Are psychedelics addictive? Psychedelics are generally not addictive. However, at least one psychedelic, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), can cause tolerance. Tolerance means that a person may need to take higher dosages to achieve the same effect.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) notes that increasing the dosage can be an “extremely dangerous practice.” The reason for this is that more side effects and risks are associated with higher dosages. also Psychedelics are not addictive
Psychedelics have certain effects, such as mystical experiences, that make them attractive for recreational use. Limited research suggests that they may also have medical uses, such as reducing depression and anxiety, as well as promoting abstinence from smoking and alcohol . Also Psychedelics are not addictive
Keep reading to learn more about the recreational and medical use of psychedelics, including the side effects and risks of these drugs. Psychedelics are not addictive
A 2021 study describes psychedelics as serotonergic hallucinogens, which are agonists of serotonergic 5-HT2A receptors. This means that they bind to these receptors, producing a certain response. Psychedelics are not addictive
Some serotonergic hallucinogens are present in nature, including psilocybin, a compound in mushrooms of the genus Psilocybe, or N,N-dimethyltryptamine, a compound in the botanical beverage ayahuasca. They can also be synthetic, such as the recreational drug LSD. Psychedelics are not addictive
The effects that psychedelics produce are dependent on various factors, such as dosage and the personality of an individual. However, they include the following:
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hallucinations, mainly visual
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blissful mood or euphoria
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changes in cognition, or thinking, such as:
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mystical experiences
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self-consciousness
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altered time passage
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introspection
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What are their uses?
Psychedelics have both recreational and medical uses:
Recreational uses
In addition to producing visual hallucinations, euphoria, and mystical experiences, psychedelics have other effects that underlie their recreational use. According to one clinical trial, these include derealization, which is when a person feels detached from their surroundings, and depersonalization, which is when they feel detached from their body or mind.
According to the NIDA, people may misuse psychedelics with the hope of:
- detaching from reality
- coping with stress
- entering a spirit world or a more enlightened way of thinking
Medical uses
More research is necessary to provide proof, but a few studies suggest that psychedelics may have a few uses relating to mental health and substance use disorders.
Reduce depression and anxiety
Research investigated the effects of psilocybin on 12 people with treatment-resistant depression. Following two doses — 10 milligrams (mg) and then 25 mg — of the drug, the symptoms diminished, and the improvements remained significant for 3 months.
Additionally, a 2016 clinical explored the effects of psilocybin on the symptoms of depression and anxiety in 51 individuals with a diagnosis of potentially life threatening cancer. The results suggested that psilocybin produced a substantial and long lasting reduction in depression and anxiety, as well as increases in optimism and quality of life.
An older 2014 study examined the use of LSD in 12 people who had anxiety associated with life threatening conditions. The findings indicated that two moderate doses of 200 micrograms decreased anxiety, with these effects persisting throughout a 12-month follow-up period.
Help with smoking and alcohol abstinence
Research from 2016 assessed the use of psilocybin in helping 15 individuals quit smoking. An analysis of the data indicated that the drug might hold promise in fostering long-term smoking abstinence.
A 2015 clinical trial evaluated the value of psilocybin in 10 participants with alcohol dependence. The results suggested that the drug reduced cravings for alcohol and increased abstinence. For the most part, the benefits lasted throughout a 36-week follow-up period.
from 2016investigated the effects of psilocybin on 12 people with treatment-resistant depression. Following two doses — 10 milligrams (mg) and then 25 mg — of the drug, the symptoms diminished, and the improvements remained significant for 3 months.
Additionally, a 2016 clinical trial explored the effects of psilocybin on the symptoms of depression and anxiety in 51 individuals with a diagnosis of potentially life threatening cancer. The results suggested that psilocybin produced a substantial and long lasting reduction in depression and anxiety, as well as increases in optimism and quality of life.
An older 2014 study examined the use of LSD in 12 people who had anxiety associated with life threatening conditions. The findings indicated that two moderate doses of 200 micrograms decreased anxiety, with these effects persisting throughout a 12-month follow-up period.
Help with smoking and alcohol abstinence
Research from 2016 assessed the use of psilocybin in helping 15 individuals quit smoking. An analysis of the data indicated that the drug might hold promise in fostering long-term smoking abstinence.