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Seen a handful of curious cases of psychedelic use disorders. Seems to have an interesting pattern in how it changes/hijacks peoples thinking when compared to other substances of abuse. I'll give 2 short case vignettes.
Young woman with longstanding overcontrol pattern at a high power job starts experimenting with psilocybin mushrooms. Never had other use history. Use starts expanding to daily 'microdosing' which became non micro quickly. Over the course of the next few years, loses everything. Lost high power job. Use pattern expands to other substances (Ayahuasca, Ibogaine, peyote, etc.). Many 'retreats' per year. Spiritual journeys become the most important thing in life. Starts to develop overwhelming belief that spiritually she is getting 'closer' and that boundaries between others have dissolved. By the time she sees me, she is living out of a car - no money, and all relationships besides psychedelic users is gone. No "friendships" - everyone is just a 'guide' or a 'shaman' by this point. Feels she is doing something very meaningful.
Big shot C-Suite at company gets into psilocybin. Use starts expanding yada yada, doing many, many 'retreats.' Boundaries get blurred. Doing many different psychedelics, also MDMA (which is somewhere between stimulant and psychedelic). Inappropriate sexual talk often, starts having inappropriate sexual relationships. Use is 'spiritual' and 'meaningful.' Sex and spirituality become overvalued. Planning next retreat with their marriage in the dumps due to complete disconnect from reality - the Big Shot thinking he's uncovering all these 'truths' meanwhile he's just a self-absorbed jerkoff to everyone in his life and somehow spiritually superior. He is on the outs with his job.
There seems to be an interesting pattern specific to psychedelic use compared to other use disorders. Both of these cases I gave the "severe" psychedelic use disorder to. They both get this sense that their use is "important" and "meaningful" and do not consider it problematic. Very unique compared to other substances in their form of denial gathers this 'spiritual' edge that makes them superior to other humans. Interesting how people using psychadelics tend to think they are becoming more unique and connected, yet it seems they start to all look the same - perhaps these drugs alter areas of the brain in similar ways for most people. Not sure if there is a 'spiritual' center of the brain, but given that psychedelic abuse tends to create similar-thinking people - I'm assuming there must be one.
Anyone else run into psychedelic use disorder recently?
Young woman with longstanding overcontrol pattern at a high power job starts experimenting with psilocybin mushrooms. Never had other use history. Use starts expanding to daily 'microdosing' which became non micro quickly. Over the course of the next few years, loses everything. Lost high power job. Use pattern expands to other substances (Ayahuasca, Ibogaine, peyote, etc.). Many 'retreats' per year. Spiritual journeys become the most important thing in life. Starts to develop overwhelming belief that spiritually she is getting 'closer' and that boundaries between others have dissolved. By the time she sees me, she is living out of a car - no money, and all relationships besides psychedelic users is gone. No "friendships" - everyone is just a 'guide' or a 'shaman' by this point. Feels she is doing something very meaningful.
Big shot C-Suite at company gets into psilocybin. Use starts expanding yada yada, doing many, many 'retreats.' Boundaries get blurred. Doing many different psychedelics, also MDMA (which is somewhere between stimulant and psychedelic). Inappropriate sexual talk often, starts having inappropriate sexual relationships. Use is 'spiritual' and 'meaningful.' Sex and spirituality become overvalued. Planning next retreat with their marriage in the dumps due to complete disconnect from reality - the Big Shot thinking he's uncovering all these 'truths' meanwhile he's just a self-absorbed jerkoff to everyone in his life and somehow spiritually superior. He is on the outs with his job.
There seems to be an interesting pattern specific to psychedelic use compared to other use disorders. Both of these cases I gave the "severe" psychedelic use disorder to. They both get this sense that their use is "important" and "meaningful" and do not consider it problematic. Very unique compared to other substances in their form of denial gathers this 'spiritual' edge that makes them superior to other humans. Interesting how people using psychadelics tend to think they are becoming more unique and connected, yet it seems they start to all look the same - perhaps these drugs alter areas of the brain in similar ways for most people. Not sure if there is a 'spiritual' center of the brain, but given that psychedelic abuse tends to create similar-thinking people - I'm assuming there must be one.
Anyone else run into psychedelic use disorder recently?