Psychedelic comedowns are really brutal, in my opinion

[Burnt Offerings]

My friends and I were discussing this topic recently, and since I'm coming down off psychedelics at the moment, it's relevant to me I guess.

We were talking about the comedowns of acid and mushrooms (those being the two kinds of psychedelia that we're most familiar with), and we were talking about the differences between the two. With mushrooms it's like "oh nooo the magic is gone!" wistful melancholy. But with LSD it's like a stern headmistress telling you what a piece of crap you are and how you need to make better choices in your life. Honestly it feels like you're getting mentally berated sometimes.

In fact the often dreaded stimulant comedowns never have really been a problem for me...I usually just take a nap and I'm golden. In fact I've gotten some really amazing sleep that way. Same with alcohol, kind of, although that's a more fucked up feeling, being hung-over...although it's still a matter of "just" feeling physically like shit, to which I usually respond with just smoking a bit of weed and getting some sleep. But with psychedelics you can't sleep & the feeling like shit is totally different...it really punishes you in a unique and troubling way. Does anyone else feel similarly? For most people I know who've taken and then stopped LSD, this has been a big reason for their cessation, actually, although I recognize that it can also have beneficial effects, such as when people use it to help them overcome alcoholism or drug addiction.

The best I've come up with as a remedy is just to take a minor tranquilizer and try to chill.

 

[murphythecat]

But with LSD it's like a stern headmistress telling you what a piece of crap you are and how you need to make better choices in your life. Honestly it feels like you're getting mentally berated sometimes.
.

well, learn from that id say and makes your life better and your comedown wont be as bad?

 

[Burnt Offerings]

I mean in some regards it's useful, but a lot of it is just not constructive and results in nothing but mental self-flagellation, IMO

 

[.:Holy::Toast:.]

I find depressed thoughts are not useful during the comedown.
During the comedown I am usually way to tired to attempt to process them and they simply build in my mind.
I agree OP not a good feeling however it doesn't always happen with me and when it does it is nowhere near as bad as a stimulant comedown

 

[murphythecat]

I mean in some regards it's useful, but a lot of it is just not constructive and results in nothing but mental self-flagellation, IMO

Can you explain on what you think is not useful?
IME, all my bad comedowns are filled with true thoughts that I simply decide to ignore in sober life...

 

[perpetualdawn]

I can't relate to this! Never really have a problem with the comedowns off PDs. Often it's the best part, the part to reflect on the crazy shit that just happened, or the fun that was had, bask in the afterglow, or just get cozy and wind down, and try to bring all back home to earth.

The comeups on the other hand, I find difficult at times. Rattling, tense, awkward, anxious, depending on drug, mindset and setting of course...

 

[Burnt Offerings]

Ah I like comeups. The teeth-clenching, jarring entry into the world of bizarroland, I love that transition.

Can you explain on what you think is not useful?
IME, all my bad comedowns are filled with true thoughts that I simply decide to ignore in sober life...

One example that immediately comes to mind is "recollecting" human interactions I've had in the past with people, some of which were ridiculously trivial (like, say, asking a stranger on the street for directions or something), and having your recollection of the event be one of just being really awkward and alienating. And when I'm sober I think back on these moments and they weren't that way at all, it's just my own insecurities bleeding into a memory and creating a total abstraction of what happened. (although this phenomenon has happened more on mushrooms than anything else.)

 

[swilow]

Can you explain on what you think is not useful?
IME, all my bad comedowns are filled with true thoughts that I simply decide to ignore in sober life...

I am personally wary of describing any thought or conclusion, in such a state, as true. There are grains of truth in there, but a lot of it is white noise.

That said, I usually deeply enjoy my comedowns from psychedelics. Partly relief to be back on earth, elation at the experience and a feeling of liberation; I tend not to worry about anything when in that state, which is amazing to a worrier like me

 

[Solipsis]

I tend to call my comedowns neutral, or afterglowy sometimes. They can be exhausting though. My dad once complained that he always found everything to be so grey and dull after an LSD trip.

