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Health Worse Case Scenario Psychedelic Crisis, Advice?..

G_Chem

Moderator: OD
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Apr 17, 2015
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Last weekend I finally experienced a psychedelic crisis situation that I couldn’t personally handle, and it’s been bothering me ever since.. Maybe talking about it here can give me better perspective on how I might do things differently if there is ever a next time.

I was at a festival having an absolutely amazing time. The sound systems were all on point, everyone seemed in high spirits, great underground artists, and of course good drugs :)

It was the last night and I decided to go pretty hard. I ended up taking 2.5 hits LSD (equal to my largest dose ever, one time earlier), 40mg 5-MAPB, 180mg MDMA, 5mg d-amp, bumps of K and some DMT. I was really out there but nothing I can’t handle.

It was like 1-2am and I couldn’t dance any longer so left my wife to her own devices in the crowd and went back to camp.

Upon returning I saw a tent had popped up where there was a space, probably one nighters. I could hear what sounded almost like some tripped out poetry at first but it quickly became obvious this girl was spiraling in her own thoughts and verbalizing them as she went.

Here’s a little blurb of how it would go: “So you know it’s just context, right? Like my mom, you know I’m scared of her, but yet I’m like her you know? Context.” Someone would try to give her water and she’d say: “water, water, break, wet, water.”

She would cycle through emotions and thoughts, when things ever got too intense she’s begin to cry but then reign herself in with this light whip she was playing with. Saying “lights, fractals, context, lights, tiny little fractals..” etc.

In this tent was also another girl who would occasionally whimper and cry, also in a similar state. They were feeding off each other and their delusions. This other girl occasionally bringing up her own traumas, like rape from her step father.

Now being deep in my own trip this was very unpleasant to be right next to but for the first hour I just kept my eyes and ears on the situation in hopes it would resolve itself. Unfortunately it seemed if anything to be escalating.

I could hear the guys with the girls not really knowing what to do, one guy at one point said “I just don’t know what’s happening right now, like what do I even do?”

After about an hour I couldn’t take it anymore and went up to the tent and told them I completely understand where they are right now and that a benzodiazepine like lorazepam or Xanax can help. They kind of laughed at me and the girl spouting off more or less told me she didn’t need them.

These guys were essentially letting these tripping girls make all the decisions..

I went back to my site and gave it another 30-45min before offering yet again, this time one of the guys just walked away all pissed off leaving two guys left there to supervise this shit show.

Again they got pissed, and seemed agitated I’d even offer.. I tried my best to use a calm voice and explain how sometimes in rough deep trips they are needed but to no avail. I tried explaining that there are tons of other people around also having their own experiences and this unloading of trauma is effecting more then just their tent. Again I more or less got nothing from them.

I left them yet again for another 30min. Now the other girl has progressed to a stage where they are both absolutely losing it. I walk up and kind of angrily ask if they have this under control, one guy says “dude don’t make this like a thing.” And I went off, “this has been a thing for hours now man, it’s getting worse.” Again nothing, no cooperation.

I get completely fed up and yell “fuck this guys, this is clearly not under control, I’m going to get fucking medical!!!” And ran off to grab my wife.

I stupidly stayed away for awhile, because honestly part of me did wonder if I was creating a scene unnecessarily. Maybe I was the one tripping the fuck out? So I danced and cooled off before heading back to camp, not getting medical after all.

I hear things are worse then ever, only one guy in the tent and he’s wrapped around one girl talking demonically. She’s screaming bloody murder, and talking about things I almost can’t repeat. A neighbor comes to my door and asks, “did you get medical?” I say “no I went and cooled off, not sure if I was being unreasonable or not.” He then goes “it’s time now, while you were gone they took a knife and cut open a stuffed animal and spread its insides everywhere.”

I tell him to run to medical while I stay and watch. Glad I did cuz the girl being held down starts screaming that she’s “going to kill us all!” “Give me the knife!!!” And she begins wrestling with him. I try to get the knife from the guy but he refuses and swears hes got it, I damn near knock the fucker out but didn’t want to further agitate these girls so just back off and continue watching. My thought was at this point just to protect everyone outside the craziness going on in the tent.

