The intense nature of the psychedelic experience and the psychotherapy requirements that follow psychedelic-assisted therapy treatment models present special safety issues for researchers investigating psychedelic trials to protect patients and site staff. Numerous people have experienced excellent, life-changing effects from psychedelic drugs. But it's not the only experience that can occur when using psychedelics.

Because of their condition, patients taking part in any psychiatric trial are somewhat vulnerable. Even under carefully monitored conditions, this vulnerability is increased in psychedelic research when participants are given chemicals that alter consciousness.

What is a "Challenging Experience"?

What does the term "challenging experience" mean? When you try to put it into words, it becomes less apparent, even though it may be evident at the time.

There are countless kinds of difficult situations. We'll group them into three main categories to help you get started:

Physical challenges
Emotional challenges
Spiritual challenges

What Long-Term Problems Arise After Using Psychedelic Drugs?

Although psychedelic therapy transfers you toward the healing phase, some clients might face a challenging psychedelic experience. These problems are often associated with either physical, emotional, or spiritual confusion. Trauma and psychedelics are interlinked in these challenges.

Physical Difficulties

The most enjoyable experiences are often those that are physically demanding. This type of encounter has a substantial bodily impact on you. These experiences are difficult to tolerate at the moment, but they usually go away in the 24 hours after psilocybin treatment.

Challenges in Emotion

Experiences that are emotionally taxing can be diverse and frequently very intimate. They have a specific connection to your identity, feelings, past, present, and future.

Spiritual Difficulties

It can feel as though some of your underlying beliefs about the world are no longer there to support you when you are facing difficult existential situations.

Thankfully, these conditions are temporary. There are methods to make the existentially charged content a life-changing experience for oneself.

Physical Challenging Experiences

Speech slurred
Nausea or vomiting sensations (also called "purging").
Muscle tightness, cramping, or noticeable tenderness
Fuzzy memory
Excessive dizziness and confusion
Depletion of energy, leaving you exhausted afterwards
Dilated Pupils
Increased heart rate

Emotionally Challenging Experiences

Getting angry with the way your life is going
An unexpected realisation that a significant part of your life is no longer aligned with helping you
Living contrary to your principles
Reliving painful events from the past
Experiencing the sorrow associated with losing a loved one
Recognizing repressed or blocked memories
Recurrent hallucinations
Acute psychological distress

Spiritual Challenging Experiences

The severity of human misery
Conflict with other creatures, deities, archetypes, or beings
The sensation of departing from the body and entering other dimensions
A sense of death, of "no return to normal," and of doubting your sanity
The foundation of the meaning of life
The presence or absence of other things, beings, or gods
Imagining yourself being born and dying.
Recognising and "feeling" the agony and anguish of people outside of oneself

Strategies to Deal with Challenging Psychedelic Experience

There are numerous methods for handling challenging situations.

This is a crucial reminder if you are dealing with a challenging psychedelic experience right now: You have support to help you, you are not alone, and this too shall pass. You can use the following practical frameworks to help you process a challenging psychedelic experience:

Rest- Recover- Relax

Doing nothing is the first step. Stay calm and know that these are just healing stages. You can only deal with these problems caused by psilocybin treatment if you stay relaxed.

Stay relaxed for the first 2 weeks.

You must be intense and focused. Generally speaking, you should wait at least two weeks following a significant psychedelic encounter before making any substantial life choices.

Engage in soothing activities.

Be mindful of how you look after yourself. Spending time with loved ones, taking lengthy walks in the outdoors, or enjoying your favourite music are some examples of this. Give your body and mind a rest, however you see fit. These activities help you deal with challenging psychedelic experiences.

Prepare yourself to face a bad trip.

You're not letting it go, and you're not giving up. All you're doing is regaining your strength and centre so that you can face this experience with courage and composure.

Explore what made the experience difficult.

Examine the exact factors that made the experience difficult. Even so, there is a significant degree of constructive transformation that stems from difficult psychedelic experiences. The difficulties highlight the precise areas that require attention. They turn into a gift that should be embraced as a potent force for transformation in your life rather than shunned or dismissed.

Ask for help

In addition to offering fresh perspectives and new ideas, seeking support can ease the burden and facilitate the process. You can connect with integration groups, join online support, or have a conversation with your friend. To lessen the intensity of the challenging psychedelic experience, you should talk about your situation with your therapist.

Stay calm

Try your best not to fight the difficult experience. Although this could be challenging at first, resistance just makes things more difficult.

Be open, trust, and let it go.

Have complete faith that this occurred for your good, your recovery, and your development. It may be challenging to be open, especially when faced with a difficult situation. Remain receptive to the experience's insights. Avoid resistance, clinging, and assuming. Do your best to let them go. Letting go will be much easier if you collaborate with your therapist.

Conclusion

Psychedelic therapy is gaining much attention due to its healing capacity. However, sometimes you may face a challenging psychedelic experience even after following all the therapeutic sessions. These side effects often link your past trauma with psychedelic treatment. You may feel physical, emotional, or spiritual challenges after psychedelic integration. However, the good thing is that these feelings only last for a short period and will subside once you follow the strategies above. So, don’t hesitate to find “Psychedelic therapy near me” and begin your healing journey.

What To Do If You Have a Challenging Psychedelic Experience