To: koan who wrote (1012893 ) 4/24/2017 1:51:56 PM From: James Seagrove Respond to LSD“At the age of sixteen I was introduced to a drug that I abused for over three years—LSD. What I was unaware of was the fact that LSD is the most potent hallucinogen known to man. “The drug came on a small piece of paper no bigger than my index finger, called a blotter. Fifteen minutes after putting the paper on my tongue my entire body got hot and I began to sweat. “Some other reactions that I experienced while on the drug included dilated pupils, nausea and goose bumps. While high on LSD I felt like there was a huge distortion both in my mind and body . The visual changes as well as the extreme changes in mood were like some strange scary trip—one in which I felt like I had no control over my mind and body.” —Edith“I would stay up for days at a time binging. Eventually I had lost a lot of weight; I looked like walking death and was a disgrace to everyone who loved me.” —Tom“At thirteen years of age I took my first drink and soon after was introduced to marijuana . Then LSD quickly fell into my hands and I became addicted, eating it like candy. “One night during one of my binges I blacked out and awoke with blood all over my face and vomit coming out of my mouth. By some miracle I pulled myself awake and cleaned myself up. I got into the car, shaking, drove to my parent’s house. I climbed into bed with my mom and cried. “By the age of twenty-one, I checked into my first rehab.” —Donna“I started drinking at the age of fifteen. Then I progressed to taking Ecstasy, speed, cocaine and LSD. “I found it difficult to hold down a job and became depressed and thought I would never overcome my obsession with drugs. I attempted suicide twice by overdosing on pills. I was put under psychiatrists who gave me even more drugs, antidepressants and tranquilizers , which just made matters worse. “As an outlet for my feelings, I turned to ‘self-harm’—I started cutting and burning myself.” —Justin“I started hanging out at strip clubs, casinos and became very promiscuous , visiting brothel after brothel and was soon to be introduced to other drugs. I had now lost all my inheritance and had to move into a crack-house where I stayed for a year watching people die, losing my business and becoming a thief. went to prison . I had hurt and lost everyone that loved me and I was disowned. I ended up homeless and on the streets living and sleeping in a cardboard box by the station, begging and struggling to find ways to get my next meal.” —Frederick“The days following my LSD use, I was filled with anxiety and extreme depression . Following my first trip on LSD, I would eat it frequently, sometimes up to four or five times per week for an extended period. Each time I would take the drug, mentally, I was drifting more and more out of reality. The eventual effect was the inability to feel normal in my own skin.” —Andrea
