Will Hallucinogens Be the Future Of Addiction Treatment?
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Addicts are in a peculiar version of the world when they seek treatment and recovery. The neurology of addiction affects the brain so that they are unable to produce pleasure anymore- that is, without their preferred substance of choice or any other mind-altering substance. Hallucinogens are mind-altering substances that are not supposed to be addictive. People become reliant on hallucinogens when they start to prefer their altered state of reality while under the influence of hallucinogens with the reality of their life when they are not. Chemically, however, hallucinogens of different kinds take such a toll on the brain that they shouldn’t be addictive. In controlled environments, when there is guidance for the experience of the hallucinogenic “trip,” the experience can actually be enlightening, educational, and life-changing. For this reason, doctors and researchers worldwide are looking to hallucinogen and psychedelic drugs as potential treatments for a variety of mental health issues, from depression and PTSD to addiction and alcoholism.
People turn to hallucinogen drugs recreationally to provide a transcendental experience that takes them out of their reality and into another. Most hallucinogens’ experiences include a change in perspective, suddenly realizing that the world is more beautiful, that all of life is connected, and other spiritual thoughts. Hallucinogens can also take a turn for the worst in what is described as a “bad trip.” Some describe hallucinogens as opening the mind to itself. The mind is capable of tremendous positivity and love. The mind is also capable of tremendous pain, negativity, and anger. When a hallucinogen drug touches parts of the brain, hiding pain can cause trauma for the person experiencing the trip. People have entered states of psychosis and paranoia from their vicious visions while under the influence.
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Clinical trials of hallucinogen drugs to treat those addicted to other substances are not new but are gaining a new wave of urgency as the world faces a global drug crisis. Hallucinogens have the potential to break the barrier of depression and help people who cannot otherwise find pleasure in their lives experience pleasure beyond their wildest dreams. However, therein lies the problem. Unless the drugs’ experiences can translate when there are no more drugs in the system, someone taking hallucinogenic drugs might be inclined to abuse the substances. In the case of FDA approved MDMA, on the other hand, the drugs will be manufactured to a pharmaceutical-grade and purity, with only appropriate doses included.
Hallucinogen dependence can make it feel like you aren’t living in reality anymore. There is hope to come back to a normal state and be free from psychedelic drugs’ delusions. Design For Change offers life-changing treatment programs where steps are being taken to find freedom from addiction every day. For information on our treatment programs and specialized services, call us today.
