Experiences - Bad Trips and How To Avoid Them

[Joel90]

Hey kiddies!

I think most people who come to this thread, including myself, want to know about how to avoid a bad trip, so we can tell our friends who plan on doing LSD. Could we set up a thread thats people telling us how they got themselves out of a bad trip? SWIM finds that details on the bad stuff they saw and felt tends to make him reconsider his drug choices, which makes him hesitant, so perhaps only the details on what made people feel better would be best?

I know there are a few threads about bad trips, but most just seem to say things like "don't watch scary movies," rather then telling people what to do when it's too late.

Would love any feedback [especially before saturday]!

Thanks SWIMmers.

Much Love,

J.

Reputation Comments on this post:

violation of forum rules

[sylenth]

there is info on this all over df. 'once it's too late' mostly words of reassurance that everything is gonna be fine once the effects have worn off will do, along with making sure there's everything thinkable to help the person having the bad trip be comfartable.

like if the music is too loud, & what type of musicis playing, if the pets freaking some one out put it somewhere else, parents arriving etc... try logical explanations. if one looks at the statistics of people going mad or having severe psychological effects on lsd they are hard to find cos there is so few.

there is a thread on baths & showers on lsd here, a nice warm bath helps alot to create some focus & peace on lsd.

to always start the trip with a thought imprinted in your mind that if things got messy that it's the drug & not to over react & over think.

the outdoors in a safe quiet area is always a safe bet for a good trip. some people can feel clostraphobic indoors.

that's all i can think of besides starting with the right people, setting & mindset to avoid any unpleasent sitiuations which would lead to a bad trip. the basics of taking lsd.

cliche: prevention is better than cure.

[newgrower]

For swim, this brings up the importance of having experienced trippers or a babysitter (not that swim ever really followed this too much). Their job will be to talk the person having the bad trip down. The most important part of this is the reminder that they are tripping and it will go away. The same things that go into keeping from having a bad trip should be used to bring someone back. Setting, setting and setting. Remove the stresser, calm music, the presence of trusted friends and the removal of non-trusted people. Find out from the one on the bad trip - 'who is one of us'.

[Jatelka]

I'm not sure where all the threads are on "avoiding scary movies" are: But UTFSE brings forth a wealth of information on this topic

There's an amazing thread here...

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/sho...ight=bad+trips

on the anatomy of a panic attack and ways of dealing with psychedelic crises

There's a thread here...

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/sho...ight=bad+trips

on ratios of good to bad trips, including some excellent advice

There's a whole host of threads over in "Magic Mushrooms"

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/sho...ight=bad+trips
http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/sho...ight=bad+trips
http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/sho...ight=bad+trips

which offer a great deal of insight and some handy tips

There is also an amazing video in the archive from MAPS entitled "Working with difficult psychedelic experiences", which should be compulsory viewing

[ADVOR]

This thread is pretty uneccesary... next time UTFSE.

Regardless, all of SWIM's trips that have almost gone bad were saved when SWIM thought to himself, "wait a minute, I just ate some mushrooms... this intense feeling is only because of a drug, and I'm not going crazy". After that, SWIM feels fine.

Acid on the other hand, SWIM has never had a bad trip. Only periods of uncomfortableness.

[spacewhalescrubber]

This isn't really about how to avoid a bad trip but if one of your friends has taken a turn for the worse how to calm them. I invented this one and im quite proud of it, we all know that you have to calm them and tell them that its just a trip so. You make a fake drink that you assure your friend will stop the bad part of the trip, make big deal about it and keep telling them that it will be fine when they have this drink. Make a scene about it and mix lots of things together (but keep it tasting good) and hopefully your friend will get a nice placeobo effect and be calmer after the drink.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Good idea.

[Panthers007]

Bullshitting a person on acid is like trying to convince a horse to drink gasoline. It won't work.

Simple Plan 1. - Ask them if they took a drug. They say 'Yes.'

2. Does a drug wear off? 'Yes.'

3. Suggest a warm bath or shower to find their center.

That should be the end of it. If they managed to open the door to a deep-seated psychosis that we all harbor - you'll know it soon enough. Just don't lie. And be there if they need you to be. If they tell you to go away? Go away.

[Songcycle67]

I think the most important thing in avoiding a bad trip, beyond reminding yourself that you're on a drug, is to expect nothing and embrace everything. turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream, etc. If a problem arises do your best to process and "lay with it." One of the quickest roads to psychosis is repression. One must be willing to accept the things being shown to them, no matter how hard they are to face.

It is important, however, to weed out the stuff that is just nonsense and paranoia. The only way to do this is to be honest with oneself.

[Bajeda]

Two trip reports of decent length with accompanying commentary and advice.

Used to be its own thread, was then merged with another to make 'Helpful Tips for Tripping', and now its lost in a massive mega merge thread, so not very useful unless you can find it.


http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/sho...&postcount=146

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/sho...&postcount=148

[Chili]

Last sutarday swim almost had a bad trip, almost maybe because it was a smaller dose (half trip) and in that situation there was nothing and nobody who can bring swim back only swim himself or a doctor.All swims friends was talking that everything is ok but it was to strong and thank God it last for only ten minutes, swim was thinking that he's gona die, it was so realistic.