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Working Through and Benefiting From Difficult Psychedelic Experiences
Humans have consumed psychedelics thousands of years in religious, recreational, medicinal, and psychotherapeutic capacities. These experiences often result in fluctuations in mood, auditory distortions, visual distortion, and synethesia. These effects could potentially create both positive enjoyable experiences and difficult experiences too.
Difficult psychedelic experiences have the potential of being, with proper care, some of the most beneficial. Here our goal is providing resources on working through and benefiting from difficult psychedelic experiences. Please give this a second look. Perhaps you'll encounter such experiences and having reviewed these resource could be useful in the long run.
https://www.fest300.com/magazine/how-to-help-someone-who-s-tripping-out-at-a-festival
Zendo Project Psychedelic Harm Reduction - Training
[video=youtube_share;CphDzpr8wL8]http://youtu.be/CphDzpr8wL8[/video]
Other resources are available here.
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List of Dangerous & Potentially Unsafe Combinations
Here we'll try to keep a list of combinations of drugs that aren't safe to take in combination. This will be a work in progress & this list will not be exhaustive, so please still research things thoroughly before you ingest them!
Thanks to SurvivedAbortion for getting the ball rolling on this thread!
If your combination is not in the list, or you would like to ask about a specific combination or discuss potentially dangerous/risky combinations, or even make suggestions for this thread, please visit the Dangerous Combination Discussion Thread.
It would also be wise to check out the Medication & Supplement Interaction Thread for further information on medication reactions beyond simply stating whether a combination is dangerous or not.
If you see anything wrong in this list or something that needs to be added, please either post in the above thread, or PM one of the PD moderators and we'll get right on it.
MAOIs (e.g. Phenelzine, Tranylcypramine, Selegiline):
X All phenthylamine psychedelics (e.g. DOx, 2C-x, 3C-x, TMA-x, 25x-NBOMe)
X aMT (alpha-Methyltryptamine)
X MDxx (e.g. MDMA, MDA, MDEA)
X Other serotonin releasers (e.g. 6-APB, 5-APB, 5-API, 5-IAI, MDAI)
X All cathinones
X DXM (Dextromethorphan)
X Ibogaine
X SSRI/SNRI antidepressants (e.g. Sertraline, Seroxat)
X Methoxetamine
X Tramadol
X 5-HTP
SSRI/SNRI antidepressants (e.g. Sertraline, Seroxat):
X aMT (alpha-Methyltryptamine)
X 2C-T-7
X Ayahuasca/Pharmahuasca
X Other MAOIs (e.g. Phenelzine, Selegiline)
X DXM (Dextromethorphan)
X Ibogaine
X Tramadol
X 5-HTP
Anticonvulsants (e.g. Lithium, Valproate):
X All classical psychedelics (5HT-2a agonists like LSD, mushrooms, 2C-B)
X All phenethylamines
X Ibogaine
Beta-blockers (e.g. Propranolol, Atenolol):
X All stimulants and empathogens (e.g. Amphetamine, Cocaine, MDMA, Mephedrone)
X aMT (alpha-Methyltryptamine)
X LSD/LSA
X Datura/Belladonna/Brugmansia
Triptans (e.g. Sumatriptan, Rizatriptan, Zolmitriptan):
X aMT
X 2C-T-7
X Ayahuasca/Pharmahuasca
X Other MAOIs (e.g. Phenelzine, Selegiline)
X LSD/LSA
5-HTP:
X aMT (alpha-Methyltryptamine)
X 2C-T-7
X Ayahuasca/Pharmahuasca
X Other MAOIs (e.g. Phenelzine, Selegiline)
X All SSRIs/SNRIs (e.g. Sertraline, Seroxat)
X MDxx (e.g. MDMA, MDA, MDEA)
X Other serotonin releasers (e.g. 6-APB, 5-APB, 5-API, 5-IAI, MDAI)
Alcohol (e.g. Beer, Wine, Vodka):
X Ibogaine
Additionally, tyramine-containing alcoholic beverages such as draught beer and wine should not be combined with any of the following:
Ibogaine:
X Alcohol
X DXM
X All SSRIs/SNRIs (e.g. Sertraline, Seroxat)
X MDxx (e.g. MDMA, MDA, MDEA)
X Other serotonin releasers (e.g. 6-APB, 5-APB, 5-API, 5-IAI, MDAI)
X All other stimulants (e.g. Amphetamine, Cocaine, MDPV)
X All anticonvulsants (e.g. Lithium, Valproate)
X Antibiotics
X Grapefruit Juice
X Quinine (Tonic water)
Serotonin releasers (e.g. MDMA, MDA, MDEA, 6-APB, 5-APB, MDAI, Mephedrone, Methylone):
X aMT (alpha-Methyltryptamine)
X 2C-T-7
X Ayahuasca/Pharmahuasca
X Other MAOIs (e.g. Phenelzine, Selegiline)
X DXM (Dextromethorphan)
X Ibogaine
X 5-HTP
Stimulants (e.g. Amphetamine, Cocaine, MDPV, Methcathinone):
X Beta-blockers
X Ibogaine
Adrenergic autoreceptor antagonist antidepressants (mirtazapine, yohimbine)
X Dissociatives (DXM, ketamine)