Medical is taking forever so I begin praying. And this is where it gets fucked, the girl or demon inside of her began speaking to me. Inside I’m praying “please rid this girl of these demons.” Then as I did she says in a demonic voice “I’m not going anywhere! No! You can’t make me!”

Medical eventually arrived and I pulled up a chair to watch cuz sleeping at this point was a pipe dream. She screamed and kicked and bit as they tried to calm her down and eventually hauled her away to I presume the hospital.

The other girl was a bit calmer by now but still fought as her friend got carted away. The whole scene made me sick to watch and couldn’t help to feel all sorts of emotions about it all.


Since all this has happened I’ve been processing it majorly, i think I did the right thing but I still wish it could’ve been resolved the easy way “in house” with a simple benzo. I had people making me feel like I was being unreasonable but that ended up making me wait on getting medical until things got way too out of control. I think most of all I’m pissed off at the guys with those girls for not doing a single thing and letting it progress to that point. I know if I was tripping that hard my people would get a benzo in me one way or another, as a stranger I can’t give some random girl a pill it needs to be one of their friends.

During the ordeal countless others came up offering benzos and/or trying to talk them into taking them.

While I’m the last person to ever go get the authorities I can’t think of how I could’ve done different.

It seems this was a group of younger people coming in for one night and wanted to play catch up on the drugs only to pay dearly for it.

I’ve left a ton out cuz it was quite the night but that’s the general gist of it. The next day it sounds like pretty much everyone at the festival was effected by the incident in some way, so part of me is glad it was me camped next to them cuz maybe other people wouldn’t have done anything. Whatever the case it was one hell of a buzzkill lol.

I guess my question is, what could I have done or said different to make it go better? I’m not gonna be too hard on myself given my own dosing but I wish I had said something better to calm the girls down and give a better sense of security. I felt any time I tried talking to them it only further agitated the situation yet nothing was being done by their own party so I was conflicted.

-GC
 
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Pretty difficult circumstances and imo you handled it very well considering you took multiple drugs im high doses. You absolutely did the right thing offering those benzos. Those guys sound like some assholes. I know for a fact that I would’ve lost my shit and that’s why I never trip in public.
 
Wow man, they sound as annoying as fuck.

I think you showed good restraint. Maybe you could have got the medics and fucked off to save yourself the mindfuck, but in that situation I couldn't help but watch either.
 
G you done the right thing for sure and I don't blame you for needing the time to process it at all , although the thing that would stick in my head the most would be praying for her demons to leave her and getting the response you did , that's truly mind boggling and quite terrifying . Go sage yourself and meditate I'm sure you'll get past it
 
Fucking hell G - Ive been tripping for eons and Im still wary of tripping around people never mind thousands of strangers at a festival - Im afraid its too far out of my pay grade to suggest anything. The most I do is walk round a nature reservoir with the dog.
 
Last weekend I finally experienced a psychedelic crisis situation that I couldn’t personally handle, and it’s been bothering me ever since.. Maybe talking about it here can give me better perspective on how I might do things differently if there is ever a next time.

I was at a festival having an absolutely amazing time. The sound systems were all on point, everyone seemed in high spirits, great underground artists, and of course good drugs :)

It was the last night and I decided to go pretty hard. I ended up taking 2.5 hits LSD (equal to my largest dose ever, one time earlier), 40mg 5-MAPB, 180mg MDMA, 5mg d-amp, bumps of K and some DMT. I was really out there but nothing I can’t handle.

It was like 1-2am and I couldn’t dance any longer so left my wife to her own devices in the crowd and went back to camp.

Upon returning I saw a tent had popped up where there was a space, probably one nighters. I could hear what sounded almost like some tripped out poetry at first but it quickly became obvious this girl was spiraling in her own thoughts and verbalizing them as she went.

Here’s a little blurb of how it would go: “So you know it’s just context, right? Like my mom, you know I’m scared of her, but yet I’m like her you know? Context.” Someone would try to give her water and she’d say: “water, water, break, wet, water.”

