What is PCP?
PCP stands for Phencyclidine, also known as “angel dust.” It is an illegal hallucinogen used for its mind altering effects. PCP causes distorted perceptions of sounds, and violent behavior and produces a feeling of detachment from oneself and one’s surroundings. The drug was originally developed in the 1950s as a surgical anesthetic, but was later discontinued after it was discovered to cause agitation, mania, hallucinations, and irrational thinking in patients to using the drug.
PCP Effects and Health Risk of PCP
The use of PCP either as snorted powder, injectable liquid, tablet or capsule is a high risk lifestyle that has a significant impact on the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of an individual. PCP affects the mind and the senses; this effect causes users of the drug to see and hear things that aren’t there in reality -a reason the drug is referred to as angel dust. PCP also significantly affect the person’s emotions and ability to think clearly and according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the repeated abuse of PCP can lead to craving and compulsive PCP-seeking behavior despite severe adverse consequences such as seizures, respiratory failure, coma, fever, convulsions, stroke and possible death.
What Does PCP Stands For On A Drug Test
Urine tests are used to detect PCP use more frequently than saliva and hair tests. On a drug test, phencyclidine means the same thing as PCP. The latter term is the abbreviated, colloquial or street name for the drug.A PCP urine test can detect the presence of the drug up to five days after last use, according to Quest Diagnostics. However, the detection period may be longer for people who use the drug frequently especially recreational users . The more PCP a person uses, the longer it remains in the body. Saliva tests can detect PCP for between 24 and 48 hours. Hair tests can detect the drug for up to 90 days. A variety of factors can however influence the amount of time PCP can be detected during a drug test.
Side Effects of PCP
Convulsions
Irregular breathing
Faster heart rate
Blurred vision
Dizziness
Numbness in the legs and arms.
Blood pressure drop
Vomiting
Confusion
Dizziness
Depression
Is PCP a controlled Drug?
PCP is a schedule II controlled substance in the U.S under the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) due to its high potential for abuse. A person may be imprisoned for manufacturing, distributing, possessing, selling and using PCP.
Street Names for PCP
- Angel dust
- Elephant tranquilizer
- Embalming fluid
- Hog
- Ozone
- Wack
- Killer joints
- The PeaCe pill
- Rocket fuel
- Supergrass
Overcoming Addiction to PCP
You don’t recover from addiction and the long term effects PCP by simply stopping the use of the drug, you recover by creating a new life where it is easier to not depend on PCP and related substances. In order for PCP rehab to be successful you must:
Avoid High-Risk Situations – Stay away from people with whom you usually use PCP and other related substances. Stay away from people who you have conflicts with, who make you want to use PCP, and people who celebrate you while using PCP.
Learn to Relax- learn how to relax your tension without the influence of PCP by using simple techniques such as going for a walk, to more structured techniques like meditation. These relaxation methods have been proven to change the life of many addicts and helped them recover from addiction.
Manage Stress Properly –Learning how to effectively manage stress is very vital for addiction recovery. Stress management is very significant because when you are tense, you tend to do what is familiar and wrong instead of what is new and right. This often lead to relapse into old habits which ultimately promotes addiction and undermines the prime objective of PCP rehab.
Be Honest–Lies and addiction often go together, because most have to lie about getting drug, using it, and hiding its physical and health consequences. By the time addiction has fully developed, lying has fully become part of life. In order for recovery to be successful, individuals must learn to be honest about what they truly want from life or else they might end up like the many who have paid the ultimate price of substance abuse with their lives.
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