X Ibogaine
Serotonin releasers (e.g. MDMA, MDA, MDEA, 6-APB, 5-APB, MDAI, Mephedrone, Methylone):
X 5-MeO-MiPT and 5-MeO-DiPT
X Methoxetamine
Stimulants (e.g. Amphetamine, Cocaine, MDPV, Methcathinone):
X All of the NBOMe series (e.g. 25C-NBOMe, 25I-NBOMe)
X 5-MeO-MiPT and 5-MeO-DiPT
X Bromo-DragonFLY
X aMT (alpha-Methyltryptamine)
X 2C-T-7
X Ayahuasca/Pharmahuasca
X Other MAOIs (e.g. Phenelzine, Selegiline)
Alcohol (e.g. Beer, Wine, Vodka):
X Dissociatives (e.g. Ketamine, DXM, PCP, Methoxetamine)
X 5-HTP
{PD Index} {Erowid Big Chart} {PD Forum Guidelines} {BLUA}
Humans have consumed psychedelics thousands of years in religious, recreational, medicinal, and psychotherapeutic capacities. These experiences often result in fluctuations in mood, auditory distortions, visual distortion, and synethesia. These effects could potentially create both positive enjoyable experiences and difficult experiences too.
Difficult psychedelic experiences have the potential of being, with proper care, some of the most beneficial. Here our goal is providing resources on working through and benefiting from difficult psychedelic experiences. Please give this a second look. Perhaps you'll encounter such experiences and having reviewed these resource could be useful in the long run.
Fest300 said:In your festival adventures you may run across someone who is having a difficult psychedelic experience. It's important that we all take care of each other at festivals so don't abandon someone who may need your help. If that someone seems to be posing a danger to themselves or others, alert festival security immediately. Being a good samaritan shouldn't put you in physical danger.
However, if the person is lost and confused there are ways you can support him or her and keep them safe. Consider assisting them in getting to the medical tent. If you're concerned you may get in trouble check out this helpful response from our column Ask The Festival Lawyer. There are trained professionals who can help and will do so in a supportive, nonjudgemental manner. Some festivals have designated safe spaces for people in such a condition. The Zendo Project , a group based in Santa Cruz, California, provides such a space at festivals and has compiled Four Pillars of Psychedelic Support to utilize if no other help is available. The following description of Zendo's Four Pillars is an excerpt from my own experience working with the Zendo project in Costa Rica at Envision Festival.
1. Create a Safe Space
Photo by: The Zendo Project
Festival environments are designed to be highly stimulating: Bombastic sound systems, intense light shows and general cacophony create a surreal wonderland for adventure. But when things start to overwhelm, these dynamic effects can heighten anxiety. Zendo is designed to provide tranquility and comfort. In addition to feeling physically safe, the guest must feel emotionally safe, which involves volunteers exuding a non-judgmental, welcoming attitude.
The conditions for this safety system, according to Sara Gael, MA MAPS Harm Reduction Coordinator, holistic psychotherapist, and Zendo Envision lead, are known as “set” and “setting.”
“'Set' refers to an individual’s internal state and includes emotional state and mood, pre-existing mental conditions, stress, comfort, and developmental stage," she explains. "'Setting' refers to an individual’s external conditions including where the person is, whom they are with, dosage, and drug interactions."
Gael emphasizes that set and setting are not mutually exclusive, and affect and inform one another. When sitters pay attention to an individual's set and setting, a safety system, uniquely tailored to that individual, can be created, so that the individual can surrender to the experience, even if discomfort or fear arises.
2. Sitting, Not Guiding
Photo by: The Zendo Project
Rather than using direct intervention, the goal for the sitter is to allow healing to occur naturally. The tools we used were breathing, validating, mirroring and affirming. The importance of not intervening in a guest’s experience was emphasized over and over throughout the weekend.
From MAPS: How to Work With Difficult Psychedelic Experiences: “There is always the tendency to overpower the other with our knowledge, wisdom, and insight. So let go of all knowledge regarding the experiences that the person is having. Just be with, listen, and observe.”
