Bad trip

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A bad trip is a profoundly unpleasant experience using a hallucinogenic drug such as LSD, mescaline, DXM, or psilocybin, caused by one or more of the common undesired effects of the drug:

Panic reaction
Amplification of unconscious fears
Self-aggression
Suicidal ideation
Fear of going insane or of the inability to return to normal
Perception of rapid aging of self or others
Profound depression

The effects of hallucinogenic drugs vary widely from one individual to the next. Psychosis is exacerbated in individuals already suffering from this condition. Sometimes individuals under the influence of such drugs have forgotten that they have taken them, and believe that the wildly distorted world they perceive is real and will be with them indefinitely. In extreme cases, hospitalization is required, though the value of this practice is disputed by proponents of recreational use of psychoactive compounds.

Someone who is experiencing a bad trip can often be "talked down" by someone that he or she trusts. One must get a feel for how distorted or disconnected the individual is, and then attempt to remind the individual that they took a drug and that the feelings they are experiencing are a result of the drug, and that these will eventually pass. It is also very important to talk calmly to the individual and not become agitated by their behavior, as this will only make their experience worse as they perceive the most negative aspects of whatever their mind is processing during the bad trip.

Medical treatment consists of supportive therapy and minimization of external stimuli. In some cases, sedation is used when necessary to control self-destructive behavior, or when hyperthermia occurs. Valium is the most frequently used sedative for such treatment, but other benzodiazepines such as Ativan are also effective. It should be noted that such sedatives will only decrease fear and anxiety, but will not subdue hallucinations. In severe cases, antipsychotics such as haloperidol can reduce or stop hallucinations, but this treatment is only effective against the so-called "classical" hallucinogens (LSD, psilocybin and mescaline, among others). Antipsychotics are not effective against dissociatives such as PCP and ketamine, and should not be used if these drugs are involved.

Timothy Leary taught that a bad trip is a result of bad set and setting, and advised that users of hallucinogens be sure that they are comfortable before taking the drugs. Leary claimed that the frequency of bad trips, although highly exaggerated by anecdotes and fabrications in the popular press, was actually about 1 in 1000. He taught that a simple temporary fix to a bad trip is sugar (in the form of candy, oranges, etc.), since bad trips may often be the result of people forgetting to eat and experiencing hyperawareness of low blood sugar.

Alternatively, psychologist R. D. Laing held that bad trips and other such extreme experiences, drug-induced or not, were not necessarily artificial terrors to be suppressed but rather signs of internal conflict and opportunities for self-healing. The greater the pain and pathos of an experience, the greater the urgency to explore and resolve it, rather than attempt to cover it up or dismiss it.

Though Marijuana can lead to panicked states in some cases, it does not cause 'bad trips'. These are merely anxiety attacks which lead the unexperienced user to a confused state. Simply talking them down and possibly having them eat will suffice for these anxiety attacks.

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