Phencyclidine (PCP) is a potent dissociative substance with a history rooted in medical science. Originally synthesized in the 1950s as an intravenous anesthetic for surgical procedures, its use in humans was discontinued in 1965 due to severe side effects such as postoperative delirium and hallucinations. Despite its medical discontinuation, PCP emerged as a substance of misuse in the 1960s, quickly gaining various street names like Angel Dust, Wet, and Sherm. It is currently classified as a Schedule II controlled substance in the United States, recognizing its high potential for abuse. This classification indicates its significant capacity for psychological or physical dependence, despite its past limited medical utility.
The Dissociative High and Initial Effects
When PCP is smoked, its effects manifest rapidly, often within 2 to 5 minutes. Users describe entering a dissociative state, characterized by a feeling of detachment from their own body and surrounding reality. This experience can include distortions in sensory perception, altering how one sees, hears, and feels.
Many individuals report feelings of euphoria, a sense of invulnerability, and even a perception of superhuman strength. A notable effect is widespread numbness throughout the body, which can prevent users from recognizing physical injury. This unpredictable “high” is merely the onset of a potentially dangerous journey. The initial intoxication can persist for 4 to 8 hours, with some subjective effects lasting up to 24-48 hours.
Severe Psychological and Behavioral Dangers
Beyond the initial dissociative high, smoking PCP can rapidly plunge an individual into a psychiatric crisis. Users may experience intense paranoia, developing profound distrust of others and believing they are being threatened or pursued. Terrifying hallucinations can emerge, distorting their perception of reality and leading to extreme distress. This can be accompanied by disorganized thinking and delusions, making coherent communication nearly impossible.
PCP intoxication is linked to unpredictable and extreme aggression, often escalating to violence. The drug impairs impulse control and judgment, causing individuals to act on distorted perceptions without considering consequences. This can result in bizarre behaviors, self-injury, or harm to others, as the user may feel impervious to pain or perceive others as threats. The combination of profound mental disorganization and impaired inhibition creates a volatile state, posing significant risks to both the user and those around them.
Acute Physical Health Risks
Smoking PCP immediately affects several physiological systems, posing acute health risks. The cardiovascular system is significantly impacted, often resulting in an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Simultaneously, body temperature can rise to hazardous levels (hyperthermia), alongside shallow or irregular breathing patterns.
The drug also affects the musculoskeletal system. Users may experience muscle rigidity and a severe loss of coordination (ataxia), leading to uncontrolled movements or an inability to stand. A serious complication is rhabdomyolysis, where muscle tissue breaks down rapidly, potentially leading to kidney failure. At higher doses, PCP can trigger seizures and, in severe cases, induce a catatonic state or coma.
Chronic Use and Lasting Brain Damage
Chronic, repeated use of PCP can lead to lasting brain damage, with consequences that persist even when an individual is no longer intoxicated. Users often develop severe cognitive impairments, including significant memory loss that interferes with daily functioning. Difficulties with speech and thinking are common, sometimes manifesting as disorganized or nonsensical verbalizations.
Executive functions, which involve planning, problem-solving, and decision-making, also become impaired. Beyond cognitive decline, long-term PCP abuse can trigger chronic mental health issues. These include persistent depression, overwhelming anxiety, and social withdrawal, isolating individuals from their support systems. There is also a substantial risk of triggering a long-lasting psychotic disorder resembling schizophrenia, characterized by persistent delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thought processes that endure long after drug use has ceased.
Overdose and Addiction
Smoking PCP carries a risk of overdose, a life-threatening medical emergency requiring immediate attention. Signs of a PCP overdose can include a catatonic state, where the individual becomes unresponsive and rigid. This can quickly progress to respiratory arrest (breathing ceases), and cardiovascular collapse (leading to a dangerous drop in blood pressure and heart function). Seizures are also a common and severe manifestation of PCP toxicity at high doses.
PCP also has a high potential for psychological addiction. Users rapidly develop tolerance, meaning they require increasingly higher doses to achieve the desired effects, fueling a cycle of escalating consumption. When a person attempts to stop using PCP, they often experience withdrawal symptoms, which are primarily psychological in nature. These can include intense cravings for the drug, severe depression, and heightened anxiety. More severe withdrawal reactions, such as hallucinations and seizures, can also occur, underscoring the challenges of cessation without medical supervision.