Psychedelic Therapy for Treating Addictions
What is psychedelic therapy? To treat addiction and mental health conditions, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the psychedelic treatment uses substances and plants that might cause hallucinations. As more people start to favor more natural types of medicine over pharmaceutical medications, this type of therapy is rising in popularity. Many studies point to the possibility of using these drugs to treat addictions, suggesting that these compounds may be safe and valuable for short-term treatments in addiction therapy. Evidence indicates that psychedelics have a far higher safety profile than the most popular addictive substances, causing little to no physical dependence and having meager fatality rates. Some popular psychedelics in psychedelic therapy include Magic Mushrooms (shrooms), LSD, Mescaline (peyote), Ibogaine, and Ayahuasca.
Microdosing Magic Mushrooms, Aka Shrooms
Magic Mushrooms (aka shrooms, psilocybin mushrooms) are a popular hallucinogen used recreationally to treat addiction and mental health conditions. Shroom therapy has proven to treat alcohol and tobacco addiction/dependency. Researchers don’t fully understand how or why psilocybin functions in this way. It might “reset” the brain by changing neurotransmitter levels, give someone a mystical experience to give them a fresh outlook on life, or show someone a different way to think. According to some studies, these psychedelics also boost suggestibility, which makes a person more receptive to the ideas conveyed in therapy.
Microdosing is the practice of taking psychedelics in tiny, non-hallucinogenic dosages, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) or psilocybin-containing mushrooms, to get many of the same benefits without the psychedelic effects. Evidence suggests that taking tiny doses of psilocybin can enhance cognitive function and lessen depressive and anxiety symptoms and addictive habits. According to these findings, a large study now demonstrates that people who took psilocybin in small doses for a month had better moods and had a higher decrease in anxiety, sadness, and stress than those who did not.
LSD and Mescaline (Peyote)
LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is another psychedelic drug gaining popularity for its ability to help treat addiction. LSD is taken for therapeutic purposes under close supervision in a secure setting, such as a psychologist’s office. LSD’s ability to help people perceive the “larger picture” beyond their specific issues is associated with a weakening or “dissolution” of the ego.
Mescaline is a recreational drug that people use to experience euphoria and hallucinations and shares a similar molecular structure with other hallucinogens like LSD and psilocybin (shrooms). Some individuals have also used mescaline to complement therapy or improve meditation. Mescaline users get the substance into their bloodstream by chewing, smoking, or eating Peyote plant components. Mescaline affects the brain by raising the quantity of serotonin and dopamine bound to receptors. When present in high concentrations, these two neurotransmitters, which are also responsible for sensations of joy and elation, have psychedelic effects.
Ibogaine
Ibogaine that has undergone chemical modification has been produced since naturally occurring. Ibogaine, a substance derived from the roots of a West African bush, also exhibits remarkable promise for addiction therapy. According to small studies, it may significantly lessen drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Ibogaine is hard to acquire and seems to cure depression and addiction symptoms without causing hallucinations or other harmful side effects.
Ayahuasca
The use of ayahuasca for medical purposes is rising. So much, so that ayahuasca retreats are increasingly popular in nations where the practice originated. The Banisteriopsis caapi vine’s stalks and the Psychotria Viridis shrub’s leaves are used to make the brew or “tea” known as ayahuasca (aka “spiritual tea”). Both plants are indigenous to South America and often thrive in the Amazon rainforest. DMT, a drug under strict control, is present in ayahuasca. Ayahuasca is not a commonly used drug and is usually only accessible in nations where the plants used to make the ayahuasca brew naturally exist. This hallucinogen frequently draws people who may have tried more traditional ways of addiction therapy but relapsed. Most people who suffer would be drawn to accounts of trauma being healed, and the brain is reset in a matter of hours.’
We at Get Magic Mushrooms hope this article helps bring insight into other forms of addiction therapy that may be more effective if mainstream methods haven’t worked for you or someone you may know. We always advise doing as much research into any one of these methods first to find the right one for you.