Traditionally, most substance abuse treatment centers avoid using medications when treating a patient’s substance use disorder (SUD). This is because the primary goal is to get the patient completely substance free. They don’t want to risk the possibility of a patient entering the facility to get help with quitting one substance only for them to become dependent upon another one.
However, some patients may be resistant to traditional treatment. This can be due to a variety of factors, including mental health disorders and past trauma that the patient is struggling with. At The Ho Tai Way, we are open to the fact that people heal in different ways. What works for one patient might not work for the next. One treatment option we utilize is psychedelic integration therapy for the purpose of healing. However, it’s essential to recognize the difference between using psychedelics for recreational use versus therapeutic use.
The Dangers of the Recreational Use of Psychedelics
The recreational use of psychedelic drugs is not only illegal but highly dangerous. Illicit use of these substances can lead to critical health problems, overdose, and psychosis. People who utilize psychedelics for recreational purposes do so for the type of “high” it gives them. This is sometimes referred to as a “trip.” It is hard to determine how a person will respond to a particular psychedelic. Some people become very distressed and paranoid. Others experience hallucinations, anxiety, depression, a warped sense of time, and depersonalization.
These side effects can be very disturbing for an individual, but there is not much a person can do to find relief until the effects of the drugs wear off. Some of the most common psychedelics that are misused include MDMA (methylenedioxy-methamphetamine), ketamine, psilocybin (a hallucinogenic derived from mushrooms), and LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide).
The Therapeutic Use of Psychedelics
At The Ho Tai Way, we believe that psychedelics can be used to help a person heal from SUD without causing them to develop another addiction. This is not only because psychedelics are primarily non-addictive substances but because of how we administer them at our facility. We use integration when administering these substances to our patients while under the guidance of a trained professional. Part of the reason we do this is to ensure that the benefits from this experience don’t quickly wear off.
Psychedelic integration therapy has been found to be helpful in treating depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidal ideations. This type of therapy can also be used to treat cocaine use disorder and alcohol use disorder.
At our facility, we start by gathering information about the patient’s background and unique situation. They will then go through the psychedelic experience. A therapist will work with the patient to help them understand their experiences as a result of their journey. From there, the therapist can better understand how to treat them moving forward. The therapeutic integration time span differs depending on a patient’s needs and unique situation.
Understanding the Use of Ketamine
Several different types of psychedelics have been researched in connection to therapeutic purposes. While several have been proven successful, the drug ketamine is the only one approved for treatment purposes here in the United States. Ketamine is still considered a relatively new form of treatment. It was initially used primarily by veterinarians as an anesthetic so an animal wouldn’t suffer during medical procedures. Ketamine was eventually tested for its ability to treat depression and had very positive results. Researchers then expanded to determine how well it worked treating other conditions.
The majority of research regarding ketamine use for treatment purposes is based upon it being infused. While researchers are still learning more about how and why this drug can effectively treat conditions that affect the brain, it is known that it is a dissociative drug. It affects the cortex part of the brain and the way messages are transmitted. With many medications, the effects wear off over a short period. However, with ketamine, the individual tends to continue to find relief for a more extended period of time.
Additional Therapeutic Techniques at The Ho Tai Way
At our facility, we are unique because we offer a wide range of non-traditional treatment methods that you might not find at other treatment centers. We believe that each patient heals in different ways and that it’s important to incorporate a variety of different approaches into our treatment. Some other therapeutic options we provide include:
- Talk therapy, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
- Art therapy
- Sandplay
- Motivational interviewing
We believe that by incorporating a variety of treatment methods, we give our patients the opportunity to heal the mind, body, and spirit.
Recent studies have determined that certain psychedelics, such as ketamine, can be beneficial in helping patients who may have been resistant to traditional forms of treatment for certain mental health disorders. At The Ho Tai Way, we utilize psychedelic integration therapy for the purpose of healing. We have found that this form of therapy can help patients struggling not only with substance use disorder but other mental health issues as well. Psychedelic integration therapy is among the many non-traditional treatment methods we utilize at our women-only facility. If you or a loved one is struggling with substance use disorder, our team at The Ho Tai Way can help. Call us at (714) 581-3974 today to learn more about our services.