She would cycle through emotions and thoughts, when things ever got too intense she’s begin to cry but then reign herself in with this light whip she was playing with. Saying “lights, fractals, context, lights, tiny little fractals..” etc.

In this tent was also another girl who would occasionally whimper and cry, also in a similar state. They were feeding off each other and their delusions. This other girl occasionally bringing up her own traumas, like rape from her step father.

Now being deep in my own trip this was very unpleasant to be right next to but for the first hour I just kept my eyes and ears on the situation in hopes it would resolve itself. Unfortunately it seemed if anything to be escalating.

I could hear the guys with the girls not really knowing what to do, one guy at one point said “I just don’t know what’s happening right now, like what do I even do?”

After about an hour I couldn’t take it anymore and went up to the tent and told them I completely understand where they are right now and that a benzodiazepine like lorazepam or Xanax can help. They kind of laughed at me and the girl spouting off more or less told me she didn’t need them.

These guys were essentially letting these tripping girls make all the decisions..

I went back to my site and gave it another 30-45min before offering yet again, this time one of the guys just walked away all pissed off leaving two guys left there to supervise this shit show.

Again they got pissed, and seemed agitated I’d even offer.. I tried my best to use a calm voice and explain how sometimes in rough deep trips they are needed but to no avail. I tried explaining that there are tons of other people around also having their own experiences and this unloading of trauma is effecting more then just their tent. Again I more or less got nothing from them.

I left them yet again for another 30min. Now the other girl has progressed to a stage where they are both absolutely losing it. I walk up and kind of angrily ask if they have this under control, one guy says “dude don’t make this like a thing.” And I went off, “this has been a thing for hours now man, it’s getting worse.” Again nothing, no cooperation.

I get completely fed up and yell “fuck this guys, this is clearly not under control, I’m going to get fucking medical!!!” And ran off to grab my wife.

I stupidly stayed away for awhile, because honestly part of me did wonder if I was creating a scene unnecessarily. Maybe I was the one tripping the fuck out? So I danced and cooled off before heading back to camp, not getting medical after all.

I hear things are worse then ever, only one guy in the tent and he’s wrapped around one girl talking demonically. She’s screaming bloody murder, and talking about things I almost can’t repeat. A neighbor comes to my door and asks, “did you get medical?” I say “no I went and cooled off, not sure if I was being unreasonable or not.” He then goes “it’s time now, while you were gone they took a knife and cut open a stuffed animal and spread its insides everywhere.”

I tell him to run to medical while I stay and watch. Glad I did cuz the girl being held down starts screaming that she’s “going to kill us all!” “Give me the knife!!!” And she begins wrestling with him. I try to get the knife from the guy but he refuses and swears hes got it, I damn near knock the fucker out but didn’t want to further agitate these girls so just back off and continue watching. My thought was at this point just to protect everyone outside the craziness going on in the tent.

Medical is taking forever so I begin praying. And this is where it gets fucked, the girl or demon inside of her began speaking to me. Inside I’m praying “please rid this girl of these demons.” Then as I did she says in a demonic voice “I’m not going anywhere! No! You can’t make me!”

Medical eventually arrived and I pulled up a chair to watch cuz sleeping at this point was a pipe dream. She screamed and kicked and bit as they tried to calm her down and eventually hauled her away to I presume the hospital.

The other girl was a bit calmer by now but still fought as her friend got carted away. The whole scene made me sick to watch and couldn’t help to feel all sorts of emotions about it all.


Since all this has happened I’ve been processing it majorly, i think I did the right thing but I still wish it could’ve been resolved the easy way “in house” with a simple benzo. I had people making me feel like I was being unreasonable but that ended up making me wait on getting medical until things got way too out of control. I think most of all I’m pissed off at the guys with those girls for not doing a single thing and letting it progress to that point. I know if I was tripping that hard my people would get a benzo in me one way or another, as a stranger I can’t give some random girl a pill it needs to be one of their friends.

During the ordeal countless others came up offering benzos and/or trying to talk them into taking them.

While I’m the last person to ever go get the authorities I can’t think of how I could’ve done different.

It seems this was a group of younger people coming in for one night and wanted to play catch up on the drugs only to pay dearly for it.

