Bad trips and psychedelics
Bad trips are unfortunately part of the downside of psychedelic experiences. In this article, we describe exactly what a bad trip entails, how to avoid these negative experiences and what support is available (both during and after such an experience). This blog combines insights from recent studies, practical tips and scientific background to provide a tip against a negative psychedelic trip.
What is a bad trip?
A bad trip is an intense, often unpleasant experience that can occur while using psychedelic substances or other psychoactive substances. It is characterised by feelings of anxiety, panic, paranoia and confusion. The experience may be accompanied by physical symptoms such as nausea, dizziness and palpitations. Scientifically, bad trips occur due to a complex interplay between neurotransmitters in the brain, in which, for example, excessive stimulation of glutamate, serotonin and dopamine systems may play a role, while there is a deficiency of the sedative GABA.
Negative psychedelic experiences are often amplified by an unsafe or stressful environment and an unprepared mindset. Bad trips are most common among people who trip alone.
Causes and risk factors
These things often play a big role in experiencing a bad trip:
- Environmental factors: An unsafe or unfamiliar environment can intensify anxiety.
- Emotional state: A vulnerable or stressed state of mind makes a person more susceptible to negative influences.
- Neurochemistry: Abnormalities of amount of neurotransmitters in the brain significantly affect the trip.
- Interaction with other substances: Concurrent use of other drugs or medication may increase the likelihood of a negative experience.
How can you prevent a bad trip?
Prevention of a bad trip starts with preparation. At Triptherapie, we help prepare every psychedelic session done with us. Neurochemistry plays possibly the most important role in this, but the factors below also weigh in:
- Set and setting: Provide a familiar environment or locait specifically made for psychedelic sessions. Choose a therapist who suits you to guide you. These so-called "set & setting" is crucial to minimise negative emotions and unexpected fear reactions.
- Inform yourself thoroughly: If it gives you peace of mind to understand how psychedelics work, read various scientific studies and experience stories about the effects and risks of the substances. An informed user can better anticipate difficult situations and then let it go.
- Dose and purity: Always use a controlled dose and pay attention to the purity of the substances. Too high doses or impure substances can trigger a negative trip. For beginners, it is wise to build up the dose per session.
- Mental preparation and intention: Set your intentions beforehand and be open to what you will experience. Meditation and relaxation exercises can help prepare the mind.
GABA and glutamate: the biochemistry behind bad trips
Research shows that the balance of neurotransmitters plays a key role in the experience of a bad trip. Here, two neurotransmitters play an important role. Glutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, and here excessive activation of receptors can lead to nervous system overload and feelings of anxiety and panic.
GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter that regulates brain activity and tempers excessive stimulation. Understanding effects of these two neurotransmitters on each other and in psychedelic sessions can help better understand the causes of a bad trip and manage its effects. Indeed, a proper balance between GABA and glutamate significantly reduces the chances of a negative psychedelic experience! It is therefore wise to keep an eye out for abnormalities in neurochemistry already during the preparation. At Triptherapie, we make sure to rebalance the neurochemistry even before the session to increase the chances of a good experience.
What can you do after a bad trip?
When a bad trip does happen, it is important to know how to deal with it in a healthy way. At least give yourself enough rest the day after the trip and go to bed on time to recover from trip. In fact, there is a chance that a good night's sleep on the second day after the trip will do wonders. Are you feeling no improvement or remain anxious? Then make use of these tips:
- Take GABA: GABA is a supplement that can help you relax more. If you are on medication, however, you should check whether GABA is suitable for you.
- Seek professional help: After a profound experience, it may be helpful to speak to a therapist or counsellor. At Triptherapie, we offer professional counselling, exploring together the meaning of the experience and finding ways to integrate it.
- Review and integration: A structured debriefing can help to process the experience. This can be done through discussion groups or individual sessions, in which emotions and insights are shared.
- Physical and mental self-care: Give yourself even more time and space to recover. Get enough sleep, healthy food and relaxing activities. This promotes recovery of both body and mind.
- Consider: Bad trips don't break the brain, but the brain may work differently temporarily. Once the anxiety and stress is gone, everything normalises again.
Additional integration at Triptherapie
We offer extra integration sessions for our own clients, but also for people who have done a trip themselves there feel they need to do something with the experience. Have you had a negative experience and want support from one of our therapists? Then take advantage of these extra integration sessions. You can check out the current offer via the button below.
Bad trips are only occasional
Thanks to our careful preparation, professional guides and local precautions, bad trips almost never happen. Of the 2,500 people we have helped, bad trips can still be counted on one hand, and these people were also often found not to have followed our instructions during the preparation procedure. All in all, based on our data, we estimate the chance of a bad trip to be only 0.1 per cent. That's about 1 in 1,000 provided one follows our protocol.
Professional guidance at Triptherapie
At Triptherapie, we offer specialised support for people who have had to deal with negative experiences during a trip. Our counselling is based on the latest scientific findings and the practical experience of therapeutic professionals. We help you with:
- Integration of experience: Through structured integration sessions, we explore the meaning of your experience together.
- Secure and personalised support: Each session is tailored to your personal needs, with the aim of creating a safe space for recovery.
- Preventive advice: We inform and advise on the risks and preventive measures so that future negative experiences can be avoided as much as possible.
Contact or log in
Would you like to sign up for a psychedelic session at Triptherapie? Fill in the free intake now. Do you have any questions? Then go through our FAQ section or contact us.
Frequently asked questions about bad trips
Check out some of the questions people have when it comes to bad trips.
Stay calm, find a quiet place and, if possible, enlist the help of someone you trust. Breathing exercises can help relieve tension.
The duration varies by person and substance, but the acute phase can last several hours. For instance, the peak with psilocybin is only 2 hours and with LSD 4 hours. Post-awareness and processing of the experience can take longer.
While a bad trip can be a profound experience, it does not necessarily lead to permanent damage. With the right support and integration, the experience can even lead to personal growth.
A bad trip is an intense, often negative experience that can occur while using psychedelic substances, involving feelings of anxiety, panic, confusion and physical symptoms such as nausea and dizziness.
General FAQ
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