(NewsNation) – An author who struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder credits ayahuasca for relieving his symptoms, which he said were sometimes debilitating.
“It’s definitely Ctrl+Alt+Delete for the brain,” said the author Greg Wrenn. “This (ayahuasca) creates a much more malleable and trainable brain.”
According to the National Institutes of Health“Psychedelic and dissociative drugs can temporarily alter a person’s mood, thoughts, and perceptions…people who use these substances report feeling strong emotions ranging from happiness to fear and experiencing major changes in the way they perceive reality.”
Before his ayahuasca therapy, Wrenn told NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas that he struggled to function on a daily basis.
“It was difficult for me to be in social situations,” he said. “It was difficult for me to sleep easily at night. And I really struggled with wanting to stay alive.”
Wrenn’s experience is not unique, and his logic has support in the medical field.
A 2023 study published in the journal Nature Medicine found that the psychedelic drug MDMA can reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
After treatment, 86% of the MDMA group improved on a standard PTSD assessment, compared with 69% of the placebo group. The assessment measures symptoms such as nightmares, flashbacks and insomnia.
“I ended up finding an ayahuasca center and brought my research binder with me,” Wrenn said. “I put it next to me, next to my vomit bucket in the ayahuasca hut, and it saved my life; It absolutely saved my life.”
Wrenn, however, said his ayahuasca experience didn’t feel like something out of a stoner comedy. It was intense at times.
“It was very scary because PTSD involves traumatic trauma and traumatic memories that just wash over you,” Wrenn said. “And so to heal, ayahuasca kind of creates this space in your mind where you have this kind of exposure therapy journey and you can experience these traumatic memories.”
From there, Wrenn said her brain began to process the trauma in a different way.
“The panic begins to dissipate with these traumatic memories. So you are letting go of the past, you are letting go of what you are holding on to. And it’s beautiful and sometimes very, very scary.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