I’ve left a ton out cuz it was quite the night but that’s the general gist of it. The next day it sounds like pretty much everyone at the festival was effected by the incident in some way, so part of me is glad it was me camped next to them cuz maybe other people wouldn’t have done anything. Whatever the case it was one hell of a buzzkill lol.

I guess my question is, what could I have done or said different to make it go better? I’m not gonna be too hard on myself given my own dosing but I wish I had said something better to calm the girls down and give a better sense of security. I felt any time I tried talking to them it only further agitated the situation yet nothing was being done by their own party so I was conflicted.

-GC
I don't see what else that you could have done more other than in the end decide to take care of yourself by removing yourself from the situation. What a mess. No wonder you've got to process!
 
Thanks guys, probably not much different could be done but it’s at least nice to vent on here. So frustrating, if they had just eaten the benzos it would’ve just been one of those situations we all can laugh about after the fact. Instead, one girl at least likely went on psych hold..

Which brings up the question, if you threaten violence like that with a knife is psych hold a very likely outcome?

Definitely makes me question why the fuck I subject myself to tripping at events like this, and I guess the answer has to be cuz when it’s good… It’s so fucking good. I could never afford the sound systems I get to enjoy at these things. Music and dance bring me to levels I never thought I could reach.

And indeed, the part that lingers the most is when the “demon” talked to me. When I tried telling my wife I began crying it was so traumatizing. I truly believe we must consciously choose good or evil in this world, and once we do we become targets for the other side. I chose love a long time ago and strangely I’ve also had many spiritual experiences that cannot be explained. Some that have been witnessed in sober state by others. Shits crazy man :)

-GC
 
I guess I felt I couldn’t leave because I’d been so involved up until then and didn’t want to leave then have things go crazy where maybe my friends or family got hurt. I had lots of friends and my brother sleeping (or trying to..) feet away from these people. What if she did grab a knife and decide to cut open the tent next to her? My conscious couldn’t allow it.

-GC
 
I guess my question is, what could I have done or said different to make it go better?
Someone needed to shove some lorazepam in their mouths and hold them shut... Christ man that's one creepy ass scenario.

Maybe the guys with them were hoping for something sexual from the girls. Or maybe they're deluded by the times into thinking that one always has to 'fight out' the trip. Young people aren't the best trip sitters especially if they believe the delusion that a trip should always be 'completed' so to speak. Maybe the guys didn't have much experience and so didn't know what to do but toxic masculinity told them not to accept any offers of help. I've met lots of folks averse to benzo-aborting trips, they sort of see it the way that people who are 'pro-life' view aborting a fetus, as if it would be interfering in God's work somehow. Personally, I say man created benzos, man is an extension of God, he created them to help himself, so there's no harm using them... not to mention I get scripted alpraz off-label and have seen it work first hand in deescalating an extremely bad panic my wife had during her most intense trip.

So I guess, next time just go get medical earlier? It sounds like the guys would have tried to fight you if you forced intervention on your own. I've been next to someone freaking out that hard at a fest, I was too deep on shrooms to leave my car though. It terrified me.

Haven't been to a fest in years now, I find it hard enough to trip at home alone these days anyhow lol. But I'm not gonna lie... fests creep me out, weird shit happens. I'd be sure to bring pepper-spray.
 
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Well if there are no bad trips, only learning experiences why would there ever be a need for a benzo? Not saying I agree with that, but it's a strong sentiment among many psychedelic users. Bad trips are when you learn the most according to their belief.
 
Well if there are no bad trips, only learning experiences why would there ever be a need for a benzo? Not saying I agree with that, but it's a strong sentiment among many psychedelic users. Bad trips are when you learn the most according to their belief.
Not if you're trying to harm yourself/others.

I also believe there are no bad trips, only experiences. But I'm sure as hell ready to abort a trip if the person is approaching a dangerous state.
 
Someone needed to shove some lorazepam in their mouths and hold them shut... Christ man that's one creepy ass scenario.

