From: andersom@spot.Colorado.EDU (Marc Anderson)
Subject: Re: LSD
Keywords: LSD Flashbacks
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 19:55:14 GMT

In article <10358@amsaa-cleo.brl.mil> kreisel@amsaa-cleo.brl.mil (Robert G. Kreisel) writes:
>
>I know LSD was a topic of discussion a couple of months ago, but recently
>I have had new interest in the topic.  I found out recently that a young
>friend of mine had been using LSD for the past several years.  He has
>since quit (approx 6 months ago) and was recently under psychiatric
>evaluation.  It was determined he now suffers from manic-depression and
>is border line psychotic.  Up until recently, he has had no problems.
>We have been out hiking, visiting friends, etc, and things have gone
>smoothly.  However during the last couple of weeks he has been "freeking-
>out".  I would assume he is having a flashback of some sort.  He is
>currently on lithium, as well as a couple of other mind oriented drugs.
>His doses have not changed since the doctor perscribed them a few months
>ago.  

The fact that he used LSD may be irrelevent.  People are diagnosed as being
manically-depressed and 'border-line psychotic' all the time with no history
of LSD use whatsoever.  Certain psychological disorders can also be inherited,
which LSD use might have just complicated or something.

How has he been "freaking out"? -- can you be more specific?  

Flashbacks:  a 'flashback' is a brief recurrence of any highly emotional event
that has happened to someone.  LSD does not cause flashbacks, but it has been
known to cause highly emotional events (for the very good, i.e. someone truly
seeing themselves for the first time; or for the bad, i.e., "aack! there's
a dragon chasing me!").

>1.  First of all, is there a FAQ on this topic, and how do I get it?

on LSD in general (I think one is being maintained on alt.drugs by Lamont
Grandquist) or what?  

>2.  What causes flashbacks, can they be controlled?

see above..  flashbacks are purely psychological -- when someone notices a
cue reminding them of a highly emotional experience, they might vividly recall
that event.  This happens to _everyone_, all the time, but we rarely consider
such episodes as flashbacks.  (i.e., maybe getting fired from a job,
your first kiss, being abused as a child, fighting in a war, etc.)  One way
of 'controlling' them might be to avoid the cues that bring them up, although
I personally think that someone should just learn to accept them and understand
them.  

While it still isn't 100% clear whether LSD is the cause of your friend's
condition, he may have experienced something during a trip which scared
him, and that he couldn't understand -- (maybe revealing something unpleasant
about himself).  To that, I would suggest that he tries to figure out the
problem rationally himself or maybe with the aid of a psycho-therapist.

>3.  Is there anything that can be done for the person during one of
>    these episodes?  I refrained from getting medical personnel involved
>    when this happened this weekend.  I talked to him myself, and calmed
>    him down.  His father met me, and took over.  Within an hour, he was
>    calm.  I myself am an EMT.  I did not see the need for medical 
>    intervention at the time.  Is this always the case?

Depends what you mean by 'medical intervention' -- on the physical body,
LSD is essentially harmless.  a lethal dose has never been established,
so unless he stabbed himself with a knife or something, that level of 
medical intervention is unnecessary. 

>4.  Is this "attack" a physical reaction, or purely psychological?

Purely psychological.  LSD leaves your body within hours.  Any 'attack'
he's having, I'd be willing to bet, is something discovered in one of his trips
that he's having difficulties resolving.

>If anyone has answers to these questions, or suggestions of good books
>to read on the subject, your answers would be appreciated.

leave mail if you have any questions

-marc
andersom@spot.colorado.edu

>-rob


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