Does that mean that the sitter must be rigid and avoid engaging with the guest at all?
“It can be useful to provide gentle reassurance or reframing of the experience," explains Chelsea Rose, Zendo's volunteer coordinator. "These methods of support reflect what is already happening for the individual, while also reassuring them that their experience is acceptable."
3. Talk Through, Not Down
Photo by: The Zendo Project
Sitters are taught to understand that there is a natural process going on in the mind of the affected guest. Thus there is no effort to end the psychedelic trip prematurely; sitters must simply let the guest experience it with as much safety and comfort as possible.
Linnae Ponté, Director of Harm Reduction at MAPS and Founder of the Zendo Project repeats the mantra of "Trust. Let go. Be open. Breathe. Surrender."
Ponté says that when re-experiencing emotions from a past trauma, (which sometimes happens with psychedelics) having the space to feel the extent of that pain and suffering can be a pivotal to the guest's healing opportunity. A sitter must acknowledge that any emotions that bubble to the surface during a psychedelic experience are often strongly charged and can bring guests to the threshold of his or her consciousness.
"Our job isn’t to intervene, but to trust whatever is happening for them, and whatever it brings up in us, and to know it’s all temporary," Ponté continues. "We live in a world where emotional discomfort is suppressed with all kinds of drugs and behaviors, and we give guests the opportunity to instead go into the discomfort, and find out what’s underneath it."
4. Difficult is Not the Same as Bad
Photo by: The Zendo Project
The assumption that a difficult experience is “bad” can in fact contribute to the anxiety and general discomfort of the journey. “The mindset evident in the term 'bad trip' helps shed light on the outdated and often harmful methods by which these experiences are often addressed, including hospitalization and the involvement of law enforcement," explains Sara Gael. This approach to handling someone having a difficult psychedelic experience is common at events and often worsens or escalates a situation. They are methods that attempt to end or interrupt the individual’s experience and can send a message to the individual that something is wrong with them or that they are not safe."
Clearly, that is not the ideal approach for someone who is already feeling overwhelmed or frightened.
Photo by: The Zendo Project
For a more complete explanation of how to support individuals who are experiencing an intense psychedelic experience, including important ethical concerns, check out the newly compiled Manual of Psychedelic Support. This incredible resource was the result of a collaboration between researchers, artists, psychiatrists, therapists, psychonauts, and festival producers and is freely available under a Creative Commons license.
https://www.fest300.com/magazine/how-to-help-someone-who-s-tripping-out-at-a-festival
Zendo Project Psychedelic Harm Reduction - Training
[video=youtube_share;CphDzpr8wL8]http://youtu.be/CphDzpr8wL8[/video]
Other resources are available here.
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
List of Dangerous & Potentially Unsafe Combinations
Here we'll try to keep a list of combinations of drugs that aren't safe to take in combination. This will be a work in progress & this list will not be exhaustive, so please still research things thoroughly before you ingest them!
Thanks to SurvivedAbortion for getting the ball rolling on this thread!
If your combination is not in the list, or you would like to ask about a specific combination or discuss potentially dangerous/risky combinations, or even make suggestions for this thread, please visit the Dangerous Combination Discussion Thread.
It would also be wise to check out the Medication & Supplement Interaction Thread for further information on medication reactions beyond simply stating whether a combination is dangerous or not.
If you see anything wrong in this list or something that needs to be added, please either post in the above thread, or PM one of the PD moderators and we'll get right on it.
Table of Contents
You can use the find/search function (Ctrl + F) to search for any of the sections mentioned in the contents and quickly find dangerous combinations for these drugs.
Known Dangerous Combinations
Potentially/Likely Dangerous Combinations
You can use the find/search function (Ctrl + F) to search for any of the sections mentioned in the contents and quickly find dangerous combinations for these drugs.