Maybe the guys with them were hoping for something sexual from the girls. Or maybe they're deluded by the times into thinking that one always has to 'fight out' the trip. Young people aren't the best trip sitters especially if they believe the delusion that a trip should always be 'completed' so to speak. Maybe the guys didn't have much experience and so didn't know what to do but toxic masculinity told them not to accept any offers of help. I've met lots of folks averse to benzo-aborting trips, they sort of see it the way that people who are 'pro-life' view aborting a fetus, as if it would be interfering in God's work somehow. Personally, I say man created benzos, man is an extension of God, he created them to help himself, so there's no harm using them... not to mention I get scripted alpraz off-label and have seen it work first hand in deescalating an extremely bad panic my wife had during her most intense trip.

So I guess, next time just go get medical earlier? It sounds like the guys would have tried to fight you if you forced intervention on your own. I've been next to someone freaking out that hard at a fest, I was too deep on shrooms to leave my car though. It terrified me.

Haven't been to a fest in years now, I find it hard enough to trip at home alone these days anyhow lol. But I'm not gonna lie... fests creep me out, weird shit happens. I'd be sure to bring pepper-spray and maybe even leave a firearm in my glovebox if I ever attended one again.

You bring up an excellent point and one that I was struggling with myself… How long do you let things go before something like a benzo is needed? I get the impression you are right, they probably felt it must be rode out the “natural” way.

But that brings up another question and point, at one point is that expectation just plain selfish? That was my wife’s reaction, how selfish of them to do that to half the festival (small fest, maybe 1000 ppl) to expect everyone to just sit there and deal with it.

I want to say so many things right now to compliment you and how you handled this situation, but I am kind of sedated and having trouble typing and thinking so I'll keep it short:
I GIVE YOU SO MUCH PROPS and RESPECT for what you did. It shows how loving and caring a person that you are. Actions speak louder than words is DEFINITELY true in this situation! Congratulations on dealing with an extremely slippery situation with flying colors. I can tell just from a few paragraphs how kind and empathetic your soul is. Do something that clears your mind to help with the processing, whether it's listening to music or meditating in some ritual clothing if you need to!! Again, GREAT JOB!

Much appreciated! :) I try man.. This next week I’ll spend it just taking care of myself, eat healthy food, meditate frequently and exercise often.

-GC
 
But that brings up another question and point, at one point is that expectation just plain selfish? That was my wife’s reaction, how selfish of them to do that to half the festival (small fest, maybe 1000 ppl) to expect everyone to just sit there and deal with it.
If the people in the camp sites around you are freaking out because you're screaming gibberish, obviously 'riding it out' is selfish in the extreme. The guy screaming outside his tent last fest I went to was enough to ruin my experience and force me to hide for the peak of my shroom trip and miss the headline act.
 
Well if there are no bad trips, only learning experiences why would there ever be a need for a benzo? Not saying I agree with that, but it's a strong sentiment among many psychedelic users. Bad trips are when you learn the most according to their belief.

I believe that, EXCEPT for the huge caveat of when someone has a psychotic break or loses control and is a danger to themselves or others. At that point is when a trip can become extremely destructive and should be aborted, and if it is not, it can leave lasting scars on the tripper, and those around them. That being said, I also wouldn't ever blame anyone for aborting a trip even that they just wanted to abort, regardless of the reason, it's not some sacrosanct or moralistic thing. I've done it a number of times over the years (I've never had a psychotic break, but have nevertheless aborted difficult trips). In fact the last time I did was at a festival when I was just trying to have fun, and I started having a panic attack that wouldn't do away. I aborted it with benzos, actually I accidentally dosed DOC instead of etizolam first. The benzo couldn't even come close to knocking the trip out, but I went back to having the time of my life. I also was just trying to get a little buzz to relax at night one time after work, and somehow, 15mg of MXE and 1 gram of mushrooms resulted in what felt like a light smoked DMT experience straight down to the visuals and rush of syllables in my head, that stuck around for an hour and kept getting stronger. As I just wanted to relax, and I was anxious, I took a benzo.

The moral superiority angle on not aborting a trip is arrogant and stupid. I do believe that, if you're working towards something, and you abort a trip just because it gets difficult, you can be cheating yourself out of an opportunity to learn. But that's all, it's up to an individual whether they want to abort a trip, it shouldn't be judged by someone else.

