Ayahuasca Addiction Treatment
About Ayahuasca
Ayahuasca, a powerful hallucinogenic brew, has gained significant popularity in the United States over the past decade. Known also as caapi or yagé, it has been used for centuries by indigenous shamans in South America. While its potent effects on the mind have led some researchers to explore its potential as a treatment for mental health issues, no large-scale studies have confirmed its effectiveness or safety. The question remains: is ayahuasca truly beneficial, or does it pose significant risks?
The dangers of ayahuasca are undeniable. When combined with other drugs, it can be fatal. Its side effects may include extreme fear, anxiety, paranoia, and vivid hallucinations. In some cases, users experience depersonalization, a sense of disconnection from reality, or even psychosis. These risks raise concerns about its unregulated use, especially outside of traditional settings.
Ayahuasca is a brew derived from two plants: Banisteriopsis caapi (B. caapi) and Psychotria viridis, a shrub known as chacruna. The leaves of chacruna contain dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a powerful psychedelic compound. Under normal circumstances, DMT is quickly broken down by monoamine oxidase enzymes in the digestive system, preventing any psychoactive effects. However, B. caapi contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) that allow DMT to reach the brain, resulting in an intense hallucinogenic experience.
For indigenous cultures in South America, ayahuasca is much more than just a drug. It is a sacred tool used for healing and spiritual enlightenment. Shamans lead ceremonies in which participants consume the brew to gain insight, treat physical and mental ailments, and communicate with spirits or ancestors. Recognizing its cultural significance, the Peruvian government formally declared ayahuasca a fundamental part of Amazonian identity in 2008.
The study of ayahuasca by Western scientists dates back to the work of Harvard biologist Richard Evans Schultes, who pioneered the field of ethnobotany. Schultes co-authored Plants of the Gods with Albert Hofmann, the Swiss scientist best known for discovering LSD. Their work contributed to growing interest in ayahuasca, which has since led to a surge in “ayahuasca tourism.” Many Westerners now travel to South America in search of spiritual awakening or psychological healing through traditional ayahuasca ceremonies.
These ceremonies are often part of organized ayahuasca retreats, which range from one-day sessions to immersive multi-day experiences. Travelers seek guidance from indigenous shamans, hoping to experience deep personal transformation. However, not all so-called shamans are experienced healers. Some may simply have access to the drug without the necessary knowledge to safely conduct ceremonies. Without proper preparation and supervision, the potency and effects of ayahuasca can become unpredictable and even dangerous for participants.
Despite its long-standing traditional use, ayahuasca remains a controversial substance. Its potential therapeutic benefits continue to be debated, and its risks should not be underestimated. While some view it as a gateway to profound self-discovery, others warn of the psychological and physical dangers it presents.
Is Ayahuasca Legal?
DMT, the main psychoactive drug in ayahuasca, has been illegal since it was listed in the 1970 Controlled Substances Act.
However, in 2006, the Supreme Court ruled that consuming ayahuasca tea is legal when used for religious purposes. Centro Espírita Beneficente União do Vegetal, commonly known as UDV, was the first religious organization to receive the right to use it in this country. UDV is a group based in New Mexico with Brazilian roots.
Subsequently, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit sanctioned the use of ayahuasca by Santo Daime, another religious organization founded in Brazil.
Side Effects of Ayahuasca
Ayahuasca is reported to be extremely bitter tasting and gives users an intense period of hallucinations or self-reflection, such as re-experiencing childhood memories. As with other strong psychoactive drugs, the effects of ayahuasca last for an average of four hours and even upwards of ten hours. Ayahuasca creates both physical and psychiatric symptoms, including the following:
Psychological Side Effects of Ayahuasca
- Depersonalization—feeling detached from one’s thoughts and feelings
- Altered sense of time and space, including body image and proprioception
- Visual and auditory hallucinations
- Out-of-body experiences
- Perception of bright intensified color
- A sense of losing control
- Disorientation or confusion
- Feelings of euphoria
- On the other hand—negative emotions, such as fear, anxiety, grief, anger, or agitation
- Fear of going insane or dying
- Violent or unpleasant imagery or sounds
- Reliving painful memories or traumas
- Perceived insights or epiphanies are often believed to have come from divine or otherworldly beings.
