Sorry to hear that, regular shrooms user myself. It’s often been said it all depends on (mind)set and setting. Do you reckon your bad trip could’ve been prevented in any way? Was there an experienced user present that could’ve calmed you down? OR do you reckon you were just prone to panic attacks and the shrooms would’ve magnified that no matter what?
i had a semi-bad trip (on ecstasy) and i think i was just not expecting the effect to be so strong. i took half a pill, and the first hour was intense but the second one knocked me off my feet and made me cry uncontrollably.
still worth it though.
so, my advice to anyone who tries it for the first time is: LOW-DOSE.
you have no idea how it will affect you, but you can stay safe by essentially trying with a very low dose first.
I don’t know if in the case of all psychedelics this is true. I’ve often heard, and I think I agree, that having a good or bad trip is relatively independant of dose, rather it is based on set and setting. I’ve even heard it said that with for instance LSD it can be easier to have a somewhat higher dose, because with that you’ll have no control, and you’ll often be beyond even trying to control what’s happening in your head. While with a low dose you might be very aware, and precisely for this reason more susceptible to paranoia and fear, which could still spiral into massive proportions. You might want to control what’s happening in your head, and you’ll find that you’re unable to, which is conflicting. With ecstasy I certainly agree, I tend to think most people that use ecstasy use too high of a dose for their own good anyway. I go by the (max bodyweight in kg)x1,5mg total for 1 evening, and only do it once every 3 months or so.
I just got so many panic attacks during my trip. Of course, I didn’t understand what they were but thought I had lost my mind for good instead. Time stopped, I couldn’t think straight, couldn’t calm myself down, at times I couldn’t parse other people’s speech and everything was just damn scary the whole time. And felt like an eternity.
After the trip, I was afraid of anything I deemed “not normal” for months. I got scared by my vision going black when blinking, the occasinal weird joke someone would make, bird noises in the winter, awkward social situations, anything you could imagine being “not normal”. Now after ten years, I occasionally get that when something peculiar happens, but it’s not a constant thing as it used to be. Maybe once a day I get “half triggered” by something but usually I can calm myself down.
I think the whole bad trip was caused by me being generally prone to getting panic attacks (which I hadn’t even realized yet), and bad set and setting. Dark outside, with friends that I didn’t fully trust.
Sounds like what you needed was someone you trust, that’s sober, that would tell you: 'listen, you are currently under the influence of this drug, that effect will pass and you’ll go back to normal, nothing terrible has happened, you are just having a panic attack that’s being magnified by the drugs, but really, nothing bad has happened, none of this will last, the drugs will lose their effect soon, and there is nothing to worry about except for your panic attack right now, that must be very uncomfortable. so let’s try to calm down, let’s focus on breathing together for a bit so we can stop your panic reaction.
In my experience such words can make a world of difference, a moment of fear can be turned round, back into a pleasant experience. I’ve regretted not having a sitter present when I introduced LSD to some friends. One of them got a message on his phone, that got him very confused, and although we managed to calm him down eventually, he experienced some severe panic, that I feel I could’ve handled a lot better when I was sober, but unfortunately I was also under the influence. I myself having taken psychedelics monthly for over a decade now, I tend to underestimate the psychological risks for new users, that’s what I took from that experience, and I won’t let it happen again. Psychedelics always need proper set and setting, and new users should have an experienced, familair tripsitter present, always. My friend didn’t have lasting negative effects from the experience but your story proves that it’s definitely risky and measures should be taken to always take them with precaution.
I don’t think it’s helpful to tell people that bad trips are avoidable. The probability can be lowered and consequences can be mitigated to some extent but the risk is always there.
Edit: Towards the end of the trip, my friends tried telling me it’s gonna be alright and you are just under the influence of a drug.
For me my bad trip basically gave me ptsd ten years ago. I was prone to getting panic attacks though.
Sorry to hear that, regular shrooms user myself. It’s often been said it all depends on (mind)set and setting. Do you reckon your bad trip could’ve been prevented in any way? Was there an experienced user present that could’ve calmed you down? OR do you reckon you were just prone to panic attacks and the shrooms would’ve magnified that no matter what?
i had a semi-bad trip (on ecstasy) and i think i was just not expecting the effect to be so strong. i took half a pill, and the first hour was intense but the second one knocked me off my feet and made me cry uncontrollably.
still worth it though.
so, my advice to anyone who tries it for the first time is: LOW-DOSE. you have no idea how it will affect you, but you can stay safe by essentially trying with a very low dose first.
I don’t know if in the case of all psychedelics this is true. I’ve often heard, and I think I agree, that having a good or bad trip is relatively independant of dose, rather it is based on set and setting. I’ve even heard it said that with for instance LSD it can be easier to have a somewhat higher dose, because with that you’ll have no control, and you’ll often be beyond even trying to control what’s happening in your head. While with a low dose you might be very aware, and precisely for this reason more susceptible to paranoia and fear, which could still spiral into massive proportions. You might want to control what’s happening in your head, and you’ll find that you’re unable to, which is conflicting. With ecstasy I certainly agree, I tend to think most people that use ecstasy use too high of a dose for their own good anyway. I go by the (max bodyweight in kg)x1,5mg total for 1 evening, and only do it once every 3 months or so.
Would it upset you too much to explain how this went down?
It could help people that are worried about something similar.
I just got so many panic attacks during my trip. Of course, I didn’t understand what they were but thought I had lost my mind for good instead. Time stopped, I couldn’t think straight, couldn’t calm myself down, at times I couldn’t parse other people’s speech and everything was just damn scary the whole time. And felt like an eternity.
After the trip, I was afraid of anything I deemed “not normal” for months. I got scared by my vision going black when blinking, the occasinal weird joke someone would make, bird noises in the winter, awkward social situations, anything you could imagine being “not normal”. Now after ten years, I occasionally get that when something peculiar happens, but it’s not a constant thing as it used to be. Maybe once a day I get “half triggered” by something but usually I can calm myself down.
I think the whole bad trip was caused by me being generally prone to getting panic attacks (which I hadn’t even realized yet), and bad set and setting. Dark outside, with friends that I didn’t fully trust.
Sounds like what you needed was someone you trust, that’s sober, that would tell you: 'listen, you are currently under the influence of this drug, that effect will pass and you’ll go back to normal, nothing terrible has happened, you are just having a panic attack that’s being magnified by the drugs, but really, nothing bad has happened, none of this will last, the drugs will lose their effect soon, and there is nothing to worry about except for your panic attack right now, that must be very uncomfortable. so let’s try to calm down, let’s focus on breathing together for a bit so we can stop your panic reaction.
In my experience such words can make a world of difference, a moment of fear can be turned round, back into a pleasant experience. I’ve regretted not having a sitter present when I introduced LSD to some friends. One of them got a message on his phone, that got him very confused, and although we managed to calm him down eventually, he experienced some severe panic, that I feel I could’ve handled a lot better when I was sober, but unfortunately I was also under the influence. I myself having taken psychedelics monthly for over a decade now, I tend to underestimate the psychological risks for new users, that’s what I took from that experience, and I won’t let it happen again. Psychedelics always need proper set and setting, and new users should have an experienced, familair tripsitter present, always. My friend didn’t have lasting negative effects from the experience but your story proves that it’s definitely risky and measures should be taken to always take them with precaution.
I don’t think it’s helpful to tell people that bad trips are avoidable. The probability can be lowered and consequences can be mitigated to some extent but the risk is always there.
Edit: Towards the end of the trip, my friends tried telling me it’s gonna be alright and you are just under the influence of a drug.