Is Ayahuasca an Option for the Treatment of Crack Cocaine Dependence?
Joselaine Ida Da Cruz, Solange Aparecida Nappo
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs April 2, 2018 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2018.1447174 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 40 |
| Population | Crack cocaine users in Brazil |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca tea |
| Topics | Addiction Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Crack cocaine Cocaine dependence Hallucinogen |
| Citations | 35 |
| Key findings | Ayahuasca consumption in a religious context may help reduce crack cocaine use by facilitating problem-solving, trauma resolution, and providing emotional and social support. |
Abstract
The low efficacy of crack cocaine addiction treatment available in Brazil has led Brazilian users to find alternatives to reduce drug consumption or even to reach abstinence. One of them is the use of entheogenic substances, like ayahuasca, an infusion obtained from two native plant species from the Amazon. The present report aimed to understand how crack cocaine users recover from drug addiction by consuming ayahuasca tea in a religious context. This is a qualitative study with a purposeful sample of 40 crack cocaine users, based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Participants reported that ayahuasca allowed them to access a consciousness dimension which enabled them to solve problems and traumas and reduce crack cocaine consumption. The religious ceremony increased the user's spirituality and the reception from the community gave them a sense of self-esteem, strengthening them in an emotional and social way. That positive experience has been incorporated into the daily routine of most participants. Findings indicate that ayahuasca, in a religious context, may have therapeutic value for crack cocaine dependence treatment.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on ayahuasca for addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Therapeutic Effects of Ritual Ayahuasca Use in the Treatment of Substance Dependence—Qualitative Results Therapists, expert researchers, and individuals who underwent ayahuasca-assisted... | 2014 | Qualitative study | n = 29 |
| Exploring ayahuasca‐assisted therapy for addiction: A qualitative analysis of preliminary findings among an Indigenous community in Canada Indigenous adults in Canada who participated in ayahuasca-assisted ceremonial retreats | 2019 | Qualitative study | n = 11 |
| A phenomenological analysis of the subjective experience elicited by ibogaine in the context of a drug dependence treatment Patients with substance-related disorders | 2017 | Qualitative study | n = 22 |
| Traditional Use of Banisteriopsis caapi Alone and Its Application in a Context of Drug Addiction Therapy. Patients with substance use disorders at Takiwasi therapeutic community | 2021 | Qualitative study with clinical data analysis | n = 359 |
| Therapeutic Potential Ascribed to Ayahuasca by Users in the Czech Republic Users and facilitators of ayahuasca rituals in the Czech Republic | 2018 | Qualitative study | n = 46 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 29
- Exploring ayahuasca‐assisted therapy for addiction: A qualitative analysis of preliminary findings among an Indigenous community in Canada Drug and Alcohol Review September 5, 2019
- Short-Term Treatment Effects of a Substance Use Disorder Therapy Involving Traditional Amazonian Medicine. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2019
- Classic and non‐classic psychedelics for substance use disorder: A review of their historic, past and current research Addiction Neuroscience June 22, 2022
- Ayahuasca's therapeutic potential: What we know - and what not. European Neuropsychopharmacology 2023
- Stability Evaluation of DMT and Harmala Alkaloids in Ayahuasca Tea Samples Molecules April 29, 2020
and 24 more in the library
Cites 22
- The Psychedelic State Induced by Ayahuasca Modulates the Activity and Connectivity of the Default Mode Network PLoS One February 18, 2015
- Human Psychopharmacology of Hoasca, A Plant Hallucinogen Used in Ritual Context in Brazil The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease February 1, 1996
- Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Current Drug Abuse Reviews June 1, 2013
- Personality, Psychopathology, Life Attitudes and Neuropsychological Performance among Ritual Users of Ayahuasca: A Longitudinal Study PLoS One August 8, 2012
- Peak experiences and the afterglow phenomenon: When and how do therapeutic effects of hallucinogens depend on psychedelic experiences? Journal of Psychopharmacology February 9, 2015
and 17 more in the library