Physical Side Effects of Ayahuasca
- Nausea and repetitive vomiting (typically when taken orally in ayahuasca)
- Increased heart rate and blood pressure
- Seizures
- Tremors
- Dilated pupils
- Nystagmus—the involuntary rapid, rhythmic movement of the eye
- Dizziness
- Ataxia—lack of coordination
- Respiratory arrest
- Coma
Is Ayahuasca Dangerous?
Teen ayahuasca use may potentially be more dangerous than adult use because ayahuasca activates changes the brain and central nervous system, and the adolescent brain is not fully developed. Scientists theorize that ayahuasca may increase activity in various areas of the right hemisphere of the brain. These areas involve body awareness, emotions, feelings, and processing of emotional information.
As a result, it is dangerous to take ayahuasca while also taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, a common category of antidepressants. This combination produces enormous amounts of serotonin. This serotonin “overdose” in the brain creates a condition called serotonin syndrome. The syndrome starts with shivering, diarrhea, hyperthermia, and palpitations. Subsequently, it can progress to muscular rigidity, convulsions, and even death.
Ayahuasca Dangers: The Risk of Psychosis
Over time, consuming ayahuasca as a teen or adult can result in psychosis, frequent flashbacks, and hallucinations. These symptoms may occur for months or even years after using the drug. This condition is known as persistent psychosis. And it is more common in individuals with a history of mental illness. However, it can happen to anyone, even after a single exposure to a hallucinogenic drug.
Symptoms of persistent psychosis include the following:
- Mood disorders
- Disorganized thinking
- Ongoing, persistent paranoia
- Visual disturbances
Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder
Hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder (HPPD) is another mental health problem associated with the frequent use of hallucinogenic drugs. And it is also more common among people with existing mental health conditions. Symptoms of HPPD include:
- Hallucinations
- Other visual disturbances, such as seeing halos or trails attached to moving objects
- Symptoms that resemble neurological disorders, such as stroke or brain tumor
DMT vs. Ayahuasca
- The main difference between DMT and ayahuasca is that DMT (the active ingredient in ayahuasca) can be synthesized outside the ayahuasca plant. DMT is the main psychoactive drug in ayahuasca. DMT can also be produced in a laboratory as a white crystalline powder. Subsequently, users snort the powder, smoke it in a pipe, or inject it.
- Moreover, ayahuasca results in much longer trips than the synthetic form of DMT. It creates several physical effects, such as nausea and vomiting, that users do not often experience when smoking synthetic DMT.
Treatment for the Long-Term Side Effects of Ayahuasca
- Thus far, researchers have not found evidence that the DMT in ayahuasca causes physical dependence or addiction. Moreover, users typically do not develop a tolerance for the drug, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
- However, the long-term effects of an ayahuasca journey can be deeply disturbing. Therefore, users may require therapy to address the fear, confusion, and disorientation associated with visual disturbances or other consequences.
- In conclusion, many unknowns exist about ayahuasca’s effects. But the discomfort and dangers of the physical symptoms are clear. Furthermore, experts do know that hallucinogens can have a long-term negative impact on the body and brain.
Treatment for Substance Abuse at Clearview
Teen DMT use and teen ayahuasca use are at fairly low levels. However, today’s teens are at high risk of developing drug and alcohol dependence, including problems with other psychedelic drugs. These include hallucinogens, such as LSD or psilocybin mushrooms; cannabis, now legal in many states; and cocaine and other party drugs.
At Clearview Horizon Girls Academy, we treat teen substance abuse as a symptom of underlying mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, or trauma. We view substance misuse as an unhealthy coping mechanism or self-medication for emotional distress.
Since 1996, young girls have come to Clearview Horizon to flourish, think positively about themselves, improve their relationships, and move on to a better future.
Girl students at Clearview live together in our beautiful lodge and meet regularly with their therapists. Their therapists help them confront fears and gain confidence in a safe, nurturing, and structured environment in the foothills and mountains of northwestern Montana.
We enroll girls year-round. Please call us for more information on how we can help your daughter improve her future at Clearview Horizon Girls Academy.
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