Can ayahuasca, the ‘Sacred Plant’ of the Amazon, help addiction and depression?
“Observational studies have also indicated that long-term members of Brazilian ayahuasca religions have apparently recovered from depression, anxiety, and drug dependence (especially alcohol and cocaine).”
Recent preliminary, open-label studies, or non placebo-controlled trials, on patients diagnosed with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder have been promising. These studies, led by Jaime Hallak from the University of São Paulo medical school in Ribeirão Preto, where I work, and by Draulio de Araujo, from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, in Natal, showed that a single ayahuasca dose was associated with significant, fast-acting, and enduring antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects. These positive results started in the first hours after ayahuasca intake and remained significant 21 days later.
Original Article (Good Men Project):
Can Ayahuasca, the ‘Sacred Plant’ of the Amazon, Help Addiction and Depression?
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