How long does Ayahuasca last?
Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic substance. How long does ayahuasca last? It can be dependent on many different factors. Ayahuasca usually refers to a hallucinogenic tea made from brewing specific leaves and roots native to the Amazon. The plants contain the compound DMT, which holds the psychotropic properties that create the psychedelic effects.
Specific populations of people in South America traditionally use Ayahuasca in religious and spiritual ceremonies. Ancient Amazonian tribes considered the substance to be sacred. It has since gained popularity worldwide among those who seek an alternative route to open up their minds, heal from past trauma or are looking for a spiritual awakening. People travel to countries like Peru, Costa Rica, Brazil and a few places in North America to participate in Ayahuasca experiences.
Ayahuasca is an illicit substance with certain exceptions in the US for specific ethnic groups who use it for ceremonial and religious purposes. It also goes by names such as the tea, the vine, yage, daime and la purga.
Other common types of hallucinogens chemically similar to ayahuasca include LSD, mescaline, and magic mushrooms. Ayahuasca is traditionally taken during sacred ceremonies. Today, these ceremonies are run by a shaman who helps guide participants through their journey of the ayahuasca experience. These ceremonies are often part of a spiritual retreat that can consist of different rituals and prayers, even prior to the use of the drug.
How is Ayahuasca made?
Ayahuasca is made from leaves of the Psychotria viridis shrub and stalks of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine. These plants are native to the Amazon jungle. These plants and roots are combined and brewed into a tea. The tea takes hours to brew and often has a bitter taste. The substance contains a powerful hallucinogenic property.
The individual plants themselves are not illegal in the US. However, they both contain the ingredient dimethyltryptamine (DMT). DMT is a powerful psychotropic hallucinogenic substance. DMT is also considered a Schedule I controlled substance with a high potential for abuse and no known medical use.
How long does Ayahuasca last?
On average, the effects of Ayahuasca can last anywhere between 4-8 hours. After consuming the substance, users can begin to feel its effects within 20-60 minutes. This is because DMT can rapidly break down in the body due to enzymes called monoamine oxidases in the liver and the gastrointestinal tract. The effects are very dose-dependent, with peak effects at the 1-2 hour mark.
What are some of the Physical and Psychological Effects of Ayahuasca?
- Intense nausea, vomiting and diarrhea – common symptoms that most people immediately experience and believe to be an essential process to purifying the body
- Hallucinations and altered perceptions – seeing and hearing things that are not really there
- Anxiety, panic and fear
- Feelings of euphoria
- Sense of peace, joy and connection
- Connection with spirits, plants or animals
- Increased blood pressure and increased heart rate
- Increased body temperature
- Paranoia
- Dehydration
- Muscle aches
- Difficulty breathing
- Stiff or swollen joints
- Coughing and wheezing
- Fainting
- Seizures
- Memories of past trauma
- Worsening symptoms of psychiatric disorders
Much of the immediate effects of the substance are negative and physical. Effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Because you are losing so much liquid from the body, it can also lead to the dangers of dehydration. However, as the effects begin to peak, some users begin to experience feelings of euphoria, spiritual awakening, epiphanies or breakthroughs in their mental state of being.
The long-term effects of the drug are still being studied.
Is Ayahuasca addictive?
Despite being labeled as a Schedule I controlled substance, the risk of developing an addiction to ayahuasca is quite low. But this doesn’t mean that a behavioral addiction to the experience of using the drug, resulting in euphoria and a distorted sense of mental state, can’t occur. Frequent use of the substance causes hallucinations and has the potential to cause brain damage.
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Reactions to Ayahuasca
Everyone reacts to the effects of ayahuasca differently. Some people may experience euphoria, happiness and a spiritual sense of enlightenment. Other people may experience severe anxiety, panic and depression.
An estimated 56% of the global ayahuasca survey responders reported that they experienced a negative impact on their mental health in the days and weeks following the initial drug use.
Some of the most common mental health impacts from using the substance include hearing and seeing things that are not really there, feeling disconnected or alone, having nightmares, feeling anxious and nervous, and feeling depressed.
Using ayahuasca also comes with risks of indirect harm. For example, when a person uses the drug, they go into an altered state of consciousness. During this time, a person may engage in risky, violent or dangerous behaviors without even realizing it.
Are there potential benefits of taking Ayahuasca?
- Can improve psychological well-being
- Can help with certain types of mental health conditions – some evidence shows that it can treat specific mental health disorders like anxiety, depression and PTSD
- Spiritual healing – some people believe they can achieve improved new understandings and intellectual insight into life
- Mindfulness – Some people reported improved mindfulness and awareness of oneself
- Addiction treatment – in some cases, people have reported that it has helped with their substance use disorder
Ayahuasca for Substance Use Disorder
Using ayahuasca to help treat substance use disorder is a new concept that is still being studied. This is because the long-term effects of the drug are also still being studied.
In 1992, Dr. Jacque Mabit opened up the Takiwasi Center in northern Peru as a facility to treat substance use disorder with ayahuasca-assisted therapy. During the first year of the program, 57 people enrolled in the clinic and about half of them completed treatment with positive results.
Treatments included therapy, group activities and ayahuasca healing ceremonies. Patients who experienced a positive outcome reported greater ability to manage life frustrations, experienced greater self-esteem and were able to better make decisions.
There are other substance use disorder treatment programs that use ayahuasca mostly located in South America, with varying results of success or failure. Outcomes range from complete substance abstinence, reduction in substance use or even a return to substance use. Research from 2016-2020 found that some people with substance use disorders who used ayahuasca noted less substance use and decreased feelings of anxiety and depression.
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Treatment for Substance Use Disorder
Although ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic substance that has been labeled as a Schedule I controlled substance, it is not common to become addicted to the substance. Like many other types of hallucinogenic drugs, users can usually become addicted to the sensations that the drug provokes. Behavioral health treatment programs such as Hotel California by the Sea provide substance use disorder treatment for those who may be addicted to hallucinogenic drugs.
We offer treatment at all levels of care including detox, residential, PHP and IOP. We utilize evidence-based treatment methods such as CBT, DBT and EMDR therapy. Hotel California by the Sea is dedicated to helping clients reach their goals of sobriety and overcome their addiction.
References:
https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/hallucinogens/ayahuasca
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ayahuasca
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/ayahuasca
https://recovered.org/hallucinogens/ayahuasca
https://drugfree.org/drugs/what-is-ayahuasca/