Psychosocial Care, Harm Reduction & Integration

Based in Vienna, PsyCare is a non-profit harm reduction service that supports people who are having or have had challenging drug-related experiences.

PsyCare Austria cultivates a sensible approach to substance use and altered states of consciousness and also offers workshops on how to best support such experiences.

Vision

We create a space where individuals can easily access the support they need to navigate challenging drugs-related and/or psychological experiences - and where such experiences are viewed as opportunities for growth.

Mission

We provide support and information for people undergoing challenging drug-related psychological experiences, particularly those involving psychoactive substances. We provide education to reduce the harm associated with the use of such substances. Our timely and compassionate assistance helps reduce the number of drug-related medical interventions, hospitalizations and arrests.

Our Work

Academy

Harm Reduction

Integration

Why is PsyCare important?

Even though most psychoactive compounds are still illegal worldwide, illicit drug use has not diminished since the War on Drugs started in the 1980s. The famous ‘Just-Say-No’ [to drugs] message, propagated by Nancy Reagan, very often emphasized concern for the children and spread more fear and ignorance instead of information. Much like abstinence-based sex education, the responsibility is placed on individuals creating shame, sometimes even causing societal exclusion and most of all, this approach did not yield a decrease in drug use.

Although substance use is mostly intended for recreational purposes and certain substances (f.e. ketamine or psilocybin mushrooms) are even showing potential therapeutic usage under controlled conditions, some of these experiences can cause a person to be physically and mentally vulnerable; to experience feelings of fear, paranoia, delusion, discomfort and even psychosis; creating the potential for people to be a danger to themselves and others.

Difficult experiences arising from psychedelic substance use may require special interventions due to the mental crises and altered states of consciousness they can induce. People on a strong psychedelic “trip” can become volatile and feel a wide range of intense and heightened emotions, potentially lasting several hours. In these cases, conventional medical services may struggle to find an appropriate response. Being taken to hospital or handled by security or police whilst undergoing an intense and frightening psychedelic experience can be incredibly traumatic and increase the risk of long-term emotional and psychological harm. We work closely with medical personnel to address the needs of those in distress, while aiming to prevent sedation, hospitalization or detention. The work of PsyCare organizations worldwide has demonstrated that these individuals often only require the type of engaged, empathic care we provide, to move from a place of crisis to a calm, positive perspective.

Our volunteers are dedicated to helping people. We do not encourage the use of illegal substances, neither do we condone such behaviour - We are not here to judge, we are here to care.

In Austria, the organization Checkit! offers drug testing as well as education about substances for free.

Besides education through different types of trainings, PsyCare also focuses on the integration of psychedelic experiences and can be available on-site, during and also, after a festival, for a proper integration and psychological care of these experiences.