LSD and anxiety

[alecki]

Hey guys, I apologize if I'm posting in the wrong place.. this is my first time actually posting on Bluelight.

So throughout the past couple years, I've been craving a spiritual psychedelic experience. I've always felt that I'm a very spiritual person, and believe I've come to many conclusions about life without the use of psychedelics. I've eaten morning glory seeds on a couple different occasions, though have never experienced visuals or even a mild trip. Just some euphoria.

Anyways, I'm headed to a camping site with some of my friends in about a month and really want to jet off on some L for the first time. The setting will be perfect, and I will be around friends I am completely comfortable with, and a couple who have tripped before.

I don't believe I have anxiety, depression, or any other mental illness for that matter. But last year, I smoked too much bud in one night and began to experience anxiety. Ever since then, I've had several panic attacks while smoking and they are very difficult for me to overcome. Keep in mind that it is only when I smoke pot, that I have anxiety or panic. I've done tons and tons of research on LSD and know that it is completely safe, and believe I am completely prepared for it.

Has anyone had panic attacks after toking and then taken acid?
Is it a bad idea for me to even consider taking psychedelics?

I'm considering taking about .5-1g of mushrooms before my trip, just to see how I will react, and if I enjoy the trip.

A big thank you to everyone in advance, I appreciate the feedback

 

[tokezu]

Welcome to BL

I don't think having had panic attacks from weed automatically means that you will have similar problems on a psychedelic. On the other hand plenty of people get anxiety on psychedelics, even if they can handle weed fine. I think what gives some people trouble with weed is a certain disorienting 'murkyness' of the high (sorry can't think of better description) that psychedelics don't seem to have. At least so I've heard, I can't really say because I tend to combine the two almost always. So the real questions I think is not if you will have a panic attack, but if you feel able to handle a panic attack / anxiety when there are experienced and caring friends around.

Were you able, however difficult, to overcome the anxiety on weed? Or were you only feeling better as the effects subsided? I had some trouble with weed in that regard way back when, but I feel since I was able to overcome that, this was an enormous help in handling difficult trips later on. One thing that just stuck in my mind that helped me later on was telling myself "You took a drug. It's really no surprise that you feel kind of strange. Feeling kind of strange (or even feeling bad) is no reason to worry right now. If and only if you wake up tomorrow and still feel like this, that would be a sensible time to start worrying. Everything that is happening right now is totally in the realm of what can be expected. Ergo there is no reason to worry right now at all." To be honest, now that I wrote this it sounds kind of stupid as advice for panic attacks because it's the nature of the thing that you're not thinking rationally... I guess for me it is working mostly, because I can draw on that memory that I felt like this before and it always turned out ok in the end.

If you do it, just start with a small dose and mind your set and setting. Going camping with friends sounds pretty ideal to me, but if you're on some kind of designated camp site see that you have some privacy from other people. Let me tell you, having little kids running around way too close can be kind of intimidating when you are tripping. I speak from experience. :D

 

[MSK]

Cannabis can be a bitch... I had more bad trips from weed than from classic psychedelics. Cannabis can be really heavy on mind and body an it's able to unchain some serious anxiety. I wouldn't be worry with LSD. You'll probably feel some anxiety on the come up, but once you're blasted to psychedelicland you won't care

 

[TheAppleCore]

I don't think having had panic attacks from weed automatically means that you will have similar problems on a psychedelic.

True. I enjoy vaping small amounts cannabis every day for a mild effect, but I get VERY anxious and uncomfortable if I get really stoned. On the other hand, I can go pretty deep with LSD and not feel intimidated at all. Different substances affect people in different ways.

 

[Weak Sauce]

Canni can be your best friend or an endless parade of terrible experiences. I, like others here, have had my fair share of "holy shit, I'm way too high, I'm anxiety ridden and on the verge of freaking out" moments with Mary. This can happen off of a strong edible or just one too many bong rips, but when it happens I get the fast racing heart, sweaty palms, all the makings of the beginning of a panic attack. It happened so often for a while I got pretty good at talking myself out of it, but it's still uncomfortable as hell. Now with psychedelics, the only times I have had serious anxiety is with either heroic mushroom doses (in the 9 gram and above range) and if I smoke bud while tripping. I can get away with a little, but the Lucy kinda hides the effects of the buds until I have already crossed a threshold of being too high.

I think as long as you take a responsible dose in the 100-150ug range you will be fine. Expect some anxiety on the come-up but that will subside after you are fully up, and remember it can take up to three hours to fully kick in so don't take more if you don't feel it in an hour. I would advise to stay away from the weed on this trip entirely. Just to eliminate any possible complications I wouldn't smoke the day before tripping and wait until you are pretty close to baseline again before trying to add it in. Everyone responds differently to each substance, but mix two together and all sorts of crazy stuff can happen if you aren't prepared for it. Otherwise, just try and relax in the good company of your friends and if at all possible listen to Tokezu, try and get some privacy or at least some distance from any other people who may be camping as well. I hate having to deal with sober people when my head is on a totally different wavelength. Just relax, have fun, and let us know how it went.

Peace,
The Sauce

 

[chemicaldiscovery]

I have a lot of bad anxiety so for me the comeup from psychedelics can be very harsh. Usually though once I break through and start really tripping I become very calm. With LSD anyway. Shrooms can have more potential for anxiety. For people with anxiety the most important aspect is set and setting. The last thing you want is something unexpected. An angry friend coming over to complain about something or an unexpected call from a parent or basically anything that could throw you off should be avoided. I always smoke on psychs to help with nausea and anxiety but if you don't smoke every day adding cannabis to a trip can really amp it up and throw you into a panic sometimes. Be careful. Hope this helps!