Drug abuse

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Lower doses of PCP typically produce euphoria (feelings of joy) and decreased inhibition similar to drunkenness. Mid-range doses cause numbness throughout the body, with changes in perception that may result in extreme anxiety and violence.

Large doses may produce paranoia, auditory hallucinations ("hearing voices"), and psychosis similar to schizophrenia. Massive doses, more commonly associated with ingesting the drug, may cause cardiac arrhythmias, seizures, muscle rigidity, acute kidney failure, and death. Because of the analgesic (pain-killing) properties of PCP, users who incur significant injuries may not feel any pain.

Ketamine, a compound related to PCP, has grown in popularity in recent years. It is commonly referred to as Special K.

HALLUCINOGENS

In addition to PCP, other commonly abused hallucinogens include LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), psilocybin (mushrooms, "shrooms"), and peyote (a cactus plant containing the active ingredient mescaline).

The use of naturally occurring hallucinogens, specifically for religious rites, has been documented for centuries. Mushrooms containing psilocybin were used by the native people of Mexico, and peyote use was common among southwestern Native Americans.

In contrast, LSD is a synthetic substance, first developed by a legitimate pharmaceutical company in 1938. Today, most hallucinogens are used experimentally rather than on a regular basis, with most users reporting only single or several uses per year.

LSD is an extremely potent hallucinogen, with only tiny doses required to produce effects. Compared to LSD, psilocybin is 100 - 200 times less potent, and mescaline (peyote) is about 4,000 times less potent.

Hallucinogens are commonly associated with extreme anxiety and absence of contact with reality at the height of the drug experience ("bad trips"). These experiences can come back as a "flashback," even without using the drug again. Such experiences typically occur during times of increased stress, and tend to decrease in frequency and intensity if the individual stops taking the drugs.