Editing Bad trip (section)

{{short description|Unpleasant experience triggered by psychoactive drugs}}
{{Other uses|Bad Trip (disambiguation){{!}}Bad Trip}}
{{Psychedelic sidebar |expanded=Effects}}
A '''bad trip''' (also known as '''challenging experiences''', '''acute intoxication from hallucinogens''', '''psychedelic crisis''', or '''emergence phenomenon''') is an acute adverse psychological reaction to the effects of [[Psychoactive drug|psychoactive substances]], namely [[psychedelics]]. There is no clear definition of what constitutes a bad trip. Additionally, knowledge on the cause of bad trips and who may be vulnerable to such experiences are limited. Existing studies report that possible adverse reactions include [[anxiety]], panic, [[depersonalization]], [[Ego death|ego dissolution]], [[paranoia]], as well as physiological symptoms such as dizziness and [[Palpitations|heart palpitations]]. However, most studies indicate that the ''[[set and setting]]'' of substance use influence how people respond.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Gashi |first1=Liridona |last2=Sandberg |first2=Sveinung |last3=Pedersen |first3=Willy |date=2021 |title=Making "bad trips" good: How users of psychedelics narratively transform challenging trips into valuable experiences |url=https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102997 |journal=International Journal of Drug Policy |volume=87 |pages=102997 |doi=10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102997 |pmid=33080454 |issn=0955-3959|hdl=10852/81144 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

Bad trips can be exacerbated by the inexperience or irresponsibility of the user or the lack of [[Set and setting|proper preparation and environment for the trip]], and are often reflective of unresolved psychological tensions triggered during the course of the experience.<ref name="grof-lsd-pt">{{Cite book |last=Grof |first=Stanislav |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jAvSPgAACAAJ |title=LSD Psychotherapy |date=2008 |publisher=Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies |isbn=978-0-9798622-0-5 |language=en}}</ref>{{page needed|date=October 2020}} In clinical research settings, precautions including the screening and preparation of participants, the training of the session monitors who will be present during the experience, and the selection of appropriate physical setting can minimize the likelihood of psychological distress.<ref name="johnson-et-al-2008">{{Cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=Matthew W. |last2=Richards |first2=William A. |last3=Griffiths |first3=Roland R. |date=2008 |title=Human Hallucinogen Research: Guidelines for Safety |journal=Journal of Psychopharmacology |volume=22 |issue=6 |pages=603–620 |doi=10.1177/0269881108093587 |pmc=3056407 |pmid=18593734}}</ref> Researchers have suggested that the presence of professional "[[trip sitter]]s" (i.e., session monitors) may significantly reduce the negative experiences associated with a bad trip.<ref name="gashi-et-al-2021">{{Cite journal |last1=Gashi |first1=Liridona |last2=Sandberg |first2=Sveinung |last3=Pederson |first3=Willy |date=2021 |title=Making "bad trips" good: How users of psychedelics narratively transform challenging trips into valuable experiences |journal=International Journal of Drug Policy |volume=87 |pages=102997 |doi=10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102997 |pmid=33080454 |hdl-access=free |hdl=10852/81144|s2cid=224821288 }}</ref> In most cases in which anxiety arises during a supervised psychedelic experience, reassurance from the session monitor is adequate to resolve it; however, if distress becomes intense it can be treated pharmacologically, for example with the [[benzodiazepine]] [[diazepam]].<ref name="johnson-et-al-2008" />

The psychiatrist [[Stanislav Grof]] wrote that unpleasant psychedelic experiences are not necessarily unhealthy or undesirable, arguing that they may have the potential for psychological healing and lead to breakthrough and resolution of unresolved psychic issues.<ref name="grof-lsd-pt" />{{page needed|date=October 2020}} Drawing on [[narrative theory]], the authors of a 2021 study of 50 users of psychedelics found that many described bad trips as having been sources of insight or even turning points in life.<ref name="gashi-et-al-2021" />