LSD, technically called lysergic acid diethylamide, is a drug that alters the senses and causes hallucinations for most people. Can this drug cause addiction though? How dangerous is LSD and how common is this drug? LSD was first discovered by Albert Hofmann, a Swiss chemist who as using the substance to treat respiratory depression in patients and who accidentally absorbed LSD through his skin. LSD was used in psychiatry until the 1960s, when the drug hit the American counter culture and the general population started using LSD in a recreational manner. After reports of psychosis induced by the drug, and the role that LSD could play in random acts of violence, surfaced in the 1960s Sandoz Pharmaceuticals stopped production of LSD.
An LSD addiction is not frequently discussed, and there are differing views on whether it is even possible to become addicted to the drug. Unlike many substances that are used for recreational purposes LSD use will not cause a physical addiction that causes physical cravings for the drug, but some believe that a psychological addiction can develop if the drug is used repeatedly. A tolerance to LSD can develop, requiring the user to take more of the drug in order to get the same effect. Studies showed that when the same dose of LSD was given for 3 consecutive days the individual did not get the expected effects from the drug by the third day. Lysergic acid diethylamide causes serotonin stimulation in the brain, and this alters the thought patterns and sensory perceptions that the user has.
