acid can start within 10 minutes.4  The effects of acid include:5 

• Dilated pupils 
• Increase in body temperature 
• Increased heart rate and blood pressure 
• Sweating 
• Loss of appetite 
• Sleeplessness 
• Dry mouth 
• Tremors 
• Mood swings 
• Impaired depth and time perception  

Using LSD comes with two significant long-term health risks. The first is persistent psychosis, the symptoms of which include visual disturbances, such as seeing halos or trails attached to moving objects, as well as disorganized thinking and mood swings.6 

The second long-term health risk of using LSD is the risk of Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD), a condition that can include fragmentary recurrences of certain aspects of the drug experience. These fragmentary recurrences, better known as “flashbacks,” have been reported weeks, months, and even years after the last LSD dose.5

Risks & Dangers of LSD (Acid)  

The risks of LSD include impairment of the user’s ability to make sound judgments and see common dangers, making them susceptible to personal injury. Furthermore, the risk of experiencing a “bad trip” is common among first-time LSD users. In addition to the discomfort and fear that characterize a bad trip, users may experience:6  

• Extreme anxiety 
• Frightening hallucinations 
• Panic 
• Paranoia 
• Feelings of losing control or going insane 

Among the dangers of LSD are suicide, accidents, and risky behavior, all due to the person seeing and hearing things that are not real. But while it is possible to overdose on hallucinogens, LSD overdose is almost never fatal. Still, a non-fatal LSD overdose can be serious enough to require medical attention.2 

 While LSD use might not be considered addictive in the strict sense of the word, problematic LSD use can be treated in a number of ways and with different levels of intensity. The LSD treatment process always starts with a detox program to ensure that all traces of drugs and alcohol are out of the user’s system. Detox is often a multi-day process.  

Following detox, the patient engages in one or more treatment modalities designed to keep them sober and help them avoid relapse, or returning to their substance use. These modalities include inpatient or residential treatment, partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient (IOP), outpatient (OP), and aftercare. Which treatment plan one enters depends on what one requires to achieve long-term sobriety. 

During treatment, patients typically receive therapy to help them in their recovery. Dual diagnosis treatment is a therapeutic approach that addresses the patient’s substance use disorder alongside any possible co-occurring mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).