What to do in case of a Bad Trip

[Creeping Death]

I was thinking about trying LSD or mushrooms for new years (never tried psychadelics before). The only worry i have about it is having a bad drip, like getting extremely paranoid or suicidal. So i'm wondering what you can do in case this happens.

Is there a way to bring yourself out of a bad trip and sutch. And in case you cant, is it a good idea to smoke a lot of weed or take a lot of valium to knock yourself out, rather than hanging out for 12 hours feeling terrible.

[djryand]

First off, be in a very comfortable setting, a good, positive mind state, and have a sitter that you feel very comfortable with, and start with a small dose. Doing these things should be more than enough to keep you from having a bad trip.

Another thing is to keep in mind the entire time that it is only a drug and it will wear off, so there is no reason to worry.

Don't worry about it too much. You should have a great time. Let us know how it goes.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Good tips...

[djryand]

Oh yeah. Forgot to add: If in the event that you do start to get freaked out, it would not be that bad to have some sort of benzo (xanax, valium, ativan) around. If you must take it, start with a low dose.

I would definitely not recommend smoking pot the first time you trip. It will only intensify the high.

[elbow]

Also, don't be afraid to state your needs. For instance, if the music is freaking you out or the lighting is too much, or there is someone around who is making you feel paranoid-then ask if anybody minds if you change the music/lighting or go somewhere else for a little while. I mean, don't be a selfish asshole, but something as simple as a minor environmental change can really help snap people out of a bad trip, especially music/lights. Just don't worry, you will be fine. It is not like you will become suddenly crazy, just remember it is from a drug and will be over soon.


Once whenI was on 2c-i and thought that I had lost feeling in one of my arms, 'cause it was not moving when I told it to and it felt abnormally heavy and also warm. I was kind of worried but just told myself that now was not the time to worry, that I would see how I felt the next day and if it was still wierd, then I could freak out. I just went to sleep with a "dead arm" and woke up perfectly fine. So really it is about making certain that you retain a segment of your rational mind.

[Growling_grover]

Can not be stressed enough, be in a comfortable enviroment and have a relaxed state of mind (no depression, big insecurities or trauma or stuuf like that), No telephoneeither, "normal"conversation is not possible and when you should see people or telephone someone it can freak you out a little. (I accidentally picked up the phone once )


Doing it during daytime and walk in the woods or beach or whatever is very nice (with an experienced or sober sitter that is)

The way I think about preparing for a trip is to imagine that I am
about to regress in age to very young childhood. Like when you're a
little kid things will be both more awe-inspiring, and more terrifying,
and you will have little ability to deal rationally with either state
of mind. So having a "parent" nearby (a sitter) is a good idea, and
planning to only put yourself in situations where you are comfortable,
entertained, and not likely to become defensive or anxious, is key.

[djryand]

I like that advice Vic. I've heard something similar before from some psychedelic guru but forgot which one: a child sees the world through psychedelic eyes.

Reputation Comments on this post:

That is a beautiful quote

[HippieD9]

The best advice is a strong will, and a good sitter. Just keep in mind that you're trippin, and that things will be just fine tomarrow morning. A sitter with a calm voice and a little ice in a wet washcloth do wonders for calming you down too.





Peace,


D.

[TheSilverFox]

Here some tips I do when I plan on tripping many were said above. Do it when your relaxed, calm, and positive. Mindframe is a big factor. When I have a sitter, I usually make a deal with them. Like you can free range of my apartment food, drink, tv etc. Just do not bother me and come in every now and then to check up on things dont watch me at a constant basis. That makes for a better trip I think. Darkness is always good, at least for me. If you plan to trip with music, have it some cool and calm music. Ambient or mellow. Some bands I trip to is Floyd, Doors, Trance/Techno. I know that sounds cliche but trust me trippin on stuff listening to hard metal and whatnot is not a good idea. If you feel like the music is bothering you turn it off. Tripping with friends can create a rather interesting experiences and stories.

