Talk:Aborting trips
This page will cover tactics for what is commonly known as stopping or "aborting" what is often referred to as a "bad trip". Some of these tactics involve the acquisition and consumption of additional psychoactive substances such as benzodiazepines. We must remind all readers that any advice concerning the use of additional drugs to halt a bad trip is purely subjective and is provided 'as is' and on a non-professional basis. Please do your research on the dangers of combining different drugs before attempting to trip on any hallucinogenic substances. PsychonautWiki, its creators and contributors cannot be held accountable for your choices. Be prepared. Be informed. Know your limits.
Aborting a trip can be defined as taking action that reduces or eliminates negative cognitive or effective symptoms when under the influence of a hallucinogenic substance. One may attempt to abort a trip due to fear, panic reactions, the experience of overwhelming symptoms, or even just due to boredom, discomfort, and regret for choosing to undergo the experience.
Although the term "bad trip" usually refers to states created by a dissociative or psychedelic drug, it is also applicable for states that are able to be induced by stimulants, deliriants, and other psychoactive drugs.
Aborting a trip
One way of 'killing' a trip is to take a dose of a benzodiazepine or of an anti-psychotic. Here are known substances that will lessen a trip:
- alprazolam (Xanax)
- diazepam (Valium)
Diazepam is recommended in a 10mg oral dose (Grinspoon and Bakalar, 1979). Because of its high lipid solubility, it has a more rapid onset, a shorter peak time and a shorter duration compared to other benzos (even lorazepam despite its shorter lifespan). The oral route is recommended as injection may further exacerbate anxiety.
- quetiapine (Seroquel)
- risperidone (Risperadol)
This should be used as a last resort (unmanageable psychosis) as the effects are quite abrupt and unpleasant and may lead to subsequent psychological problems. Do not use haloperidol as it will potentiate the effects of psychedelics (Vollenweider et al. 1998)
Ketanserin (a 5-HT2A antagonist) could be used as a non anti-psychotic trip-killer too (Vollenweider et al. 1998). It is not available in the US.