Call Emergency Services If…
- Is unresponsive, or you can't wake them
- Is having a seizure
- Has chest pain, difficulty breathing, or a dangerously fast or irregular heartbeat
- Is severely overheating (hot dry skin, confusion, collapse), common with MDMA
- Shows signs of serotonin syndrome: agitation, muscle rigidity or twitching, high fever, racing heart
- Is a danger to themselves or others and cannot be de-escalated
Be honest with emergency responders about exactly what was taken, how much, and when. Their job is treatment, not enforcement, and knowing the substance can change what treatment is safe. Most US states and all of Canada have Good Samaritan laws that protect people who call for help during a drug-related emergency from simple possession charges.
Who to Call
Fireside Project, Psychedelic Support Line
62-FIRESIDE(623) 473-7433Free, confidential peer support by phone or text, daily 11am–11pm PT. Trained volunteers support people mid-experience and people processing past experiences. Not an emergency service.
firesideproject.org →988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
988call or text, US & Canada, 24/7Free, confidential crisis support around the clock in the United States and Canada. Outside North America, find your local line at findahelpline.com.
Poison Control (US)
1-800-222-122224/7, free, confidentialPharmacist-staffed guidance on overdoses and dangerous combinations. In Canada, call your provincial poison centre or 911.
Never Use Alone / NORS
1-800-484-3731US · Canada: 1-888-688-6677An operator stays on the line while you use and dispatches help if you become unresponsive. Primarily for overdose-risk substances.
SAMHSA National Helpline (US)
1-800-662-435724/7, free, confidentialTreatment referral and information service for individuals and families facing substance use or mental health challenges.
Find a Helpline
findahelpline.com130+ countriesA verified directory of free crisis lines worldwide. For medical emergencies anywhere in the EU dial 112; in the UK dial 999.
Supporting Someone Through a Difficult Experience
Most difficult psychedelic experiences are intense psychological states that resolve with time rather than medical emergencies, reassurance, and a safe container. If the person is physically stable, the goal is not to stop the experience but to help them move through it.
- Stay calm and stay present. Your nervous system is the intervention. Speak slowly, softly, and simply.
- Reassure without arguing. "You took a psychedelic. This is temporary. You are safe. I'm staying with you." Don't debate the content of the experience.
- Change the setting, not the person. Lower the lights, change the music or turn it off, move somewhere quieter, offer water or a blanket.
- Don't restrain or corner them. Keep pathways clear and hazards away. Physical restraint escalates panic.
- Encourage surrender, not resistance. "You don't have to fight it. Let it move through you. Breathe with me."
- Call for backup when unsure. Fireside Project supports sitters too, you can call or text 62-FIRESIDE while you sit.
For a deeper treatment of navigating challenging states, see Navigation. For guidance on sitting with someone, see Facilitation.
After a Difficult Experience
A hard experience is not evidence that something is wrong with you, and it isn't something you need to carry alone. Difficult journeys are common, in survey research, most people who report a challenging psilocybin experience also rate it among the most meaningful of their lives. But that meaning usually needs support to emerge.
- Talk to someone soon. Fireside Project offers free support for processing past psychedelic experiences, whenever they happened.
- Give it time before drawing conclusions. The days after an intense experience can be raw. Sleep, eat well, and be gentle with your schedule.
- Work with it deliberately. Our Integration page covers concrete practices for making sense of difficult material.
- Seek professional help if symptoms persist. If anxiety, dissociation, sleep disruption, or intrusive re-experiencing continue beyond a couple of weeks, see a mental health professional, ideally one familiar with psychedelic experiences.