[Dualpower]

Be with someone else who knows the drug and understands

When having a bad trip, change the situation you're in, move locations, change lighting etc (as mentioned above)



Also don't be terrified if you realize you shouldn't have taken a drug
because you were previously not in a good mindstate - it will only make
things worse. Actually, I would expect that for some drugs / doses of
drugs the intensity of the experience is unexpected by any amount of
preparation and stress/terror can be imminent.



As long as you can find someone to talk you down you should be
fine. In the absense of people just repeating the notion that you will
be fine and making a focussed effort not to be freaked out by things
can help a lot. Talk out loud if you have to.

[dmax]

Dualpower's advice is key: don't get pissed off at yourself for doing
the drug. Once you're on it, try to enjoy it, otherwise it's a
waste. I've spent hours sitting around wishing I hadn't taken
something. There's no way to go back in time, so just relax and
have fun with it.

[dastardlymonkey]

have an experienced guide on hand. i can vouche that ciggarettes are a good thing. i do not know if the reduce the effects of the psychedelic but sometimes it is what holds it all together. if something does not feel right abort before taking the drug. it is better to deal with it before your high. mindset is very important. do not go overboard your first time. benzos and anti-psychotics are also very good to have on hand. i haave had to feed people thorazine and seroquil on a few occasions.

EDIT: NEUROLEPTICS (THORAZINE ETC) ARE HIGHLY CONTRAINDICATED WITH PSYCHEDELICS, DO NOT ADMINISTER. thanks, nanoEdited by: nanobrain

[Micklemouse]

Hope you had some procyclidine to hand as well - I've known people have dystonic and EPSE reactions with as low as 25mg thorazine(aka chlorpromazine, aka Largactil), and the last thing you want on acid is a locked jaw, neck, wrists and shoulders, with your cheeks creeping towards your forehead and no control over your eyes as they decide to roll into the back of your head!

Please don't feed trippers anti-psychotics - they're not safe drugs, especially the old-school ones like largactil, haloperidol and clopixol. Atypicals such as Seroquel and Olanzepine are a lot safer, but still have the potential to bring about similar side-effects. If you must use a chemical to bring someone down, stick to benzo's or a little bit of good beer.

Keep it safe!

Reputation Comments on this post:

great advice

[Nitrate]

Wow, counter drugs for the counter drugs.



You know maybe the best thing to remember is if its not something
speedy or sedating (ie a true hallocinogen) the worst thing that ever
happens (other than some mildly supported urban legends) is your a
littly freaked out for 8 hours. If you made sure you have a
sitter and a day to kill (dont have to pick up your grandparents at the
airport later) then nothing can really go wrong. There is no
really easy way out with more drugs - sorry i started the thread in
this direction. I just though people should know that a smoke may
help a bit but your not going to find an "LSD undo".

[jduba]

FREAK OUT!!! have had one bad trip and there was no way that i could
have prep. for it just one of those outa your control type situations.
i just ate xanax until the trip went right away

Reputation Comments on this post:

Not very helpful advice really.

[Tavz]

I tried acid for the first time on Monday. It was a mixed bag. The trip started out great, everything seemed really funny for the first 45minutes, then out of nowhere the backround in Everybody Loves Raymond started to melt. I did a double take and it goes away. So I figure I better go take a piss before it really kicks in. By the time I get back to my bedroom I am tripping. For the first 3 hours its great, everything is melting and changing shapes and changing into other objects. Colors are going from extremly colorful to black and white, really crazy. Sounds kinda freaked me out though, it was coming in waves, it would sound normal, then really low, then high, then far away ect... Anyway, during the 4th hour I started to get really anxious and paranoid which only got worse as the night went on. It came out of nowhere and I have no idea what caused it.


I learned a few things that night though. "The most powerful mind-altering substance known to man." is not a phrase to be taken lightly. Make sure the environment is comfortable, no phone, no people or distractions. Have a sitter (which I did not but wish I had). Its called tripping for a reason, it lasts a LONG time, my trip lasted just over 8 hours, the come-up time was only about an hour so thats almost 7 hours of tripping hard.