All that said, when it comes to this situation you described, G_Chem, I think you handled it well. This is clearly a case of needing to abort a trip because of a psychotic break. Those guys were being super irresponsible. I hope they weren't hoping to convince the girls to have sex with them and taking advantage of their inebriated state. They might have just been inexperienced and didn't know what to do or realize how bad it was going to get. They're lucky you were around. It probably would have been best to get the medics earlier, but you can't know the future and it wasn't even your problem. As it stands, you saved the day, preventing what sounds likely to have ended in someone getting hurt or killed.
 
^This. I mean, dude..

Anyway there's only one point of possible improvement I can think of, and CG beat me to it. You mention you're the last person to ever go get the authorities. Are you sure that's how the medical staff was best to be viewed here? I've been at festivals where their role basically extended to trip sitter. We had an 18yo girl in our group who had difficulties with her first festival trip (her mom was in the group, helicopter-parenting her daughter's acid dose down, against my advice, below breakthrough but still well beyond microdose). Everything was properly handled, her mother even joked about how the medics were like her substitute dads, heh. They briefly reassured the 18yo, and gave her drawing supplies.

I suppose this was a particularly family-friendly festival in a country relatively free from authoritarianism (at the time at least.. everywhere has gone a bit to shite since..). Still, are you absolutely sure holding back sending in medical, as if they were the cops, was necessary? Can you not imagine they could have helped the situation without invoking force? If they were just with you agreeing a benzo was in order, perhaps the authoritative (as in: projecting knowledgeability) outfit would have made a difference in the kids' minds? Not these ones I suppose, as they are apparently the types who bring knifes to festivals, but perhaps generally in absence of that knowledge?

Of course let's repeat that considering your mind state you're off any objective hook whatsoever.
 
This is one of the reasons I always use to bring at least half a blister of diazepam/clonaz in my wallet at all parties ;) harm reduction b4 errtthing.
 
well when you show up as the uninvited guest at the séance, and the demon shows you the horns, maybe next time you'll remember to mind your own business


that's all im sayin
 
This is one of the reasons I always use to bring at least half a blister of diazepam/clonaz in my wallet at all parties ;) harm reduction b4 errtthing.

yeah I always bring a bottle of etizolam solution to festivals. I've used it myself that time I described, but a number of times I have been able to help someone else. Fortunately, the people I have been in a position to help were thankful for a benzo, or their friends were able to get them to take it. I have seen someone who had to get tackled by the police, though, who was freaking out and attacking people and screaming in a really disturbing voice. Actually kinda like what you described, except a large, muscular adult male
 
Medical is taking forever so I begin praying.
Yup, instinctual Shamanism if you will. :)

I am dead serious too. There are probably more healers in the US than in SA.

I first want to say this post came up while I was at at rest stop and I as traveling upstate. But I actually pulled into one of the text rest stops to check. lol It took me a bit to get through the original post. To digest(or process) it I guess. One of my first emotion was anger as you try to help and got pushed away. (sick of helping people that really do not deserve it. Even Jesus ran away from the morons). But you have a good heart and of course you want to help. The prayer was the most important, going to get help was second most important.

What you called Medical was called the Trip Tent at the Dead shows. A place where they will calm you down. I saw some wiiieerrddd shit. Kind of demonic too. What struck me was how an Angelic type being would come along and really help out. Right in front of me. (you being the angel in this instance, I mean what else would you call that?)

Even a person that has a hard time with words like spirituality or prayer, can consider maybe praying is hitting some common plane to all of us. Who knows. But it is important. As you saw. I don't think we have thoughts, I think we tune into them like a radio receiver. And this girl was not tuned good, was not the captain of her own ship. But she/it tuned into your prayer and felt threatened. (Dark dislikes Light)

Nice work GC, I can't imagine what would have happened you were not there keeping the vibe in balance. I hope as you process you end up feeling really good at your presence. Anything demonic I consider pesky at best. We are much stronger than that level as you see. Shine a light and poof, no more darkness!

I am going to read again and all the responses.
 
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