Week 12 Chapter 10 Substance Use Disorders Hallucinogens, Ecstasy, & PCP (Caff)

Question 1

What is a hallucinogen?

Answer 1

Hallucinogen refers to the main effects of drugs such as LSD, hallucinations.
Unlike the hallucinations in schizophrenia, however, these are usually recognised by the user as being caused by the drug

Question 2

Where did LSD come from?

Answer 2

LSD was developed in 1938 by a Swiss Chemist, Albert Hofmann.
The term psychedelic comes from the Greek words for ‘soul’ & ‘to make manifest’ which was applied to the subjectively experienced expansion of consciousness reported by users of LSD, referred to as a trip.

Question 3

When did LSD usage peak?

Answer 3

The use of LSD & other hallucinogens peaked in the 1960’s. By the 1980’s only 1-2% of people could be classified as regular users.
*There is no evidence of withdrawal symptoms during abstinence, but tolerance appears to develop rapidly

Question 4

What are some of the symptoms an LSD user will experience?

Answer 4

• Hallucinations
• Distorted sense of time (passing very slowly)
• expanded consciousness
• Heightened appreciation of sights & sounds (more vividly)
• mood swings

Question 5

What will determine some of the effects of LSD on a user?

Answer 5

The effects of LSD hallucinations will depend on a number of psychological factors:

• A person’s set (attitudes, expectancies, & motivations with regard taking drugs) is widely held to be an important determinant of his/her reactions to hallucinations
• The context in which the drug is experienced is also important

Question 6

What are some of the negative symptoms an LSD user will experience?

Answer 6

• some users experience intense anxiety after taking LSD in part because the perceptual experiences & hallucinations can provoke fears that they are ‘going crazy’.
• The anxiety can subside as the drug is metabolised.
• A minority of people will have a psychotic state requiring hospitalisation
• Flashbacks (hallucination persisting perception disorder)

Question 7

Tell me more about Flashbacks

Answer 7

*Flashbacks (hallucination persisting perception disorder) are visual recurrences of psychedelic experiences which can occur after the effects of the drug has worn off (weeks & months after taken the drug)
They generally occur after stress, illness or fatigue
*They are usually experienced as very upsetting to the user

Question 8

Name some of the other hallucinogens

Answer 8

Mescaline is an alkaloid and the active ingredient in peyote derived from the Peyote cactus

Psilocybin is a crystalline powder that Hoffmann isolated from the mushroom ‘Psilocybe mexicana’ in 1958

The effects of both Mescaline & Psilocybin are thought to be due to stimulating serotonin receptors

Question 9

What do you know about the origins of Ecstasy & MDMA?

Answer 9

Ecstasy is a hallucinogen-like substance that became illegal in USA in 1985.

• Ecstasy is made from MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine)
• MDMA was first synthesised in the early 1900’s & was used as an appetite suppressant for WWI soldiers

Question 10

What do you know about the classification of Ecstasy & MDMA?

Answer 10

Ecstasy contains compounds from both hallucinogen & amphetamine families but is sufficiently different from each that they are regarded as ‘entactogens’

Question 11

What do you know about the physiological effects of using Ecstasy?

Answer 11

Ecstasy acts primarily by contributing to both the release and the subsequent re-uptake of serotonin

• At one time ecstasy was viewed as relatively harmless however research is suggesting it may have neurotoxic effects on the serotonin system.
• In animal studies a single dose has caused serotonin depletion & prolonged use can damage serotonin axons & nerve terminals

Question 12

What do you know about the use of Ecstasy & MDMA?

Answer 12

• Users report that ecstasy enhances intimacy & insight, improves interpersonal relationships, elevates mood and self-confidence, & promotes aesthetic awareness
• It can also cause muscle tension, rapid eye movements, jaw clenching, nausea, faintness, chills or sweating, anxiety, depression, depersonalisation, & confusion
• Some evidence suggests that the subjective and physiological effects of Ecstasy, both pleasurable and adverse, maybe stronger for women than men

Question 13

What do you know about PCP & Angel Dust?

Answer 13

PCP (phencyclidine) is often known as Angel Dust & like ecstasy, is not easy to classify

• It was developed as a horse tranquilizer and generally causes serious negative reactions, including severe paranoia and violence.
• Coma & Death are also possible

Question 14

What do you know about what PCP does to the neurotransmitter system?

Answer 14

PCP affects multiple neurotransmitters in the brain

• Chronic use is associated with a variety of neuropsychological deficits
• Many users of PCP are polydrug users so it’s difficult to separate the effects of PCP from the other drugs