Also, I learned why people say they were "fryin", at about the 5th hour I could feel heatthough my eyes and it felt like my brain was justfrying. Acid is some crazy shit. Its awesome though.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Good harm-reduction advice in this post, could be slightly more precise but all round positise

[Emperiorjack]

Would taking some melatonin work?

EDIT: TAKING MELATONIN DOES NOT WORK. thanks, nano
Edited by: nanobrain

[xctico]

"In otherwords I partialy agree with bealzabub, take with orange juice or something like that."



LOL you mademe laught bigtime. Once I was told that orange juice wqs
good thing to drink during a trip, I heard it was a catalizer and it
could intensify the trip. I drank about 2 gallons in a week [and 2 hits
a day for 7 days], I think it was most of what I ate for that whole
week.lol, the good ol days...

On the following months of that heavy trip, I was threathed with
Seroquel and Olanzepine [among others], the side effects of those
antipsicotics are awafull, I rather live with the nice little shini
lights.



seroquel was specially rough, I was totally useless, sleeping about 18
hours a day and falling asleep the rest of the time. awefull drug. Plus
I had several uncomfortable feelings of cuasipain in my arms, they felt
as if in an uncomfortable position no matter how I placed them..

Reputation Comments on this post:

Shows the power of the urban myth!

[spacemonky]

having been in precarious states of mind before, I can say that benzodiazepines and alcohol (NOT AT THE SAME TIME - don't ever mix the two) were lifesavers, especially when coming down from a trip. and be careful when mixing grass and psychedelics.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Pertinent reminder NOT to mix benzos and booze

[Meth0d]

I reccomend writing the time you dosed on a piece of paper, and the expected duration. I find it helps me keep perspective when things get sketchy.Edited by: nanobrain

[gn2osis]

Some GREAT advice here. djryand and elbow are totally right
on. Pot is not recommended to mellow things out at
all. And have a good friend or two around, someone experienced
and trusted and positive.



One more thing: DOSAGE! Don't start too high! You can
always boost a little after forty-five minutes to an hour (for LSD and
shrooms; other psychdelics, e.g. some of the RC's, can take longer or
shorter to show their full effects). Keep track of time, and
write down how much you took when, so you don't add more before feeling
the effects of what you already took. A tolerance eventually
kicks in, and you might not have as intense a trip as if you took a big
dose all at once, but what's the rush? You'll trip again.
Enjoy the scenery and the newness. If you have to err on one
direction, you want a really good time more than you want a really
intense time, right? So wade in comfortably and enjoy.
Tripping is really amazing, and remember, dosage is just as important
as set and setting.</span><!--
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Reputation Comments on this post:

Excellant advice

[raven3davis]

First thing to do is try to avoid the bad trip all toghther. Know
your limits for the drugs you are taking. Second, if you are
going to trip, make sure you are in the right mind set and at the right
location. Wear comftorable clothes and be with your close friends
at a chill location. If you do start having a bad trip just
remember, it will end, and nothing that is happening is real.
Start thinking about good things, and not bad things. Also benzos
will help in case of emergency. If things take a turn for the
worst you can always take a xanax bar. But just remember, it is a
drug, and they fuck with your mind. It will come to an end and
everything will be okay. Just enjoy your trip, even if it is too
intense. The main thing is, dont take too much. You can
always take more if necessary but you cant reverse time.

[Hyperreal]

I've got this idea for an easy way to get people out of bad trips. It's just an idea, I haven't had the chance to try it out and hopefully won't have the chance, but I'd like to know if it works.


The idea is this: use smelling salts. Usually made from ammonium carbonate or anything that smells really strong. You hold it under someone's nose and the whiff of the thing is enough of a stimulus to jolt a man out of unconsciousness or semi-consciousness. It could also work for trips that are too intense and delusional. Just an idea...

