Harm Reduction and Psychedelics
by MINDY VINCENT, LCSW, MPA
Psychedelics can be fun, enlightening, spiritual and healing. They can also be dangerous and distorting. So how can we ensure we are utilizing psychedelics as safely as possible and minimizing potential harms? Below are some helpful harm reduction tips for psychedelics.
Let’s talk about the drug, the set, the setting and other elements that can reduce harm in this space.
The Drug
I prefer the word medicine or plant, but not all psychedelics fall under these categories. Either way, knowing what you are getting, where it came from, and what its intended effects are is the single most important piece when engaging in the use of any type of substance, plant based or not. This is a good argument for legalization over just decriminalization, because legalization ensures regulation of product, both its purity and potency, which significantly reduces the risk of accidental poisoning. Know what you are getting and from whom.
Set
In the context of harm reduction, set is short for “mindset”, meaning what is your current mood or state of mind? Are you in the right state of mind for the consumption of psychedelics? This is going to be different for each person depending on what it is they are looking for. If you are going to be taking a hero’s dose of psylocibin, you probably need to be in a good, stable place for that. For those who microdose, they may be intending to aid the depression or anxiety symptoms they are already experiencing. Always remember that your state of mind has huge impacts on any substance you ingest. Being in an emotional state of mind increases the chances of overdose and intensifies the effects of the drug.
Setting
Ah, the setting. One of my personal favorite elements. Make sure you are in a safe place when utilizing psychedelics. I like to be somewhere I am not likely to be disturbed as well. Being in a familiar place can bring feelings of safety and comfortability, which in turn can help people to relax, go with the flow and truly enjoy the journey. Decide if you prefer to be indoors or outdoors. Some people feel best inside, like in a cocoon. Others prefer to be outside, connecting with nature. Do what is best for you. If you do decide to be outside, be somewhere you can be loud and free and won’t be disturbing neighbors (there is almost nothing worse than the police coming to see what’s going on while you are on mushrooms).
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Make sure you are with people you know and trust. Sometimes, we take these journeys with new friends, which is great, but just know that every time you journey with people you don’t know, you are taking the chance of those people interfering with the energy of your trip. I, personally, am very protective of my energetic space when I sit with plants or medicine, so I am very picky and aware of who and what I allow around me during these times.
Know what your intentions are
No, I am not talking about just setting an intention. It’s been my experience that the medicine takes you where you are supposed to go, not necessarily where you want to go. Know what you are looking for, what you hope to get from the experience. Communicate with the people you are with to ensure you are all on the same page. If you are doing therapeutic work, do the assessment work with a professional beforehand and definitely do the integration work post.
Psychedelics are not appropriate or good for everyone
As much as some folks love psychedelics and have found great benefit from them, psychedelics are not appropriate for everyone. They are not a cure-all. They can be a very useful tool in helping people get “unstuck” or to see something from a different perspective, but they can also be confusing, scary and they can bring up things that a person is not ready to deal with or simply does not have the capability of dealing with. Psychedelics can trigger psychotic breaks, and “bad trips” can be outright dangerous, and sometimes deadly.
Stay in your lane
Just because you have a had a few good trips, or hundreds of them, or even being a Shaman, does not mean you know what is best for someone else or how to help them. It also does not qualify you as a medical or mental health professional, and that is extremely important to keep in mind. NEVER tell someone to go off their medications and do not try to take someone on a journey to confront or work on traumas if you are not a trained professional in trauma care and treatment. If this work was merely about the insight gained during the trip, many of us would have had life completely figured out a long time ago. When psychedelics are being used for therapeutic work, assessment and integration should be done by a licensed professional, otherwise, you really can create a great deal of harm to someone you intended to help.
Psychedelics are a wonderful tool for some. It has been my experience they are not usually the answer, but instead the bridge to more questions, new perceptions and deeper understanding of the self and your place in the world around you. Always remember, we live here; on this plane. Whatever you gain from plant medicine, psychedelics, whatever; does no good to you if you cannot integrate it here in the real world. Be safe and enjoy the journey.
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