Prolonged adverse effects from repeated psilocybin use in an underground psychedelic therapy training program: a case report
John Perna, Justin Trop, Roman Palitsky, Zachary Bosshardt, Helen Vantine, Boadie W Dunlop, Ali John Zarrabi
BMC Psychiatry February 28, 2025 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-06303-z (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | ECT energy medicine |
| Topics | Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Adverse effect Psychotherapist Clinical psychology |
| Citations | 15 |
| Key findings | Clinicians should be aware of conflicts between psychiatric conceptualizations of prolonged adverse effects from psychedelics and frameworks in psychedelic community practices, as these affect patients' symptoms, decision making, and emotional challenges. |
Abstract
This case highlights the tensions between legal and underground psychedelic use within psychedelic therapy training programs, psychiatry and neo-shamanism, and the use of psychiatric interventions (i.e., ECT) and energy medicine to address prolonged adverse effects from psychedelics. Clinicians should be aware of these potential conflicts between psychiatric conceptualizations of PAEs and frameworks maintained in psychedelic community practices and their impacts on patients' presenting symptoms, decision making, and emotional challenges.