Bad first time on lsd/acid

[Lilsy]

I stupidly underestimated the effects of acid and took 2 tabs at a rave for the first time. Took them at 8:30pm, effects started kicking in after about an hour and really peaked a couple of hours in. It felt too overwhelming. I would start to hallucinate and let myself go and then suddenly start panicking. I felt hot and cold. And like I couldn't move at some points. The whole thing felt long and pretty horrible most of the time. I felt confused, out of control and paronoid. It also didn't help that no one around me were in similar mind sets. Most were on mdma and I just hated being around it. So people just looked really angry and made me feel even more uneasy. I don't know if it was a bad trip but it felt pretty horrible. In the end I had to leave early, I thought I would be able to ride it out. Just felt like I needed something comforting like my own home to put me at some ease. Every other drug I have taken in the past I still feel in control despite circumstances but then I really didn't. I kept thinking if I sat down, if I went outside I would start to centre myself back again but I didn't. and I was worried that people would notice what I was looking like, like I was starring too much or saying something weird. My friends said that I wasn't really speaking much but wasn't making much sense when i did.

Anyway. Morning after I feel pretty flat. I feel like the effects have still been a little there all day and felt a bit anxious still. It's evening now been 24 hours so I feel a lot better just have comedown symptoms. Was this considered a bad trip or was it just setting that made me feel uneasy? I felt ok at points, just like I couldn't take things in like everything was happening too much at once. I had to stand still and just stare at things and let my mind trail until someone bashed into me and then I started feeling really anxious again. Feel kind of embarrassed also just because I know I was freaking out a bit. Just want to see if anyone has had similar experiences first time in a bad setting

 

[ParanoidedLizard]

I too had a really bad trip on 300ug of what was called "white fluff" quality LSD. Like I ended up coming to in trauma care, thinking that I was imagining everything, including the ambulance ride there.
My trip started out alright, but it slowly became too much for me to handle and I started having paranoid delusions which led to me doing some crazy things of which alerted my family who lives with me.

I was so confused as to how it all went wrong and on bicycle day of all days...but then I added all the pieces of the puzzle together. Simply I overestimated my tolerance for high doses of LSD based on a good bit of experience with dissociatives, along with bad setting and mindset that day. I took the acid on a whim and didn't plan any of it accordingly. No trip sitter for a dose that big. The only other time I did LSD it was such a chill, low (unknown) dose, that it would be very very difficult to have a full blown psychedelic freak out. Honestly I just wish I would've taken one hit (150ug) because I know I would've been able to handle it a WHOLE lot better. It was a very very very weird trip...I can't even begin to describe, it was too confusing and just utterly insane.

I feel for you OP, but just feel lucky you didn't end up in the hospital strapped down by all your limbs. I mean they shoved a catheter down my pee-hole ;-; and I don't even remember it at all, but I do remember coming to and feeling very irritated down there.
Also imagine having to piss so fucking badly, but being strapped down and nobody really listening to you when you ask them to unstrap you, because they think you'll do something "crazy". It took a lot of persuading, but luckily my speechcraft skill is high enough even when on acid....I mean shit I just wanted to have free will to go the toilet myself. Not pee in a fucking container as some dude hovers over me...
But yeah don't worry about it too much OP. Just plan ahead a little better. IMO a rave is not a good place to take 2 hits of acid, at least for me personally and my anxiety ridden mind.
Outside is the right side! next time I shall enjoy nature!

 

[Samulson]

As experience taught me in the early days of my experimentation with acid, it is a substance that requires getting used to and familiar with, before attempting to deal with large crowds or events. After you get some experience with it, interacting with people in such settings, on reasonable doses is not too difficult. On higher doses where perception of reality is uncertain, it is up to the individual as to whether they can deal with the situation. I recall one incident at a rock concert where everything went purple, causing me to have to have to locate a nice solid wall to sit against and chill out for a while until things made sense visually again. I also recall seeing them wheel a poor girl past at that point on stretcher, that was going absolutely batshit. If you are going to take higher dosages in public situations, then it is a good idea to keep in mind that you will also be responsible for yourself, your enjoyment, and your well being.

 

[AA357]

I find that set and setting are even more important with LSD than other psychedelics.
I freaked out once on LSD... over a messy flat. What I experienced was basically a 'mixed episode' - severe anxiety and dysphoric mania.

Your experience sounds normal - paranoia and anxiety are to be expected if your setting is wrong.

 

[Kl519]

Without prior experience, taking lsd at a rave can be overwhelming and chaotic. I think mdma is better suited for raves than psychedelics because the latter has a stronger impact on cognitive impairment, which can matter a lot at a place where people should stay with their groups. Despite what the promoters would say to this, it is not that safe to be alone or lost in (or out) there.

It sounds like you got more than you expected, and a psychedelic like lsd has the tendency to make subtle visual, and conceptual, changes that make a big difference to the whole picture. Like in your example, people can easily appear happy or angry in an instant, and then you will perceive it as you currently see it without noticing that the lsd was responsible for these changes. Once you do realize this through enough experience, it's easier to keep nihilistic thoughts in check...with the simple reminder that you are on lsd, and that it is the source of these phenomena.

Emotions can run high and further alter your sight and hearing awareness to match up with your thoughts and observations, thereby amplifying lsd's effects (eg. the good and the bad trip). This can happen to sober people, some more than others, but lsd is extreme (imo) in this aspect. It will not let up until enough time has passed, which is why I think it shouldn't be recommended to people new to psychedelics. I spent a lot of effort adjusting to lsd, to the point where I was obsessed with avoiding bad trips. Though I became much better at this over time, I think this constant mini-battle had a lot to do with zapping all of the euphoria out of it.

On top of all this, lsd can be chaotic itself and leave almost everybody unable to express what they saw and felt accurately with the use of words. Meaning, you could be overwhelmed by an lsd trip by just sitting down and having your eyes closed.

So just be aware that you took a very potent psychedelic and was unprepared for it. Hopefully, after this experience, you are better for it and if you plan on taking it again, take less and try it in a more intimate setting. And save mdma for the raves.

 

[Mr420]

Never take acid at a rave hahha, always at reagge shows or hippie fests where the good vibes run strong, and surrounded by postive friends, lsd is strong,hallucination cab be scary, you just gotta be ready mentally, and make sure you drink a couple beers before the trip, gets rid of the aniexty, of coming up.