Known Dangerous Combinations
- lMAOIs
- SSRI/SNRI antidepressants
- Anticonvulsants
- Beta-blockers
- Triptans
- 5-HTP
- Alcohol
- Ibogaine
- Serotonin releasers
- Stimulants
Potentially/Likely Dangerous Combinations
- Serotonin releasers
- Stimulants
Known Dangerous Combinations
MAOIs (e.g. Phenelzine, Tranylcypramine, Selegiline):
X All phenthylamine psychedelics (e.g. DOx, 2C-x, 3C-x, TMA-x, 25x-NBOMe)
X aMT (alpha-Methyltryptamine)
X MDxx (e.g. MDMA, MDA, MDEA)
X Other serotonin releasers (e.g. 6-APB, 5-APB, 5-API, 5-IAI, MDAI)
X All cathinones
X DXM (Dextromethorphan)
X Ibogaine
X SSRI/SNRI antidepressants (e.g. Sertraline, Seroxat)
X Methoxetamine
X Tramadol
X 5-HTP
SSRI/SNRI antidepressants (e.g. Sertraline, Seroxat):
X aMT (alpha-Methyltryptamine)
X 2C-T-7
X Ayahuasca/Pharmahuasca
X Other MAOIs (e.g. Phenelzine, Selegiline)
X DXM (Dextromethorphan)
X Ibogaine
X Tramadol
X 5-HTP
Anticonvulsants (e.g. Lithium, Valproate):
X All classical psychedelics (5HT-2a agonists like LSD, mushrooms, 2C-B)
X All phenethylamines
X Ibogaine
Beta-blockers (e.g. Propranolol, Atenolol):
X All stimulants and empathogens (e.g. Amphetamine, Cocaine, MDMA, Mephedrone)
X aMT (alpha-Methyltryptamine)
X LSD/LSA
X Datura/Belladonna/Brugmansia
Triptans (e.g. Sumatriptan, Rizatriptan, Zolmitriptan):
X aMT
X 2C-T-7
X Ayahuasca/Pharmahuasca
X Other MAOIs (e.g. Phenelzine, Selegiline)
X LSD/LSA
5-HTP:
X aMT (alpha-Methyltryptamine)
X 2C-T-7
X Ayahuasca/Pharmahuasca
X Other MAOIs (e.g. Phenelzine, Selegiline)
X All SSRIs/SNRIs (e.g. Sertraline, Seroxat)
X MDxx (e.g. MDMA, MDA, MDEA)
X Other serotonin releasers (e.g. 6-APB, 5-APB, 5-API, 5-IAI, MDAI)
Alcohol (e.g. Beer, Wine, Vodka):
X Ibogaine
Additionally, tyramine-containing alcoholic beverages such as draught beer and wine should not be combined with any of the following:
X aMT
X Ayahuasca/Pharmahuasca
X 2C-T-7
X Other MAOIs (e.g. Phenelzine, Selegiline)
X Ayahuasca/Pharmahuasca
X 2C-T-7
X Other MAOIs (e.g. Phenelzine, Selegiline)
Ibogaine:
X Alcohol
X DXM
X All SSRIs/SNRIs (e.g. Sertraline, Seroxat)
X MDxx (e.g. MDMA, MDA, MDEA)
X Other serotonin releasers (e.g. 6-APB, 5-APB, 5-API, 5-IAI, MDAI)
X All other stimulants (e.g. Amphetamine, Cocaine, MDPV)
X All anticonvulsants (e.g. Lithium, Valproate)
X Antibiotics
X Grapefruit Juice
X Quinine (Tonic water)
Serotonin releasers (e.g. MDMA, MDA, MDEA, 6-APB, 5-APB, MDAI, Mephedrone, Methylone):
X aMT (alpha-Methyltryptamine)
X 2C-T-7
X Ayahuasca/Pharmahuasca
X Other MAOIs (e.g. Phenelzine, Selegiline)
X DXM (Dextromethorphan)
X Ibogaine
X 5-HTP
Stimulants (e.g. Amphetamine, Cocaine, MDPV, Methcathinone):
X Beta-blockers
X Ibogaine
Potentially/Likely Dangerous Combinations
Adrenergic autoreceptor antagonist antidepressants (mirtazapine, yohimbine)
X Dissociatives (DXM, ketamine)
X Ibogaine
Serotonin releasers (e.g. MDMA, MDA, MDEA, 6-APB, 5-APB, MDAI, Mephedrone, Methylone):
X 5-MeO-MiPT and 5-MeO-DiPT
X Methoxetamine
Stimulants (e.g. Amphetamine, Cocaine, MDPV, Methcathinone):
X All of the NBOMe series (e.g. 25C-NBOMe, 25I-NBOMe)
X 5-MeO-MiPT and 5-MeO-DiPT
X Bromo-DragonFLY
X aMT (alpha-Methyltryptamine)
X 2C-T-7
X Ayahuasca/Pharmahuasca
X Other MAOIs (e.g. Phenelzine, Selegiline)
Alcohol (e.g. Beer, Wine, Vodka):
X Dissociatives (e.g. Ketamine, DXM, PCP, Methoxetamine)
X 5-HTP
{PD Index} {Erowid Big Chart} {PD Forum Guidelines} {BLUA}
![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")
