Persisting Reductions in Cannabis, Opioid, and Stimulant Misuse After Naturalistic Psychedelic Use: An Online Survey.

Albert Garcia-Romeu,Matthew W Johnson,Alan K Davis,Roland R Griffiths,Fire Erowid,Earth Erowid

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00955

Abstract

BackgroundObservational data and preliminary studies suggest serotonin 2A agonist psychedelics may hold potential in treating a variety of substance use disorders (SUDs), including opioid use disorder (OUD).AimsThe study aim was to describe and analyze self-reported cases in which naturalistic psychedelic use was followed by cessation or reduction in other substance use.MethodsAn anonymous online survey of individuals reporting cessation or reduction in cannabis, opioid, or stimulant use following psychedelic use in non-clinical settings.ResultsFour hundred forty-four respondents, mostly in the USA (67%) completed the survey. Participants reported 4.5 years of problematic substance use on average before the psychedelic experience to which they attributed a reduction in drug consumption, with 79% meeting retrospective criteria for severe SUD. Most reported taking a moderate or high dose of LSD (43%) or psilocybin-containing mushrooms (29%), followed by significant reduction in drug consumption. Before the psychedelic experience 96% met SUD criteria, whereas only 27% met SUD criteria afterward. Participants rated their psychedelic experience as highly meaningful and insightful, with 28% endorsing psychedelic-associated changes in life priorities or values as facilitating reduced substance misuse. Greater psychedelic dose, insight, mystical-type effects, and personal meaning of experiences were associated with greater reduction in drug consumption.ConclusionsWhile these cross-sectional and self-report methods cannot determine whether psychedelics caused changes in drug use, results suggest the potential that psychedelics cause reductions in problematic substance use, and support additional clinical research on psychedelic-assisted treatment for SUD.

Highlights

Substance misuse is a leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality [1, 2], and contributed to over 63,000 drug overdose deaths in the US in 2016 [3]
Study advertisements were posted on social media and on websites devoted to drug discussion, education, or research such as Erowid Center and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
The first three items of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) probe frequency of drinking, quantity of alcohol use, and frequency of heavy use, and are often used to provide an abbreviated measure of alcohol consumption called the AUDIT-Consumption or AUDIT-C [59, 60]. For this survey we administered a modified version of the DUDIT asking about frequency of drug use, quantity used, and frequency of heavy use regarding the specific drug of choice identified by the participant to provide an overall score of drug consumption we identify here as DUDIT-C

Summary

Introduction

Substance misuse is a leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality [1, 2], and contributed to over 63,000 drug overdose deaths in the US in 2016 [3]. (DSM-5; 4) criteria for a substance use disorder (SUD) regarding a drug besides alcohol or tobacco in their lifetime [5]. Recent trends have shown increased adult use of cannabis [6,7,8], opioids [9,10,11], and stimulant drugs [12, 13], and associated adverse public health outcomes [3]. Recent increases in cocaine and other stimulant use [13, 18,19,20] have contributed to a substantial number of hospitalizations [21, 22] and deaths [3]. Observational data and preliminary studies suggest serotonin 2A agonist psychedelics may hold potential in treating a variety of substance use disorders (SUDs), including opioid use disorder (OUD)

Methods

Results

Conclusion