Using Ayahuasca to Treat Drug Addiction - Essay Example

Using Ayahuasca to Treat Drug Addiction Introduction Ayahuasca finds its origins from the Amazon region where it was traditionally used in the shamanistic ceremonies and the substance is becoming commonly used to treat alcohol and other types of drug addiction (Bouso & Jordi, 2014). To produce the substance, there has to be a concoction of mixed boiled vine leaves, chaliponga and chacruna shrubs. The implication is that boiling the leaves and vines together produces a brewing effect that leaves to the production of the hallucinogenic substance DMT (Brierley & Colin, 2012). The resulting chemical can enter the blood and reach the brain and act as a barrier to psychoactive effect. Therefore, initially, scientists just had a rough knowledge about the ayahuasca since it was mainly a type of tea boiled from the Amazonian plants. In this case, the Amazonians had the belief that drinking the boiled concoction would result in physical and psychological effect and also associated with spiritual healing (Liester, Mitchell & James, 2012). However, scientists later travelled to explore more about the product and successive experiments revealed that the concoction could actually treat drug and alcohol addiction. Thus, it is imperative to find out the theory behind the use of ayahuasca in treating addiction, why and how it is being used, and side effects on the individuals. How it is being used Before digging deep to find out how ayahuasca is used to cure addiction, it is quite vital to understand how it feel like to ingest the concoction. Upon ingestion it, people feel relaxed and rejuvenated because of the induction of a visionary state where individuals become fully conscious of themselves and the surrounding (Bouso & Jordi, 2014). A few hours after taking the mixture, one starts to experience hallucinations and rapid thinking, as a result of the multi-sensory effect. At some point, people have experienced the feeling of purging, intense diarrhoea and vomiting (Brierley & Colin, 2012). However, the natives believe that the purging is the spiritual healing thus a very important part of the recovery or the healing journey. Although the substance induces feelings of ecstasy, it has been associated with feelings of hopelessness and terror because it unlocks all emotional experiences, both the positive and negative (Liester, Mitchell & James, 2012). On the other hand, the substance has not been linked to the impairment of cognition thus one is fully alert after when under its influence. To treat addiction, the concoction exposes the users to an experience of unconsciousness thus inducing the rapid feeling of repressed memories and transforming visions (Brierley & Colin, 2012). In this case, the feelings are not hallucinations but rather integration of all the five senses. The experience result as a result of physiological changes taking place in the cortex of the brain thus integrated into the ancient part of a human mind or the memory section of the brain. After synthesizing the human physical being, the individuals start to feel that thoughts and perceptions are the best ways of experiencing reality in their surroundings (Bouso & Jordi, 2014). In this case, when confronted with a problem, an individual deals with it from a new perspective because of the accelerated thinking process. Besides, the individual discovers his or herself some of the approaches or solutions to personal problems that matches needs and wants (Liester, Mitchell & James, 2012). However, it is highly advisable to work with therapists with the ayuhuasca experience of the new self-discovery. The implication is that the new insights help individuals to rediscover themselves thus important in the forward process as the individual starts to adapt to the new world he or she is returning, and this is how the substance works in curing drug addiction (Vargas-Perez, Hector & Doblin, 2013). Ayahuasca is successful in curing drug addiction because it opens to the individuals a new perspective of the world they are live in and once the feeling becomes reality, people relate the real world through the dream-like visions (Bouso & Jordi, 2014). On the other hand, the drug induces non-verbal experience because information is primarily transferred through the five senses. In this case, the substance can help individuals who experience problems with verbal communication thus aiding them to rediscover their sociability. Besides, the substance makes the life problems to become visions and images. Moreover, the visioning of the problems and life challenges are viewed from the subconscious self. The visions reduce the influence as well as power left by traumatizing memories that are buried and hidden in the unconscious state but have profound effects on the daily lives (Brierley & Colin, 2012). Ayahuasca also functions to aid an individual’s mental health. The implication is that it increases the intelligence levels and improves concentration while at the same reduces anxiety as some of the devastating effects of drug abuse and addiction. On the other hand, it helps in improving self-esteem thus useful in resolve as well as relinquishing some of the past conflicts (Liester, Mitchell & James, 2012). Besides, the experience from the substance has the potential to open people to productive psychotherapy thus useful in treating addiction. Why it is being used One of the reasons for using Ayahuasca is because it has the potential for therapeutic effect as used in traditional rituals though the effect can also be applied in treating drug and substance dependencies (Bouso & Jordi, 2014). In this case, the substance plays an important role in helping individuals to integrate with the real world. Besides, the substance produces psychedelics that are useful in unlocking unconsciousness (Vargas-Perez, Hector & Doblin, 2013). The implication is that psychological stress has been attributed to addiction