Teenage Hallucinogen Abuse?
Hallucinogens are psychedelic drugs that cause changes in perception, senses, and mood. Teens may experiment with these as a party drug, to gain new insights, expand their consciousness, or simply out of curiosity. Psychedelics are potent and can cause long-term changes to the developing brain. There is a risk that psychedelics increase the risk of drug-induced psychosis or bring underlying mental health problems to the surface.
Teens who take psychedelics during development who struggle with unresolved mental health challenges are at an increasingly high risk of developing anxiety, depression, psychosis, and even suicidal ideation.
At Lotus Behavioral Health, we understand the complexity of hallucinogen abuse. Many young people and young adults experiment with these substances to expand their consciousness, explore their identity, and find new ways to express emotions or be creative. Throughout our treatment programs, teens have access to evidence-based mental health therapies and creative art therapies to aid in emotional processing and reduce cravings for drugs and alcohol. Some of the therapies offered for teens in hallucinogen abuse treatment include:
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Trauma-informed therapies
- Art and Music therapy
- Dance, movement, and fitness therapies
Commonly Abused Hallucinogens
Although teen hallucinogen abuse is not as common as some other substances, such as alcohol or nicotine, data still reports that around 2% of 15 to 16-year-olds report lifetime use of psychedelics such as LSD, and around 5% of 18-year-olds. Some of the most commonly abused hallucinogens by teens include:
- Magic mushrooms
- LSD
- MDMA