Using hallucinogens carries the serious risk of a bad trip, but a skilled guide can help talk down a friend or loved one before their feelings of paranoia or anxiety spin out of control. Here’s what not to say to a friend having a bad trip.
Things To Never Say To Someone During A Bad Drug Trip
“What did you take? Actiq? Adderall? Alfenta? Alprazolam? Alzapam? Ambien? Anexsia?”
Now’s not the time to show off how many controlled substances you can name off the top of your head.
“How many fingers am I holding up?”
This comes across as rudely rubbing it in that your fingers aren’t demon penises right now.
“Whoa, we’re turning all, like, cosmic, daddy-o! Scoobity-doobity-dop!”
Contrary to popular belief, statements like this, often made before transforming into an anthropomorphized top hat sailing across the background of the universe’s Technicolor wonder, only further open up the possibilities of tumbling down long black portals or being arrested by the Bad Time Bandit later on.
“I know what will cheer you up! This picture of your grandfather on his deathbed.”
Hey, that isn’t helpful!
“Are you okay?”
Open this door, and you’ll be stuck there listening to their incoherent babbling for hours.
“Oh no! Did you eat all my heroin brownies?!”
Your roommate might have scoobed your stash accidentally, but at this point you just need to be supportive and not guilt trip her.
“Since you’re going to die soon, can I move into your house and marry your wife?”
That’s for the estate lawyers to sort out.
9 / 23
“You’re going through a lot right now, but you are loved, you are supported, and you are safe. We’re going to get through this together. I promise, okay?”
“You’re going through a lot right now, but you are loved, you are supported, and you are safe. We’re going to get through this together. I promise, okay?”
Eww, you’re being super clingy.
10 / 23
“I got a feeling / That tonight’s gonna be a bad night / That tonight’s gonna be a bad night / That tonight’s gonna be a bad, bad night / A feeling / That tonight’s gonna be a bad night / That tonight’s gonna be a bad night / That tonight’s gonna be a bad, bad night / A feeling / That tonight’s gonna be a bad night / That tonight’s gonna be a bad night / That tonight’s gonna be a bad, bad night / A feeling / That tonight’s gonna be a bad night / That tonight’s gonna be a bad night / That tonight’s gonna be a bad, bad night.”
“I got a feeling / That tonight’s gonna be a bad night / That tonight’s gonna be a bad night / That tonight’s gonna be a bad, bad night / A feeling / That tonight’s gonna be a bad night / That tonight’s gonna be a bad night / That tonight’s gonna be a bad, bad night / A feeling / That tonight’s gonna be a bad night / That tonight’s gonna be a bad night / That tonight’s gonna be a bad, bad night / A feeling / That tonight’s gonna be a bad night / That tonight’s gonna be a bad night / That tonight’s gonna be a bad, bad night.”
This was so close to the perfect thing to say, but these carefully modified lyrics to the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” are actually going to make your friend spiral.
“It’s so cool how you bogarted all the drugs.”
Your sarcasm won’t land effectively until they come out the other side.
“Hey, get the hell out of here, you stupid kids!”
Patience and compassion are much more helpful than rattling your broom and shouting at them for pouring out all the Pepto Bismol in aisle five and shouting something indecipherable about fire.
“Have you ever heard the Grateful Dead?”
They’re already suffering. No need to punish them further.
14 / 23
“Aw, you look so cute when you’re screaming insensibly about the two-dimensional hell you’ve made for yourself!”
“Aw, you look so cute when you’re screaming insensibly about the two-dimensional hell you’ve made for yourself!”
The time to compliment how cute your girlfriend is was before she started hearing warped voices beckoning her into the depths of insanity.
“You’re probably just bloated.”
Everybody knows to take a Lactaid before the fentanyl.
16 / 23
“Okay, so yes, the bad news is that the dancing corpses are real, the puddles of blood are real, all the guns pointed at you are very real, but thankfully, the tessellating pattern of neon pink is just a hallucination.”
“Okay, so yes, the bad news is that the dancing corpses are real, the puddles of blood are real, all the guns pointed at you are very real, but thankfully, the tessellating pattern of neon pink is just a hallucination.”
There’s probably a gentler way to break this to them.
“Hey, fucker, get off your ass and pay the electricity bill.”
Logging onto ComEd’s payment portal is probably going to be tough while your boyfriend is paying witness to the rapid decomposition of his mother and father’s corpses.
“Is this mask scary to you right now?”
Don’t ruin the illusion that you’re the real-life skeleton master with your need for validation.
“You still owe me $15 for the acid.”
It’s not worth mentioning something so petty at a time like this when their purse is sitting right next to them, wide open.
“It’s all in your head.”
Don’t just stand there spouting empty axioms at them. Go get the butcher knife so they can cut their damaged brain out of their skull.
“I am freaking the fuck out.”
One at a time, pal.