from medicines to substances. However, a therapy that has been assisted by psychedelics brings the psychological dynamics to surface thus can deliberate the individuals from the negative influences (Brierley & Colin, 2012). Besides, the therapy works best if it has been delivered in the right context as well as proper support. Nonetheless, the medical society claims that the substance’s mechanism for treating addiction is the basis for its increased usage in helping former addicts to recover from prolonged drug usage. The implication is that the substance is a mixture of indigenous plants containing monoamine oxidase inhibitors that have the potential to produce some alterations in a person’s consciousness thus helping them to recover from the addiction (Liester, Mitchell & James, 2012). Therefore, ayahuasca is preferred because of the psychotherapeutic effect it leaves on the users thus bringing them back to the real world or regaining their consciousness. Risks or negative effects Though proponents of ayahuasca recommend the safety and continued use of the substance, there is substantive evidence that the substance could actually lead to addiction despite the role it is supposed to play in treating the health condition. Subsequent scientific researchers have shown that a typical dose of the concoction can cause hallucinations since it contains hallucinogens thus can be dangerous or addictive if individuals are exposed to prolonged usage (Brierley & Colin, 2012). However, the same scientific findings have not been able to substantiate that there can be dependency or abuse of the concoction. On the contrary, if used alongside other antidepressants, there can be increased risks of the adverse effects or experience. Moreover, the scientific studies show that Ayahuasca has the capability to produce some transient psychotic experiences or episodes that have been referred to as bad trips though the feelings dissipate naturally after some hours (Liester, Mitchell & James, 2012). Conversely, the same scientific studies show that chronic usage especially in social and spiritual contexts has profound psychological benefits thus qualifying the substance as a very important psychological healing mechanism. In this context, the adverse effects of ayahuasca are not as severe as those of the drugs that addiction is being treated for thus individuals can still recover from some of the mild effects. Ayahuasca is not suitable for individuals with health conditions like diabetics since it increases the physiological activities of the boy by increasing blood pressure thus may pose a threat to heart attack and other cardiovascular failures (Brierley & Colin, 2012). On the other hand, the substance becomes riskier when used alongside pharmaceutical drugs and can cause fatalities if care is not taken. Immediately after ingestion, patients are exposed to acute bouts of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea and these may pose serious challenges to physiological challenges to the body (Liester, Mitchell & James, 2012). Other users have been found to experience tremors, profuse sweating, and increased heartbeat. However, the side effects come as a result of DMT intoxication whose usage in the pure state can lead to hypertension, dilated pupils, agitation, muscle in-coordination, and dizziness (Bouso & Jordi, 2014). Despite the side effects, there no evidence linking the substance to any form of addiction. Despite the role it plays in helping drug addicts to recover from their addiction, ayahuasca just like other hallucinogens has the potential for triggering emotional states including fear, anxiety, and paranoia (Brierley & Colin, 2012). On the other hand, the substance has the potential to cause depersonalization effects on the users thus making them susceptible to emotionally disturbing memories, as well as past traumas (Bouso & Jordi, 2014). However, the adverse effects occur when ayahuasca has been administered in unsafe environments. Therefore, the emotional effect it leaves on the patients has led doctors and other medical experts to carry out researches for finding the possibility of psychiatric effects resulting from using the substance (Liester, Mitchell & James, 2012). Conclusion In summary, the fight against drug addiction has taken a twist, and the focus is now on the herbal medicine that can be used to treat drug addiction. Therefore, the focus is now on the Amazon region with the presence of medicinal plant concoctions like ayahuasca. The substance, gotten from boiling a mixture of vines and plant leaves, has the psychological effect of inducing halogens that can help drug addicts to connect with the real world. Therefore, the substance is preferred for the emotional development it leaves on the patients. On the contrary, the hallucinogenic effect substantiates the need to study the addictive perspective of ayahuasca though some cases have also been reported of users experiencing physical effects like vomiting and diarrhoea. Despite the side effects, there is no scientific evidence linking ayahuasca usage to addiction thus there is the opportunity to improve so that it can be used to treat drug and alcohol addiction. References Bouso, J. C., & Jordi, R. (2014). Ayahuasca and the treatment of drug addiction. The Therapeutic Use of Ayahuasca. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. 95-109. Brierley, D. I., & Colin, D. (2012). Developments in harmine pharmacology—Implications for ayahuasca use and drug-dependence treatment." Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology and biological psychiatry 39(2), 263-272. Liester, M. B., & James I. P. (2012). Hypotheses regarding the mechanisms of ayahuasca in the treatment of addictions. Journal of psychoactive drugs 44(3), 200-208. Vargas-Perez, Hector, & Doblin, R. (2013). "The potential of psychedelics as a preventative and auxiliary therapy for drug abuse." Current drug abuse reviews 6(1), 1-1. Read More