Bad trip- Do's and Don'ts

This is a basic simple list of Do's and Don'ts that any person taking a psychedelic drug should be aware of. A more detailed and comprehensive bad trip information article can be found here

For the trip sitter

The trip sitter is someone who is looking after the tripper, in case things go wrong.

DO

• Keep calm & a positive
• Remind them that their experience is because of a drug
• Remind them that the experience will end
• Reassure them about their fears - the trip will end and they have not permanently affected or damaged their brain
• Keep them away from environmental hazards
• Talk to them, try to calm them down, calmly discuss any fears they are having
• Try to get the tripper into a safe calm environment without many distractions, dimly lit if possible
• Change something in the environment - the music, the lighting, if indoors try going outside or vice versa, etc
• Distract them with something grounding - a unique trip toy, food or drink, a carefully selected TV show or movie, play some chess, read Drugs-Forum, draw or paint or write together, etc
• Call an ambulance if they pose a physical threat to themselves or others

DO NOT

• Let them use cannabis
• Crowd round them, shout at them or shake them
• Be scared. A bad trip seems very scary but it happens and it will be ok. Your friend needs you to be strong for them right now
• Be overbearing. Let them know that you are there for them if they need you, but let them make their own choices, unless their physical well-being is at stake
• Overreact
• Validate their fears by showing fear, worry, or concern.

For the tripper

The tripper is the person who took the drug.

DO

• Remember that your experience will end - Remember that you're tripping!
• Remember that your fears are just the result of your negative mental state
• Just wait for the experience to end
• Calm yourself down by breathing slowly. Make sure your muscles are relaxed. Think slowly and Individually about every muscle and relax them as you breath deeply in and out.
• Try changing something in the environment or diverting your thoughts to other things (as above).
• Try things that could relieve physical discomfort - Go to the bathroom, blow your nose, etc.

DO NOT

• Use cannabis
• Speak with a anxious voice tone
• Have a pained or scared facial expression
• Try to control your thoughts. Simply acknowledge them and allow them to pass.
• Go into crowded area's if you can prevent it.
• Enter area's were you can fall off or be in any physical danger.

To help avoid a bad trip

DO

• Make sure you are taking the right dose. Too much can cause a bad trip.
• Trip with people you trust and feel very comfortable with
• Trip in an environment you feel comfortable in
• Clear your schedule for the next 3 days
• If it is your first time, make sure you have done your research!
• Keep doses reasonable, especially if you are inexperienced. Many bad trips come from dosing way too high.
• Consider using a sober sitter.
• Consider having a sedative on hand, such as a benzodiazepine, to help with anxiety.

DO NOT

• Use cannabis unless you are VERY experienced with the psychedelic you are taking. Combining cannabis with a psychedelic is the number one cause of a bad trip. The same goes for all other drug combinations
• Use a psychedelic to help 'cure' a mental problem
• Have unrealistic expectations about psychedelic drugs. In fact it is best to have no expectations
• Trip when you are under a lot of stress, or are trying to cope with real world issues and negativity (before a big test, right after a relationship breakup, after the death of a relative, etc.)
• Put yourself in an environment where you'll be worried about being noticed tripping (around parents, at school, at work, etc.)
• Trip out of boredom
• Trip when you are sick
• Trip if you are extremely fearful of having a bad trip... A little pre-trip anxiety is normal though
• Trip too often - this can be extremely taxing on both your body and mind

After a bad trip

DO

• Exercise, eat healthily, socialise
• Realise that it is normal to feel weird, anxious, depersonalisation
• Go about your daily routine
• Try to remain calm and think about your experience rationally. You have had a horrible experience, it is natural to feel bad. You must simply wait for it to go away
• Give some thought as to why you trip went bad - when you're ready, of course... You may learn something valuable about yourself
• Remember that time is the best medicine

DO NOT

• Worry that you have been permanently changed, messed up or have suffered brain damage. You have not. It is very natural to worry about this, but you must try to disregard these feelings
• Use cannabis. If you are a cannabis user, it really will help you to at least cut down to very small dosages if possible. Cannabis can cause flashbacks where you relive the bad trip. This could delay your recovery
• Use any drugs whatsoever for a few months after you feel better.
• Dwell on it too much
• Trip again in attempt to reverse the effects of a bad trip - If the thought of a bad trip is still rolling around in your mind, it can easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy