Psychedelic drugs like psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, DMT, ketamine, and MDMA can cause bad trips.
Also known as a psychedelic crisis, a bad trip can include feelings of extreme fear and paranoia, making the user more prone to hurting themselves and others.
What Drugs Cause Bad Trips?
You can have an unpleasant experience on all psychoactive drugs. Cannabis can make you paranoid; opioids can make you sick and itchy; cocaine can cause panic.
But the term “bad trip” is usually reserved for psychedelic drugs that produce hallucinations and changes in consciousness/perception, including:
- Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): Also known as “acid”, LSD is a hallucinogenic drug that can cause bad trips in high doses and inexperienced users.
- Magic Mushrooms: Psilocybin mushrooms are also known as “shrooms”. Nausea and even vomiting are common with these drugs, and they can also lead to some very challenging experiences.
- Salvia: A smoked herb that causes hallucinations and produces a very short-lived experience.
- DMT: The main psychoactive substance found in ayahuasca, which is used in religious ceremonies to produce spiritual experiences.
- MDMA: Also known as “Molly” and “Ecstasy”, MDMA is a rave drug known for its stimulant and empathogenic properties. It can also cause bad trips.
- Mescaline: A psychedelic drug found in peyote and San Pedro cacti.
What Causes a Bad Trip?
If you’re using psychedelic drugs, you can have a negative experience. There’s no guaranteed way to avoid a bad trip. However, there are some things that can make a bad trip more likely:
- Being in a negative state of mind while using psychedelic drugs
- Being in an uncomfortable setting
- Using alcohol and other drugs at the same time
- Taking high doses of the drug
- Being surrounded by loud noises, bright lights, and other stimulation
- Not having a sober sitter
What are the Symptoms of a Bad Trip?
Psychedelic drug users may experience a variety of effects, both positive and negative. Experiencing negative thoughts or emotions doesn’t necessarily mean you are having a bad trip, as they may be fleeting.
Some of the most common symptoms of a bad trip include:
- Extremely negative thoughts
- Negative interpretations of events
- Extreme fear
- Extreme paranoia
- Sudden mood swings
- Negative hallucinations
- A sensation that time has stopped
How Can You Help Someone Who is Having a Bad Trip?
Experienced psychedelic users often recommend tripping with other people. In an ideal situation, you should be with people that you know and trust, with at least one person who is either sober or using a much smaller dose than you.
When you’re having a bad trip, the onus is on them to help you out.
If you’re the one designated to help, here are some things you can do to ensure they have a pleasant experience.
Recognize a Bad Trip
The first step to helping out is to recognize that someone is having a bad trip.
It can be tricky. It’s not always obvious when someone is having a bad trip, and if you start hovering over them, asking them if they are okay, and trying to intervene, you could panic them and put them on course for an unpleasant experience.
Look out for signs of heightened anxiety and paranoia. They might start to ask questions about their health and mental state. They might seem panicky or express concerns that they are going crazy or about to die.
Move them to a Safe Place
When you recognize that someone is having a bad trip, take them somewhere safe.
You don’t need a padded room. Just move them away from harm. If they’re outside, move them away from lakes, rivers, cliff edges, and anywhere they could fall or get lost. If they’re inside, make sure there are no weapons that could pose a risk.
You should also take them away from loud music, crowds, bright lights, sudden noises, moving traffic, and anything else that could disorientate them.
Comfort Them
When have the words “calm down” ever worked? They’re useless when someone is angry and upset, and they’re just as useless during challenging trips.
Don’t resort to shouting at the person or ordering them to stay calm. Instead, protect them and remind them that the feeling will pass.
Tell them that they are not dying, the world isn’t out to get them, and you understand how they are feeling.
Stay With Them
Stay with the person at all times to keep them safe. They may be a risk to themselves and others, and if you leave them, they could come to serious harm.
Get Professional Medical Advice if Needed
If the situation gets out of your control, and there is a serious risk of self-harm or violence to others, it could be time to seek help.
If you’re sober and can drive, take them to the emergency room. If not, dial 911.
What Should You Do If You’re Having a Bad Trip?
If you’re having a bad trip, the first thing you should do is tell someone. As noted above, a loved one or sober sitter can help you through a bad trip and support you until you sober up.
Failing that, get somewhere safe and do what makes you comfortable. If that means climbing into bed and pulling up the covers, go for it. If you need to build a fort, then start building.
Play some calming music, turn the lights down low, and move away from anything that could overstimulate you.
Mantras can also help you through unpleasant experiences. Just repeat a sentence over and over again. It’ll refocus your mind and keep you in the moment.
Mantras include phrases like. “I am here. I am fine. This will pass”.
FAQs about Bad Trips on Psychedelic Drugs
If you still have a few questions about bad trips on psychedelic drugs, check out the following FAQs.
What is the Meaning of “Acid Trip”?
“Acid” is another name for LSD, a synthetic hallucinogen. An “acid trip” is simply an experience on LSD.
Can You Die on a Bad Trip?
Psychedelic drugs like LSD and magic mushrooms are generally considered to be safe. There is a low risk of drug abuse and addiction, and while you can fatally overdose, the doses required are very high.
However, if you’re having a bad trip, you could pose a serious risk to yourself and others. Many deaths associated with hallucinogens like LSD and psilocybin mushrooms have occurred as a result of serious accidents and acts of violence while having a bad trip.
What is Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD)?
HPPD is a condition characterized by repeat visual/perceptual changes irrespective of psychedelic use. HPPD is used interchangeably with the term “flashback”, which is more widely known and refers to incidents of visual/perceptual changes.
Technically, however, HPPD is a condition that can result in flashbacks.
How Do I Know if I Have HPPD?
If you have HPPD, you may see halos around stationary objects or trails behind moving objects. You will experience some of the same visual disturbances that you felt while under the influence of a psychedelic drug.
What is HPPD Caused by?
HPPD is caused by psychedelic drugs, with most experiences occurring after LSD use.