Upping psychedelic dosage & mental health

[twaits]

I am very closely related to someone with schizophrenia. Curiosity killed the cat and I took a low - med dosage of LSD. As expected it lasted about 12 hours of which the last 4 were unpleasant (I was afraid I'd be tripping forever) but I am looking to try with an increased dose. I've read (as most have) that there are potential links with LSD and 'bringing out' dormant mental disorders, however months after my first trip I feel fine. Could a higher dose change my reaction to the drug in terms of long term mental health or am I safe to up the dose carefully?

Thanks for your help,
Twaits.

 

[CrypticArc]

welll the "afraid you'll be tripping forever" mindstate is quite common and says nothing about your mental condition. You never know if/when a trip could bring out a mental illness from within you: it could be your first trip, it could be your tenth trip, it could be your hundreth trip. I would advise against it personally, but if you feel like you can handle it, it's your decision ultimately.

 

[mescaphysicality94]

No one can make this decision for you, but I personally have a lot of mental illness in my immediate family and I think the risk of pychedelics is exagerrated to an extent. If you personally have never shown any signs of it, I wouldn't be worried about trying more, but like I said I am not you. Btw ehen you say 4 hrs were unpleasant were they unpleasent in a mental or physical sense? And to what degree? Most of the time when I trip I feel a wide array of emotions from the hughest of highs to the lowest of lows, but how you act is more important than how 'pleasant' the trip was. Because you can be having a wonderful time or a hellride and be a delusional wreck, some people don't realize this. You can be happy and go crazy at the sane time. On the other hand if you are exuberantly happy or sad while you are tripping and you are able to maintain and make rational decisions that is what matters. I have had plenty of awful trips where my sanity was still perfectly intact is what I am saying. While I have had some borderline crazy delusional actions it was only when I had put myelf in a vunerable setting on too high a dose. Just have someobe around if you feel you might become unstable, and do bit underestimate the power of these compounds.

 

[Dawglaw]

I do not think psychs "bring out" mental illness by any means. Rather it is the stress of being in an altered state that causes a first break.

If you are going to get a MI, it is probably going to happen regardless. It could be the stress from losing your phone/keys, it could be losing your job, it could be a traumatic accident or it could be the stress from tripping balls that triggers your illness.

 

[Beenhead]

I do not think psychs "bring out" mental illness by any means. Rather it is the stress of being in an altered state that causes a first break.

If you are going to get a MI, it is probably going to happen regardless. It could be the stress from losing your phone/keys, it could be losing your job, it could be a traumatic accident or it could be the stress from tripping balls that triggers your illness.

Yes, they can. This is a well documented issue with psychedelics. People who have family history of schizophrenia and take a large dose, or doses of psychedelic drugs have been known to precipitate mental illness lasting well beyond usual effects of the drug. The current excepted theory is that the psychedelic hastened the onset of an illness that would have presented its self anyway. Schizophrenia usually begins in young adulthood, with some patients not getting symptoms until their 40s in cases.

Feeling as if you are goint to trip forever is common. This does not mean that you will go crazy, and the more calm you can stay and continue to tell yourself the effects will wear off, which the will, the better you will feel. As far as a family history of schizophrenia and your choice in experimenting with psychedelic drugs; you should really consider if the potential insights gained from tripping, or the recreational value thereof is worth the potential risk of hastening the onset of mental illness. IF you have already had negative experiences, and have had symptoms of mental instability in the past with out the use of drugs, you really need to consider finding other ways of expanding consciousness. Normal, healthy individuals are capable of having PTSD like symptoms long after the use of these drugs, as well as very difficult experiences and psychotic breaks during the trip. Just do your homework, search your soul, and make well informed and mature decisions.

 

[twaits]

Thanks for all of your replies, I appreciate the variety of opinions. It seems that the majority of information on this topic is not very well scientifically researched or understood as a result of both its legal status and complexity which make the decision all the more difficult (wouldn't it be nice to have the ability to get tested for these 'dormant' mental disorders).

For those who asked/are interested in the unpleasant part of my trip:
I have limited experience with psychedelics (I even avoid marijuana) and so explaining anything during those 12 hours in words is almost impossible for me. I didn't expect psychedelics to impart such strong sensory hallucinations (I was under the impression that the majority of my hallucinations would be visual). I felt somewhat anxious, uncomfortable and worried but in the same way a child would; in an irrational way I suppose. As was mentioned in previous posts I also don't think it was out of the ordinary for inexperienced trippers in particular.

As for those who asked about the history of my mental health, I have been lucky enough to avoid any issues. This was however the same with my immediate family member who began to develop (unexpectedly) symptoms at an age a few years older than I am now.

 

[CrypticArc]

Yes, they can. This is a well documented issue with psychedelics. People who have family history of schizophrenia and take a large dose, or doses of psychedelic drugs have been known to precipitate mental illness lasting well beyond usual effects of the drug. The current excepted theory is that the psychedelic hastened the onset of an illness that would have presented its self anyway. Schizophrenia usually begins in young adulthood, with some patients not getting symptoms until their 40s in cases.

I don't believe this conflicts with anything dawglaw said. It is well documented that most schizophrenics have their break during college. Does this mean that college CAUSES mental illness? No, but it can bring out latent schizophrenia, just like any other stressful event. Why should we think of psychedelics any differently? Statistically, you are more likely to start exhibiting signs of schizophrenia during college than from taking a psychedelic. The psychedelic it's self is not responsible for mental illness, it is not an "issue of psychedelics". It's the issue of stress the psychedelic puts you through, which is no different than any other highly stressful event, combined with a predisposition.

 

[Beenhead]

YEah, I can see by reading it again, that it can be taken that way certainly.