Self-treatment of psychosis and complex post-traumatic stress disorder with LSD and DMT—A retrospective case study
Psychiatry Research Case Reports July 15, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.psycr.2022.100029 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | Teenager with early complex trauma and cannabis-triggered psychosis |
| Interventions | LSD DMT |
| Duration | Approximately one year |
| Topics | Cannabis DMT LSD PTSD |
| Keywords | Psychosis Antipsychotic Schizophrenia object-oriented programming Clinical psychology Medical record |
| Citations | 14 |
| Key findings | LSD and DMT did not promote psychotic symptoms in this case and appeared to resolve both suicidal condition and symptoms related to early complex trauma, while cannabis use caused a transient relapse. |
Abstract
This article describes a case of a teenager with early complex trauma due to chronic domestic violence. Cannabis use triggered auditory hallucinations, after which the teenager was diagnosed with an acute schizophrenia-like psychotic disorder. Antipsychotic medication did not fully resolve symptoms. Eventually the teenager chose to self-medicate with LSD in order to resolve a suicidal condition. The teenager carried out six unsupervised LSD sessions, followed by an extended period of almost daily use of inhaled low-dose DMT. Psychotic symptoms were mostly resolved after approximately one year. Subsequent cannabis use caused a transient relapse. While his psychosis may have been due to cannabis use in the presence of a genetic predisposition, LSD and DMT did not promote psychotic symptoms in this case, and resolved the suicidal condition in one session. Additional high-dose LSD sessions and low-dose DMT sessions appeared to resolve the symptoms related to the early complex trauma. Alternatively, if psychosis is understood as a massive defense system resulting from early complex trauma, and if his psychotic symptoms were partially due to such trauma, psychedelics appeared to transcend this defense system, providing access to traumatic memories in order to allow for an integrative treatment effect. Information was acquired from medical record excerpts provided by the patient, a semi-structured retrospective video interview, and follow-up interviews a year later. The present case suggests a need for further studies on the relationship between psychedelics and psychotic disorders, the feasibility of supervised vs unsupervised settings for various situations, and alternative therapeutic models for utilizing the hyperaware-hypersensitive state induced by psychedelics. With regard to self-treatment, a harm reduction approach should be adopted. Low-risk psycholytic self-treatment protocols could be developed for future use in public health care systems.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on DMT, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A fatal intoxication following the ingestion of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine in an ayahuasca preparation. 25-year-old white male | 2005 | Case study | n = 1 |
| A case report SPECT study and theoretical rationale for the sequential administration of ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT in the treatment of alcohol use disorder. 31-year-old male military veteran with moderate alcohol use disorder | 2018 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Acute Intoxication following Dimethyltryptamine Ingestion Patient with history of schizophrenia who ingested ayahuasca tea | 2018 | Case study | n = 1 |
| A Physician’s Attempt to Self-Medicate Bipolar Depression with N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) A physician with refractory bipolar depression | 2017 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Reply to “Ayahuasca turned on my mind’s eye”: A case of acquired versus congenital aphantasia, as evidenced with DMT use? Individual with apparent congenital aphantasia | 2018 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 13
- Therapeutic modulation of the kynurenine pathway in severe mental illness and comorbidities: A potential role for serotonergic psychedelics. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry August 30, 2024
- Self-treatment of depression and complex post-traumatic stress disorder with psilocybin and LSD—A retrospective case study March 10, 2023
- Psychedelics and schizophrenia: A mystery in history Journal of Psychedelic Studies December 2, 2023
- Self-treatment of parental neglect-induced mixed anxiety and depressive disorder with psilocybin – A retrospective case study June 9, 2023
- Psycholytic dosing or 'microdosing' of Amanita muscaria (red fly agaric) mushrooms—A retrospective case study PsyArXiv November 7, 2023
and 8 more in the library
Cites 26
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety. Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2008
- Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial Psychological Medicine June 15, 2018
- Global Street Food: la cocina de la calle Diseño interior 2009
- Efficacy and safety of psilocybin-assisted treatment for major depressive disorder: Prospective 12-month follow-up Journal of Psychopharmacology February 1, 2022
- Antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive effects of ayahuasca, psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): a systematic review of clinical trials published in the last 25 years Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology March 18, 2016
and 21 more in the library