Opinions - The negative after-effects of LSD, seen up close.

[Dalfir]

SWIM was at a dinner party last night and one of the guests was a twenty three year old who was a few years above SWIM's year at school, so he knew him during his normalcy.

SWIM always thought - perhaps cockily - that the worst case scernario arising from an extremely negative reaction to LSD would be that medication would be needed in order to keep him at a level of sanity. Last night was a bit of a wake-up call.

The aforementioned guy is a full blown schizophrenic, with unresponsive neuroreceptors, the condition being triggered by high dose LSD coupled with the recreational use of Lithium. Throughout the night he was sedated, but would frequently stand up and walk around in circles while mumbling to himself. At one point he got up and ran out of the house before his parents got him back.

He said maybe two words the whole night which were very delayed replies to simple questions. Most of the time he just stared straight ahead with a glossy glare.

While SWIM still believes LSD is a safe psychoactive, he now feel that that is only the case when it's used by informed and responsible users...When used irresponsibly he can't think of much else which can have such a devestating effect on a mind.

Anyone - even the experienced - who has begun to display complacency towards the drug should treat this as a heads-up...Don't start disrespecting Alice because she can fuck you up to degrees one might not even imagine.

[Beta]

My sister (no kidding here it's really my sister) is schizophrenic and it's exactly the kind of behaviour she can have. She never does any drugs except the drugs she has to take in order to live a bit normally (haldol and risperdal). So it's difficult to see whether the problem was triggered by the drugs, knowing that schizophrenics are prone to do drugs.

Anyway, it reminds me the sentence of a bipolar friend: "Some people need to take something in order to get high but I need to take something (lithium in this case) in order to be just normal..."

[Felonious Skunk]

Recreational lithium?!?

[Dalfir]

Yeah. As in using anti-depressants to get high. I don't know how much one can achieve with that, though.

[Jatelka]

So let me get this straight...

"Full blown schizophrenia", "unresponsive neuro-receptors".

This is "caused" by LSD?

Recreational Lithium? WTF?

This strikes me as scare-mongering/myth-making of a very dangerous sort, feeding into all the hysteria that surrounds the taking of this remarkably non-toxic drug.

There are several studies (including a seminal one by Cohen: see here... http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/loc...=1088&catid=32) which have found that there is ABSOLUTELY NO INCREASE in psychotic illness in LSD users when compared to non-LSD-using controls

WHAT evidence does your mongoose have that the diagnosis in this case is Schizophrenia?

There is WHAT evidence, exactly, that LSD had a causative effect in this case?

[Dalfir]

SWIM has never bought into the myths surrounding LSD and he'll gladly admit that Alice has changed his life for the better. The only evidence SWIM has is the guy in question mother's detailing of the events that led him to his current predicament, and her evidence in turn comes from the four months her son spent in a half-way house specialising in drug induced conditions.

SWIM isn't suggesting LSD destroyed her son's mind, he's simply suggesting that if a latent schizophrenic disorder was present, it was exacerbated by the combination of lithium and LSD. While SWIM has always known LSD is not a harmless toy, such an encounter with someone obviously severely affected by its misuse seems to imply that while acid isn't as harmful as thought, when it does hit someone adversely, the effects can be disasterous.

Unfortuntately, no amount of research or education could prepare SWIM for seeing someone he once knew as a healthy, sane indivudial reduced to a shell. SWIM will never turn his back on Alice, but that doesn't mean that anyone should begin getting complacent when travelling down the rabbit hole with her.

[BackToBasics]

Budgie feels that people always look for explanations for things such as Schizophrenia when it happens to them. LSD or other drugs are often the 'cause'.

Budgie had problems when he was younger, a depression/schizoid disorder apparently. LSD, even in high doses never made him feel worse. It only made him realise a lot of things and lightened his mood for a couple of days.

Saying that, as far as the feathered one knows, a lot of the anti-depressants can cause those type of symptoms (zombie like), especially the anti-psychotics.

[Zaprenz]

Originally Posted by Jatelka

Recreational Lithium? WTF?

That was SWIMs first thought also, it may have had some recent research in its inherent neuroprotective properties but SWIM has never heard of lithium being recreational. [?] possibly enpowering to individuals being treated for a mental condition.

"While SWIM still believes LSD is a safe psychoactive, he now feel that that is only the case when it's used by informed and responsible users" Dalfir

SWIM would never consider any drug point blank SAFE. SWIM would guess the concensus is exactly that, its safe when used accordingly with suitable dose, setting, understanding of what to expect. Even then one must plan or allow for the possibility of something going wrong.

[Dalfir]

What other explanation could be given to someone who one night took 6 blotters of LSD (at once) and then spent the next few days stumbling around the Angel tube station in London (a long way from home) until he was identified and his parents notified?

It was "homegrown" acid, by the way, not bought on the streets of London and LSD in South Africa is quite easy to come by seeing as it's not as high profile as other demonised drugs, so chem. students often have no problems synthing it.

[TMM]

Dalfir's not claiming the LSD caused schizophrenia, but rather greatly exacerbated an already present condition. I thought this was almost unanimously accepted to be possible?

[Nagognog2]

No. He's claiming it's easily made by chem. students. This is patently false. And that Lithium (carbonate) finds recreational usage. Also patently false. One grain of truth, such as schizophrenia can be exacerbated by psychedelics, does not give one free license to then spew garbage freely.

We have a policy here of NOT allowing false information to go out of here. We are a harm reduction site. False bullshit such as what you are reporting can harm people. So I am putting you on notice to cease and desist. Next you'll be telling us Martians run the United Nations and little green men live in the Earth's core. If you feel paranoid - I assure you you don't need to. You ARE being watched.

CLOSED.