Why are psychedelics used against addictions?
Using psychedelics against addictions can feel counterintuitive since psychedelics such as magic mushrooms are viewed as drugs. However, psychedelics such as mushrooms and magic truffles are not physically addictive, on the contrary. With long-term use of psychedelics, a tolerance develops so that using more has no effect. The general effect of psychedelic use is that it can cause a feeling of satisfaction. It is satisfaction that ensures that there is no urge for more and more of an addictive substance or action.
The ego wants more and more
The ego is a mechanism of the brain to protect the individual, survive and reproduce. It creates a separation between the individual and the rest of the universe. Sometimes the ego is stimulated to such an extent that the ego becomes too strong. Personal interests must then continue to be nourished. The neurotransmitter dopamine plays a major role in this as you can see dopamine as a “personal feel-good” hormone. It gives a temporary good feeling, followed by emptiness. However, the pursuit of personal satisfaction will cause separation and loneliness, while loneliness is a trigger for addictions. Loneliness can create a bond with the addiction. Naturally, our society and capitalism play a major role in forming individualism by responding to prestige-enhancing ideas.
The addictions that increase dopamine
We give a few examples of addictions in which dopamine and/or loneliness play a major role.
- Alcoholism
- Drug addiction (Cocaine, heroin, MDMA, etc.)
- Food addiction
- Gaming addiction
- Gambling addiction
- Porn addiction
- Smoking addiction
- Social media
A treatment in combination with psychedelics
Here at trip therapy we use healthy psychedelics, nutrition, supplements, exercise and other things to treat addictions. The combination of the different parts ensures the best result. A large part of our services is the psychedelic session. We use psychedelics against addictions because psychedelics such as magic truffles in higher doses can put the ego on the back burner. This restores the connection with the environment, increases satisfaction and reduces the need for addictive behavior. It is, as it were, a kickstart to change behavior. The greatest strength is being able to respond to impulses of addictive behavior with healthy choices. In addition to these characteristics, insights that arise during a psychedelic session can provide additional support for change.
Watch the following TEDx talk to learn more about how dopamine is involved in addictive behavior.
The dopamine detox
We often use the dopamine detox for addiction problems. This is a period of several days prior to the psychedelic session during which behavior that can support addictions is avoided. We do this to achieve a correct neurotransmitter balance before the psychedelic session and to reduce the dependence on dopamine.
Read more about the here dopamine detox