Dimethyltriptamine (DMT) as a potential medicine for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Dimethyltriptamine (DMT) is one of the most powerful psychedelic compounds of which we are aware.
DMT is produced by plants and animals alike and has been used traditionally as a medicine in various forms by indigenous cultures for centuries. The whole reason that DMT even causes any change in the human psyche/physiology is due to its similarity to the neurotransmitter Serotonin, both of which are bio-synthesized from the precursor tryptophan.
DMT has phenomenal potential as a medicine to be used in the treatment and healing of individuals with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to its activity with the 5HT-2A, and other, serotonergic receptor sites, with TAAR receptor sites, and with sigma-1 (σ1) receptor sites (Barker 2018).
Although we are not quite certain how together these sites produce such a powerful psychedelic, hallucinatory state, individually these sites produce their own cascade of affects on the human psychology and physiology. For example, the 5HT series of receptors are frontocortical glutamatergic involved in serotonin related glutamate release; TAAR receptor sites are involved with the biosynthesis of cyclic AMP (cAMP); σ1 receptor sites are involved with processes like neuroprotection, neurogenesis, and more ( 2018).
Through the combined efforts of these listed receptor sites and their functions, and perhaps more to be discovered in during future research, DMT is capable of producing profound states of consciousness which can be used to heal an individual from PTSD. Antonio Inserra of South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide SAHMRI with expertise in Neurology, Psychiatry, Nutritional Biochemistry hypothesized the following about DMT containing brews, Ayahuasca:
Ayahuasca, via hyperactivation of trauma and emotional memory-related centres, and via its concomitant SIGMAR1- and MAOIs- induced anti-amnesic effects, facilitates the retrieval of traumatic memories, in turn making them labile (destabilised). As Ayahuasca alkaloids enhance synaptic plasticity, increase neurogenesis and boost dopaminergic neurotransmission, and those processes are involved in memory reconsolidation and fear extinction, the fear response triggered by the memory can be reprogramed and/or extinguished. Subsequently, the memory is stored with this updated significance.
-Hypothesis: The Psychedelic Ayahuasca Heals Traumatic Memories via a Sigma 1 Receptor-Mediated Epigenetic-Mnemonic Process
In a study conducted by L.P. Cameron, et al, on the effects of DMT on behavior in rats, DMT was shown to have a significant affect on fear extinction.
Animals were fear conditioned as described previously in the absence of drug, and DMT was administered 1 h prior to cued fear extinction training . The following day, cued extinction memory was assessed in the absence of drug. Tone presentations caused the DMT treated group to freeze significantly less than the control group, indicating that DMT administered prior to extinction training resulted in a stronger extinction memory.
-Effects of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) on rat behaviors relevant to anxiety and depression
Many patients who experience PTSD lack the ability to reduce fear associated with traumatic experiences.
Fear responses can persist for hours or days after an individual experiences a PTSD trigger. With this in mind it is more than obvious that DMT is an incredible candidate for future research into the healing potential it possesses and its possibility to make significant impacts on the lives of people who suffer severely from PTSD and other severe anxieties.
Join me in today's video as I discuss all of this in depth and share my own very recent experience with experimenting on my own psyche with DMT in order to heal from traumatic events in my past.
In the video I say head nod is an indicator of a psychedelic experience in rats, but it is head twitching, not nodding.
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Cat-herder aka Chief Bigstick
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I admire your delivery, I believe that those who study the most and always for life, that is why I think that it is more than a profession, it is a way of life, it is the doctors' vocation, my enormous respect for them. Greetings and my support.
Thank you for your kind words and support. I’m working towards becoming a naturopathic doctor myself so the study of life is very important to me. Greetings, @heighung, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. 🙏
I've had a powerful 5MEO DMT experience once, apparently a synthetic version, which induced a subjective experience of hell and heaven, with a state of unconsciousness in between. It only lasted a few minutes. Quite a powerful shocking state, no hallucinations, just a subjective emotional feeling.
Can certify: you're alive! And I for one am glad you're here.
Thanks man. :)
After that building experience, can you say you'll likely use that tool again? Are there other things it could help you develop?
You’ve been visited by @porters on behalf of Natural Medicine!
It has been wonderful to watch the changes, growth and healing taking part in you over the past year, with you emerging and sharing your gifts! I'm so happy that you have found something to release you from your delusion and that let's you feel more alive for 8 years is a very long time! Interesting finding that DMT can be used for fear response extinction or reduction. Great news for those suffering from PTSD! Thanks for sharing your story and these findings!
Generally speaking, I've always kept clear of using any substances because I knew I was high risk for addiction due to severe trauma. I also LOATHE not being in control of my own body. However, I have dipped my toes into the pool a couple of times, mushrooms do nothing but pure MDMA allowed me to make a new association with sleeping.
Part of the trauma was getting attacked at night while I was asleep. Even as an adult I would wake in cold sweats, the MDMA reduced the severity so that I can sleep through most nights.
It's been a long time @alchemage! Hope everything is going fine, last time we spoke you were changing degree, even university if I'm not mistaken, how did everything go?
DMT one of the few drugs which I actually want to try (not counting with cannabis since that I already use from time to time), I've heard so many great things about DMT, I'm especially interested in the hallucinations part, I never had an hallucination before and everyone tells me that DMT psychadelic hallucinations are something mind altering. Also, some of the greatest minds of our times have tried it at least once and said that they changed their whole life's perspective because of it!
As a person with PTSD, I don't think that DMT would help. I believe that this would make me worse even though I respect the science.
MDMA used to help me with depression as well as PTSD when I was young. Now that I'm older and not into that, nor similar, environments to obtain MDMA, it isn't at my disposal (I could go downtown and find a random dealer but that sure as hell isn't on my to do list) .
Alas! I suffer alone as most don't believe that a 39yr old woman experiences and is diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress.
Thanks for the blog. 💕
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