DMT Addiction, Abuse, and Treatment

DMT stands for N-dimethyltryptamine, a chemical that occurs naturally in the brain and plants indigenous to South and Central America. DMT is a hallucinogenic drug that takes the form of white crystalline powder. It is typically smoked in a pipe or brewed into drinks such as ayahuasca and yagé to experience its effects. DMT users may also sometimes inject the drug, although this practice is less common.

Also referred to as Fantasia or Dimitri on the streets, DMT is one of the less-commonly used drugs in the US and around the world. DMT is considered as one of the strongest psychedelic drugs available. The drug was used in religious practices and rituals in certain cultures many years ago. Due to its potency, DMT was categorized as a Schedule I Substance under the Controlled Substance Act in 1971.

DMT triggers the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that generates feelings of joy or happiness. DMT users experience euphoria, hallucinations, and altered perceptions of reality that they often characterize as life-changing.

When smoked, a DMT trip can occur instantly and last less than an hour. Users who drink DMT as a brew often experience hallucinations thirty minutes after consumption. These effects generally last for four to six hours, while some report of mild lingering effects that last for several days.

Some of the physical side-effects of DMT are:

• Dizziness
• Heightened body temperature
• Loss of muscle control
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pain or tightness in the chest
• Increased heart rate and hypertension
• Headache
• Rapid eye movement and dilated pupils

Although many users advocate the benefits of DMT, the drug is, in fact, unsafe. DMT can cause significant harm to a person’s physical health and mental wellbeing. Since DMT triggers high levels of serotonin production, it can also send the body into a serotonin overdose that may provoke seizures, obstruct breathing, and induce a coma.

While some DMT users have encountered positive psychological experiences with the drug, others have experienced terrifying and confusing hallucinations. In fact, the psychological effects of DMT can be traumatizing, particularly for individuals with mental illness such as schizophrenia.

Unlike most hallucinogens, there is little evidence to prove that DMT causes tolerance or physical withdrawal symptoms. Therefore researchers do not believe DMT to be addictive. Research has also not yet uncovered evidence to indicate that prolonged consumption of DMT can significantly modify or damage a user’s brain. However, repeated DMT use to escape reality can result in psychological dependence.

Some DMT users consider the drug as a source of therapy and often consume it as a form of self-medication. When DMT is consumed in this manner, the users increase their chances of forming a dependence on the drug. The studies currently available on DMT dependence suggest that users experience psychological distress once dependence is formed.

Some of the behaviors that indicate DMT dependence are:

• Experiencing anxiety and depression if they are unable to use the drug
• Behavioral and personality changes
• Unexplained absence

DMT has been regarded as a Schedule I controlled substance since 1971. The US government considers DMT as a drug with no legitimate medical purpose and imposed heavy fines and jail time for the possession, manufacture, and sale of the drug. However, DMT is a significant part of several indigenous cultures in South America. Therefore, in 2006, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government cannot prevent the use of DMT in religious and cultural rituals. Nevertheless, DMT remains illegal in most parts of America.