Self-treatment of depression and complex post-traumatic stress disorder with psilocybin and LSD—A retrospective case study
March 10, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/wupvy (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | Young man with early-onset complex trauma, anxiety, and depression |
| Intervention | psilocybin |
| Duration | 11 years (age 19 to 30), with semi-structured retrospective interviews 2.5 years apart |
| Topics | Anxiety Psilocybin Depression LSD PTSD |
| Keywords | Feeling Psychotherapist Depression economics Hopefulness Clinical psychology Hallucinogen |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | A man with chronic treatment-resistant depression and an unsupportive social environment used gradual, declining doses of psilocybin to resolve early trauma by consciously reliving events while focusing on somatic sensations. |
Abstract
In medicine, psychedelics were initially considered as a tool for clinicians to understand psychotic states. Based on the presented case data, a reversal of that concept is proposed: psychedelics could be conceptualized as a tool for people chronically anxious and depressed since early childhood to understand ordinary states of mind (e.g. calmness, hopefulness, relaxation, and joy). The case concerns a young man who suffered from early-onset complex trauma due to daily abuse by his comprehensive school teacher and other pupils, resulting in severe anxiety and depression. He refused anti-depressive medication. Supportive psychotherapy failed to alleviate the situation, and interaction with psychiatric personnel subjectively experienced as rejection escalated his symptoms. At the age of 19, he resorted to unsupervised self-treatment with psilocybin. Occasional high-dose psilocybin sessions alone did not produce permanent outcomes in a constantly retraumatizing environment. After becoming unemployed at the age of 25, he dedicated himself to working with psychedelics more intensively, with gradually declining doses. The essence of his method was to relive the originally overwhelming traumatic events, maintaining a conscious focus on somatic sensations and avoiding getting overwhelmed again. In his own estimation, by the age of 30, he had resolved most of his early trauma but had been sensitized to the prevalence of trauma and its consequences (e.g. violence, racism) in the society, and his exposure to these continued to cause him suffering. Regardless, he had gained 'a foundational feeling of peace or stability that could provide safety in the middle of all this'. The information for this case study was acquired in the course of semi-structured retrospective interviews 2.5 years apart. The case illustrates that chronic treatment-resistant depression together with an unsupportive social environment may present a challenge for psychedelic therapy. As with ketamine, chronic administration may be necessary in some cases.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combining Cognitive-Behavioral Conjoint Therapy for PTSD with 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA): A Case Example. One couple with PTSD and a severe trauma history, participating in a pilot trial... | 2019 | Case study | n = 2 |
| Effects of intranasal (S)-ketamine on Veterans with co-morbid treatment-resistant depression and PTSD: A retrospective case series Veterans with co-morbid depression and PTSD | 2022 | Retrospective case series | n = 35 |
| Repeated oral esketamine in patients with treatment resistant depression and comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder Patients with treatment-resistant depression and comorbid PTSD | 2023 | Case series | n = 5 |
| Treatment of nightmares in the context of posttraumatic stress disorder A client with chronic, severe posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 2010 | Case study | n = 1 |
| 5-MeO-DMT for post-traumatic stress disorder: a real-world longitudinal case study 23-year-old female with chronic refractory PTSD | 2023 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Psycholytic dosing or 'microdosing' of Amanita muscaria (red fly agaric) mushrooms—A retrospective case study PsyArXiv November 7, 2023
- 5-MeO-DMT in the complete resolution of the consequences of chronic, severe sexual abuse in early childhood—a retrospective case study June 7, 2024
- Ketamine in severe, highly treatment-resistant depression—a retrospective case study and a perspective June 7, 2024
Cites 23
- The Brain's Default Mode Network Annual Review of Neuroscience May 4, 2015
- MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study. Nature Medicine June 1, 2021
- Quality of Acute Psychedelic Experience Predicts Therapeutic Efficacy of Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Frontiers in Pharmacology January 17, 2018
- Psychedelics as anti-inflammatory agents International Review of Psychiatry July 4, 2018
- Harm potential of magic mushroom use: a review. Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP April 1, 2011
and 18 more in the library