[sabe]

never under any cicumstance,look in a mirror!or into a cup of coffee while tripping on LSD.the mirror will hold you captive as you examine each and every detail of your face,and your eyes will reflect the infinite darkness of the drug induced abyss.this can lead to picking the face. trying to remove imperfections that dont really exist.the use of knives ect. to slash off noses,or remove lips and eyelids.


the danger posed by the coffee cup is just as terrifiing.falling in,looking out,unable to claw your way out of the dark,suffocating liquid.LSD is the most powerful psychedelicdrug known to man,i found this out the hard way.two hits of blotter from a biker who was jetting through the town i lived in as a kid.


i didnt rearrange my face,(thank god) but i saw things that are as clear today as they wereon that night over twenty yrs ago.the sheer power of the drug still amazes me,and the only reason the trip didnt turn into a nightmare is because of a christmas tree.it was the only object that didnt stretch and twist into some hideous drug induce version of reality.


i sat there in the recliner and watched as my big toe swelled to basketball size.then stretched away across the room to appear like a gremlin behind the head of a friend whos eyes had all the look of a cartoon,and whos lips had pursed into a big,glaring kiss.the carpet seemed to come right up and hold at eye level.i could see the colors and fibers so clearly it was like i was down on all fours looking through a magnifying glass.


walking to the kitchen to get (orange juice)which my good friends had told me would "bring me down"was like treading through a swamp as my legs were only an inch long and attached to feet that stretched to massive porportions.reaching into the fridge,i grabbed the bottle of life saving elixer and guzzled it down like a man dying of thirst.then lurched back to my chair to resume my drug induced helter skelter.


now though i was confident that my trip would end and all would return to normal because of the magical effects of the citric acid i had just consumed.(i was wrong)good friends yea,right!there was one dude who i never really liked who was also tripping with me that night.he squatted directly across from me,not sitting in his chair mind you,but squatting like a small subhuman bat.his dark brown hair slicked back and his shirtless torso gleaming with sweat.


his eyes were beady and i watched in stunned silence as his mouth twitched,producing glimpses of white teeth and a flickering tongue. his ears had skewed back and came to sharp points against the sides of his (now)egg shaped head.so he squatted,bare foot and bare chested accross from me.and i sat and stared,knowing that my inital impression of him being a rat was justified and disliking him all the more.


the so called(good time)lasted for around 15 hrs and i could go on about what i observed.but it would be pointless as i will not try and promote the use of LSD.it may be a pleasant recreational drug for someone with a less active imagination than mine,but to me it was unsettling and wierd.so be careful (first time user)the trip is powerful and if it gets the best of you it can turn into a nightmare of hellish porportions.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Rather dark but very insightful post

[Mezza]

Sabe that wasa BAD trip bro, OMG!! I feel for you...


If you're going to experiment, you have to expect to go through the 'dark wood' sooner or later. It can come up when you least expect it. Most often, it will be the culmination of issues that are buried in your subconsious and need to be addressed...similar to why you'll have a vivid, terrifying dream.


Ive had a few bad experiences, but I honestly feel Im a lot stronger now because of them. When my mind starts going crazy, things start to turn hellish...I focus really hard and mentally 'push' the bad energy out of my body, the entire time reminding myself over and over that its just the drug and everything is going to be OK. Normally the result of this exercise is a complete 180, the experience goes from terrifying to exhilerating. Fueled by the fact that I just outran the demons in my head. Or, rather, chased them out with psychedelic broomstick.

Shrooms are a lot less potent but a little moredark for me. I find it alot easier to have a bad trip off of shrooms than on acid.Shrooms will give you a more mellow high, but with less visuals. But everyone is different, I got some friends who prefer shrooms over acid, it's all up to you.

Ive found that shrooms can be incredibly potent, and phenomenaly visual. Ive found LSD's visuals to be more precise, and 'faster' interms of movement - but shrooms are definitely on the same level for me. I like the shorter duration as well...its rare I find time for a 14 hour trip these days! (or the LSD to do it with, for that matter!!)


Mezza