 

[pupnik]

comedowns have been hugely integrating for me.
I especially love the after peak portion of LSD, mushroom, lysergamides...
sequential thought resumes, and space-time has not yet firmed up completely

 

[AA357]

Psychedelic comedowns make me very sleepy.

 

[donvliet]

I had to learn how to enjoy the comedown, especially from LSD. It was all about accepting that you can't go to sleep yet for quite a while, but you aren't tripping that strongly either. I found that if I just had something pleasant to keep me occupied, I could have a great time in this stage of the trip. Instead of trying to go back to the feeling of the peak or trying to go to sleep, I like reading or watching a tv series or movie. This works best when the books or movies are appropriate to my state of mind at such a time. Off course there is plenty more you can do, depending on personal preference.

Some comics like Calvin & Hobbes or Dirkjan (Dutch only, sorry) work very well. Fantasy novels are great as well, even Harry Potter. Or popular scientific books like those from Brian Greene. For movies there are plenty of threads on this site, but the tv series Fringe warrants a mention.

 

[murphythecat]

yeah, we do experience the same sort of stuff.

theres nothing to gain about past moments, you cannot undo them and you cannot do anything to change that.

but I do think that our sober mind cover up the problems and that those thoughts are true. you have to learn to deal with them in the sober life. we all do very awkward stuff mainly because we are so stressed. anyways!

Ah I like comeups. The teeth-clenching, jarring entry into the world of bizarroland, I love that transition.
stimulant comedowns are worse for me, but I have learn a lot from those thoughts.


One example that immediately comes to mind is "recollecting" human interactions I've had in the past with people, some of which were ridiculously trivial (like, say, asking a stranger on the street for directions or something), and having your recollection of the event be one of just being really awkward and alienating. And when I'm sober I think back on these moments and they weren't that way at all, it's just my own insecurities bleeding into a memory and creating a total abstraction of what happened. (although this phenomenon has happened more on mushrooms than anything else.)

 

[Doldrugs]

I soften the comedown with weed or kratom, usually, but even without anything I find them way better than stim comedowns or downer hangovers.

 

[murphythecat]

definitely, stims comesdown are very hard compared to psy, but smh, I feed weed even makes it even worst!

I soften the comedown with weed or kratom, usually, but even without anything I find them way better than stim comedowns or downer hangovers.

 

[Doldrugs]

It usually extends the psychedelia but reduces the mood and body issues. I do prefer using an opioid, though.

 

[Black]

it totally depends on the drug for me.

with acid the comeup is very euphoric and the comedown is awful (at least in the state where you're mostly down, exhausted and only want to sleep, but once you close your eyes the visuals start again and the intensity ramps up again). once i'm really down and just feeling a bit floaty it's all fine again.

with shrooms the comeup is unpleasant, but the comedown is alright.

 

[transitionsynth]

Check your diet, activity levels, hydration, and vitamin/mineral supplementation, and frequency of use of strong hallucinogens. I find psychedelic comedowns to be very comfortable, lovely even, and the next day after a trip it seems like the enhanced colors and sharper visual acuity remain with a nice afterglow. The only problem for me with coming down is that I wish I was still tripping!

I've talked to many others who suffer through bad psychedelic comedowns, and for whom the world afterward is grey, boring, apathetic, etc... Purely anecdotal, but these individuals tend to be overweight, clinically depressed, lacking proper nutrition, hydration, overusing strong drugs, in general not the healthiest people.


EDIT: The exception for me might be combinations of LSD+MDMA. On those comedowns I always need copious amounts of cannabis and/or ketamine and I ALWAYS end up crying the next day, feeling genuinely perplexed as to why life isn't more like a Yellow Submarine.

 

[treezy z]

I haven't experienced this. The shit you said about needing to make life changes is a big part of the reason to do psychedelics IMO.

DOC comedown was brutal though, done with that drug.

empathogens (serotonin releasers) have a bad comedown as well for me.

i've done a variety of psychedelics of each category except delirients.

 

[theacidtest]

I've never had an issue with psychedelic come downs. I find them gentle and pleasant.