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You can stop the madness of addiction before PCP destroys your mind and your body. Treatment works! Call now and speak with a Recovery Connection coordinator. Our staff understands your needs as many are recovering addicts. Help is here. Call now.
Phencyclidine, or PCP, is a synthetic drug developed in the 1950's for use as a surgical anesthetic. It is found as a white crystalline powder which is soluble in alcohol and water. PCP has a bitter chemical taste. Today, all available PCP is produced illegally in unregulated labs. PCP is manufactured in tablet, capsule, and colored powdered forms. It can be snorted, smoked, injected, or the liquid that can be applied to oregano, tobacco, marijuana or other leafy materials and then smoked. Many users of LSD, marijuana, or methamphetamine may in fact be addicted to PCP as well, as it is regularly combined with these drugs.
PCP, like other drugs that interfere with the brain and central nervous system functions, creates a dissociative experience, or an "out of body" sensation, for the user. Once a person's body becomes addicted to PCP, he or she will experience cravings, drug seeking behaviors and other severe drug induced consequences. PCP can also induce euphoria because it acts as a stimulant. However, typically this stimulant effect mixed with the dissociative effect of PCP leads to erratic and aggressive behaviors.
PCP addiction as with other addictions leads to the need to ingest more and more of the substance over time in order to get the same effect despite negative consequences. The psychological state of the PCP addict is greatly altered. Legal use of PCP was discontinued quickly as patient after patient experienced extreme agitation, delusions, and irrational behavior and thought processes while under the influence of PCP. (The Partnership at Drugfree.org, Dept. of Justice)
The ingested form of PCP determines the length of its effects but these can range from 4-6 hours or longer. According to the National Institute on Drug Addiction, 50% of PCP users brought to emergency rooms suffering from anxiety induced symptoms have ingested PCP within the last 48 hours.
The symptoms of PCP addiction can generally be broken down into two classes, low - moderate abuse, and high dosage use. Low-moderate dose PCP use can cause both psychological and physiological changes in the body which include:
High dosage PCP abuse can cause more severe physiological and psychological changes in the body. Some of these changes may be permanent and include:
Some of the severe complications of long-term PCP addiction are:
PCP is literally one of the most dangerous drugs currently on the illicit market, as those who take it can become violent and permanently psychotic. The drug has a hallucinogenic component that is combined with a stimulant. PCP abusers who become intoxicated or are in PCP withdrawal from the drug can hallucinate and aggressively respond to the hallucination. Low dosage PCP abusers can suffer from bone fractures or kidney damage as well as a feeling of detachment with severe perceptual distortions. High dosage PCP abusers can experience feelings of invulnerability. PCP withdrawal syndrome can occur within the first day of last use and can last for up to 3 months for daily users.
The syndrome includes:
Many users are brought to the emergency room because of the extreme irrational and emotional responses created by this drug. Overdose is not uncommon when the user combines PCP with alcohol or other benzodiazepines. PCP treatment is necessary as many users become suicidal, aggressive, and delusional or manifest schizophrenic type symptoms.
It is strongly recommended that PCP addiction occur in an accredited drug treatment facility with a medical detox unit. PCP detox should immediately be followed by a medically based PCP addiction treatment program.
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