How Psychedelics can help with PTSD?

There should be no argument that the brain is the most important organ in the body. It’s so important that it's protected by a 6 to a 7-millimeter thick, concave sheet of bone layered around it. It is responsible for all the communication between organs and for regulating the overall function of the body. If the brain is off, so is every other organ. It is appropriate to suggest that brain health is at the top of everyone’s wellness lists! Good foods (like leafy greens, fatty acids, antioxidants, and B-vitamins) along with a lifestyle that caters to one’s specific health needs, can help maintain brain health and balance.

There are instances where the brain health of an individual is interrupted bluntly, sometimes violently by trauma, which causes an imbalance of communication between the brain and the duties that it carries out. Functions such as blood pressure regulation, memory, and emotional expression are negatively impacted. Brains that are affected traumatically require careful, calculated attention to help them heal, so that the lives of the people can flow with fewer interruptions.

While there are a variety of pharmaceutical options for coping with the symptoms of trauma, alternative treatment methods such as psychedelic therapy have been making headway (pun intended) in the scientific world! The purpose of such therapy reaches far beyond the maintenance of psychiatric disorders, to heal the interruptions the brain has had to endure.

The evidence for psychedelic therapy is greater than the evidence against it; all of which is that psychedelics are schedule 1 substances in the United States and that if not regulated someone could have a bad trip (although this is near impossible because if you’re following this series of psychedelic coverage throughout the magazine, then you know that last month’s issue gave great tips on how to NOT have a bad trip. I digress).

This is not meant to demonize medications, but to open up a dialogue for additional effective options. It's time to change the topic from PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, to PTSD, psychedelic therapy (is) so dope!

What is PTSD and How does it affect the brain and body?

According to psychiatry.org, “Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, sexual assault or who have been threatened with death, sexual violence or serious injury.”

When an individual is exposed to trauma, the brain is affected in several ways that disrupt the flow of the informational process and response. The limbic system, the part of the brain that governs emotional processing, social behavior, and coping mechanisms, is the part that is most notably impacted by trauma. The breakdown can be traced from experience to impact through observation of the following.

Parts of the brain affected by PTSD:

The prefrontal cortex - is the executor of the limbic system (the behavior system of the body) both physiologically and pathologically (in body function and mental health). The PFC has a direct connection to the amygdala, sending signals to that area to regulate stress response. The PFC is also responsible for rationalization.

Amygdala - associated with the processing of emotions and fear (fight or flight). The amygdala receives messages from the PFC and acts as an alarm system for the body.

Hippocampus - the information and messenger center. The hippocampus receives messages from the amygdala and is known for memory function. It is considered one of the most plastic regions of the brain due to the amount of space needed for recall and response (also called declarative memory) and information coding.

Without the correct balance of communication, hormones, and activity, individuals can exhibit signs of PTSD that include:

-flashbacks, recurring thoughts and dreams, distressing thoughts, and physical signs of stress -staying away from places or avoiding people, objects, and other reminders of traumatic events -being easily startled, stressed, angered, or irritated -suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety -difficulty with sleep, concentrating -engaging in reckless or borderline behavior -memory issues, distorted recollection, and view of self, -negative self-talk and emotions -loss of interest in social activities and hobbies -social isolation and dissociation

(National Institute of Mental Health - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

Experiences like this can do more than interrupt the brain, they can disrupt several lives at a time in the process. As more breakthroughs in psychedelic research are revealed, and people become more comfortable with changing the narrative surrounding such ideas, those persons who experience disorders like PTSD can see less interruption, less management, and more healing of the brain.

What are psychedelics?

Psychedelics, better known pharmacologically as hallucinogens, are substances that produce mindaltering effects that can permanently change perception, mood, and several other cognitive mechanisms of the brain. These changes are widely reported as positive. Psychedelics are also reported as non-habit/addictionforming, and generally safe for the body. These few reasons alone are enough to at least consider psychedelic therapy as an option for the treatment of symptoms associated with PTSD.

There are a few different types of psychedelics, some well known and used recreationally, that have helped the healing journey of some people who experience PTSD and other chronic disorders. Again, these substances are classified as schedule 1 drugs by the FDA and are generally frowned upon but have been proven to produce psychotherapeutic effects for people that consumed them intentionally.

3,4- Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is the most recently studied and published psychedelic to be released for public review, with consistent scholarly articles available as recently as 2021. Other “classical” psychedelics, naturally derived substances that contain psychedelic compounds, include psilocybin (found in magic mushrooms) and dimethyltryptamine (DMT) (naturally occurring in the bark and roots of trees located in Central and South America), and are also cited as brain healing agents in published studies.

How can psychedelics help treat PTSD?

The healing mechanism for psychedelic therapy involves the intricate connectivity and communication of the brain.

The same areas that are negatively affected by trauma, can be positively impacted by the passing of a psychedelic substance like psilocybin through the blood-brain barrier. Observations of therapy on the same areas, the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the amygdala, and the hippocampus, that are impacted in a person who experiences PTSD, produce results that tip the favor for psychedelics.

PFC - Psychedelic therapy promotes dendritic growth (cellular communication pathways between regions of the brain). This part of the brain is especially good because dendritic growth is hampered when the brain is affected by PTSD or other chronic conditions.

Amygdala - Psychedelic therapy promotes efficacious communication between the PFC and the amygdala’s ability to process the codes that come from the PFC. Thus the messages sent from the amygdala, governing appropriate fear association and response

Hippocampus - Psychedelic therapy promotes neurogenesis and volume in the hippocampus. This process, which takes an overwhelming shape during adolescence in language development and emotional intelligence, aids in the regulation of mood and memory coding in adult brains.

The promotion of neurogenesis due to psychedelic therapy is not the only positive aspect of healing a brain affected by PTSD, but it is an extremely vital one.

The successive healing of cognitive-behavioral and perceptual mechanisms in the brain is the proof! Building new pathways by which the brain communicates with itself can improve the function and quality of life for those experiencing PTSD and other chronic conditions in ways that are made better through intentional psychedelic therapy.

Psych Your Mind!

There are side effects for every option; many of the top pharmaceuticals that are pushed in the mental health industry have been reported as causing further memory issues for patients suffering from disorders like PTSD. These same patients may encounter other symptoms of PTSD exacerbated by the chemical miscalculations of traditional pharmaceutical therapies.

Psychedelic therapy has been suggested in not so subtle ways by those of us in the “alternative health community” for decades, as a more bioavailable and viable option for mental health and wellness. Even pious people of many religions have experienced their version of a higher power, surely a healing happening, through the aid of psychedelic therapy. In carefully curated environments and with responsible, intentional dosing integrated with therapies that may already be implemented, such as cognitive therapy, psychedelics have a fair place in the future of mental health and psychiatric medicine.

May the minds of many of our fellows meet less interruption and more harmony as they heal.