Can You Get Schizophrenia From Acid?

11/16/2022

Can You Get Schizophrenia From Acid?

When acid first gained popularity in the 1970s, the hallucinations and side effects of taking the psychedelic bore a striking resemblance to what someone with schizophrenia experienced. The visions, paranoia, and auditory episodes led the scientists of the time to make educated guesses as to whether there was a link between them and what regulatory bodies should do about it.

While there wasn’t much scientific evidence to go on, they banned acid in the United States based on the assumption that taking LSD could lead to someone developing schizophrenia. As time has marched forward and more studies into schizophrenia have been conducted, more information has come to light on this mental health condition and its potential causes. So, can you get schizophrenia from acid?

Defining Schizophrenia

While science and medicine haven’t pinpointed an exact cause of schizophrenia, that doesn’t mean that we don’t have a better understanding of the condition now than we did in the past. A combination of elements including genetics and physical, psychological, and environmental factors can make someone more likely to develop schizophrenia. If you have a family history of the condition, it can also mean you are more likely to develop it yourself.

In most cases, stress and emotional life events might trigger an episode with little warning. However, not everyone that exhibits potential risk factors develop the condition, while others that showed no previous signs did. It is still unknown why some people develop schizophrenia and some don’t.

Differences Between Drug-Induced Psychosis and Schizophrenia

When someone drops acid for the first time, the experience can prove overwhelming to the senses. Once the narcotic gets ingested, the person begins to feel the effects soon after and begins hallucinating. These visual and auditory hallucinations share similarities to the ones that people with schizophrenia experience while altering their thought processes. While the similarities are there, acid cannot cause schizophrenia — but it can make existing symptoms worse and potentially trigger those with a predisposition.

The Side Effects of Prolonged Acid Use

Two of the most prominent side effects of acid use include the onset of panic and extreme anxiety. The resulting paranoia often grips the person throughout their experience, resulting in the fabled “bad trip.” If someone is already exhibiting symptoms of schizophrenia or has a genetic predisposition to it, they can begin to see their symptoms worsen.

Can an LSD Recovery Program Help Your Schizophrenia?

Unfortunately, schizophrenia does not currently have a cure. In most cases, the best patients can hope for is learning how to manage their symptoms, receive regular psychiatric care, and follow their doctor’s prescriptions to the letter to improve their quality of life. However, if the person in question has developed a substance abuse disorder, treating the addiction can help better manage their schizophrenia.

Getting a personalized drug treatment program can help you or a loved one with their substance abuse and deal with their drug-induced psychotic symptoms at the source. We offer personalized treatments in Mahanoy City that focus on providing our patients with the long-term help they need to better manage their symptoms.

If you or someone you love is struggling with an LSD substance abuse disorder, schizophrenia, or any other type of psychotic disorder, we’re here to help. Contact our team at 267.209.7313 to learn more about our rehab programs in Mahanoy City, PA .