🫠 Ask a Guide Anything

Welcome to Tricycle Day. We're the psychedelics newsletter that resists the urge to label anything ‘good’ or ‘bad’... except pineapple on pizza, which is objectively great. Fight us. 😤

You know the story you hear from every podcaster who touches psychedelics? The one with the ego death, the oneness, and the tearful realization that their third-grade teacher was right about them all along?

Yeah, we’re not talking about that.

There's another type of story that doesn’t get shared as often. The one where things go sideways, and you regret the day you let Joe Rogan dictate your wellness plan.

For today’s issue, we asked our network of licensed psilocybin facilitators: Can psychedelics make things worse? How do you know if that's happening?

Here's what they had to say.

PsyCon Denver is only two weeks away.

You gotta see the speaker lineup.

There’s a dude who ran 100 miles on psychedelics, a psychiatrist weaving spirituality into mental health, several regulators behind Colorado’s natural medicine program, and a whole track on the business side of building in this space.

Our very own Niko Skievaski, CEO of Althea, is speaking, too. We may be biased, but we think he’s pretty cool.

If you do come to Denver for the show, make sure to pop by our booth and say hey. Maybe Niko will sign your t-shirt.

Psychedelics don’t introduce entirely new content so much as intensify what’s already there. Jim Hoeffler breaks it down: “Psychedelics are catalysts and amplifiers. They can catalyze change and amplify insight, trauma, emotion, meaning, confusion, and a host of other conditions.” Clayton Ickes acknowledges that this amplification can feel like an assault: “When a psychedelic experience shakes loose unprocessed emotional content, it can indeed appear like things are getting worse for a while.”

Whatever’s surfacing, though, is often pre-existing. Char McKendrick names it: “They may bring forward trauma, grief, or long-dormant memories that continue unfolding in daily life after the experience.”

Either way, the presence of challenge doesn’t necessarily make an experience harmful. Jim puts it simply: “Not all difficulty is harm.” The relevant part is what happens after.

The difference between something working and something going wrong is whether the energy is going anywhere. Kate Schroeder looks for movement: “Therapeutic discomfort is usually meaningful and metabolizable. It has movement. There's insight alongside intensity.” Friction is present, but so is direction.

We enter harm territory when that forward movement is lost. LeTa Jussila points to key indicators: “Daily functioning is impaired, sleep is disrupted for multiple nights, or they’re increasingly avoidant, fearful, or compulsively trying to figure it out.” These are signs the “nervous system can’t reliably come back to baseline.”

Mikki Vogt tracks “whether post-journey changes reflect adaptive growth (expanded flexibility, increased self-compassion, improved regulation) or maladaptive shifts (persistent dysregulation, worsening depression/anxiety, impaired functioning, heightened impulsivity, or destabilization).” And Amy Charlesworth grounds it in simpler terms: “If your life, relationships, and overall outlook on life isn't getting better from when you started,” something is off.

Things tend to get worse when there isn’t enough support to meet what surfaces. As Scott Burd puts it: “If someone is unsupported, unprepared, or navigating complex mental health conditions, that can be very challenging to work through.” Without a supportive container, intensity has nowhere to go.

That’s where having a backup plan matters. Mikki moves quickly when warning signs appear: “I respond with steadiness and warmth: increased support, tighter monitoring, and—when appropriate—a coordinated bridge to additional care such as medical providers, specialized therapists, crisis resources, or community-based supports.” Without that response, what might have been temporary distress can extend into something more persistent and serious.

These moments really can be a fork in the road, though. Michelle Harrell points out that even the success stories are non-linear: “With thoughtful integration and support, breakdown can become breakthrough.”

As human beings, we're wired to find meaning in the struggle.

Evolutionary adaptation, possibly. Tired Marvel movie trope, absolutely.

The psychedelic community is no exception… Many of us believers have a pernicious habit of reframing every challenging experience as useful, meaningful, and ultimately positive.

And hey, that’s generally a good attitude to have… until it makes it harder to ask for help.

We’re not afraid to say it. There is such a thing as a “bad trip.” But you know what’ll make it worse? Gaslighting yourself with toxic positivity.

So yes, difficult is part of the deal sometimes. But stuck is different. Take the courageous step to reach out to someone if you’re struggling. Our inbox is open.

Reply to this email to shoot your shot. If it’s a juicy one, we may select it for a future issue.

That’s all for today, Cyclists! Whenever you’re ready, here’s how we can help.

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here.

DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. The use, possession, and distribution of psychedelic drugs are illegal in most countries and may result in criminal prosecution.