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Psychedelics are powerful drugs that can create very intense and overwhelming experiences in teenagers. The classical psychedelics are things like LDS/Acid, Magic Mushrooms, Mescaline/Peyote, DMT, Ayahuasca, ibogaine, Molly/MDMA, very high doses of THC and a few others. There are also many newer synthetic psychedelics that are not well understood and in some cases are not even illegal to buy online. Many teenagers are curious about these drugs because the psychedelic experiences sound magical, mystical, blissful, insight producing, heart-opening or mind expanding, very fun, healing and create impressive hallucinations. Teenagers also become aware that certain psychedelics are finding a place in modern mental health treatment. It is true that there is a long history of humans using the classical psychedelics for spiritual, mystical and healing purposes, It is also true that in the wider field of mental health there is a renaissance of research and practice when it comes to psychedelics showing utility in treating certain mental health issues. This information can give teenagers the impression that the risks of experimentation with psychedelics are low. The reality is that there are very real and serious risks with the casual use of psychedelics by teenagers.

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The biggest threat that psychedelics pose in teenagers is related to a predisposition that some teenagers have to developing a psychotic disorder. Some teenagers, because of various genetic and environmental factors, are naturally at risk for developing disorders like schizophrenia or psychotic level bi-polar disorder. These teenagers can be difficult to identify but it's a safe bet to assume that if they have a family history of psychotic disorders or if they've already started to show symptoms, that puts them in a high risk category. When these high risk teenagers use psychedelics there is a substantial risk that a dormant psychotic disorder is triggered to appear earlier and more intensely than it otherwise would have been. This means that if a teenager is at risk for developing a psychotic disorder and they take a psychedelic or a high dose of THC there is a high risk that their psychotic disorder will come on sooner and more strongly because they have taken the drug. This situation takes an already serious disorder that requires treatment and makes it much worse. This is also the origin of the urban legend that you may not be able to come back from a strong psychedelic experience. ​​​

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Another threat to mental health and safety that I see when teenagers take psychedelics casually is caused by ignorance or premature knowledge about how psychedelics affect the mind. Psychedelics have a powerful ability to force people to experience emotions, memories or thoughts that they have been trying, internally, not to experience. This ability, if managed by a trained professional, has the potential to be therapeutic for people. However, if it is not managed correctly there is a risk of psychedelic trauma. Psychedelic trauma happens when people, through well intentioned ignorance, resist the psychedelic experience. In severe cases, especially with high doses, this resistance can cause a kind of psychological tearing that produces the proverbial "bad trip" that can be so nightmarish and full of existential dread that it causes trauma that can last for years. Obviously, this situation can become physically dangerous if teenagers experience it in an improper setting, like in public with people they don't know. It's the same with any powerful tool, if you don't know how to use it properly you might cause a lot more harm than good. Psychodynamic psychotherapy, especially the semi-mystical sensibilities of the great psychoanalyst Carl Jung, is well suited to the task of healing psychedelic trauma.   

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Most of the time teenage experiences with psychedelics don't become so problematic. However, the psychedelic experience can be so intense, dense and overwhelming that teenagers emerge not traumatized, but disoriented, confused or with existential anxiety. Similarly, they may emerge with what feel like deep insights or spiritual understanding and may seem at peace or unusually content. This calls for what is called psychedelic integration. Again, psychodynamic psychotherapy is well suited to this task. It involves individual sessions where there is an emphasis on discussing in depth and emotionally digesting what happened in the psychedelic experience. This helps to properly understand and contextualize the experience and reduces the risk of "chasing the dragon", where teenagers feel that all the answers to their most profound questions about themselves, spirituality and the universe are to be found deep in the psychedelic experience and so tend to return again and again in a sort of quest for the holy grail. In my professional opinion this sort of regular psychedelic questing is best avoided and the desire can be channeled into grounding spiritual practices like certain kinds of meditation and the more down to earth insightful self knowledge gained by consistent individual psychotherapy.

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When it comes to parenting it's important to know how to treat a teenager that's in the midst of an intense psychedelic experience and how to talk about the experience afterwards. Reacting appropriately in these situations can help to keep your teenager safe and reduce the risk of psychedelic trauma. Parenting sessions are usually needed for parents to understand this complex issue fully and to become equipped to handle it appropriately. 

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Below are some typical signs that your teenager has been using psychedelics or has struggled/is struggling with the overwhelming intensity of a psychedelic experience.