Evidence-based treatments for mental health conditions
The pharmaceutical industry is one of the most lucrative institutions in the world. They research and develop medications to treat everything from minor aches to chronic conditions to deadly diseases. However, these medications are predominantly synthetic creations developed through the observation of medicinal botanicals.
The use of medicinal botanicals has been found to date back to as far as 1,500 BC as recounted in the famous Egyptian Ebers Papyrus: ancient books of medical knowledge. It would take chapter after chapter to cover all of the beneficial, medicinal plants there are but here is a list of some of the most popular medicinal plants used for healing and/or spirituality across the globe.
Ayahuasca
Ayahuasca is a plant-based source of Dimethyltryptamine that has been used for thousands of years in traditional tribal rituals in South American countries like Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador. Shamans use it to create a drink made from boiling Banisteriopsis caapi vine with the leaves of the Psychotria viridis shrub.
Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy has been shown to be effective in treating addiction as well as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and researchers continue to study this plant to try to determine what other health benefits it may have.
Medical Marijuana
Most of us are familiar with cannabis since it’s become more commonly accepted in society than in the past. The majority of states in America have either decriminalized and/or completely legalized medicinal marijuana with only eight states holding it as completely illegal. It is largely due to these regulatory inconsistencies that research on the mental health benefits of marijuana has been stalled but experts are working hard to determine them.
There has already been research to prove cannabis’s benefits for chronic pain relief and certain neurological issues. There is ongoing research that shows promise when it comes to using cannabis to treat psychological pain such as with PTSD. While there has been an increase in CBD use reported among those with PTSD, depression, and anxiety, there has not been sufficient research to show how well it works as yet for these mental health issues. However, medical experts suggest doctors stay open-minded about the possibility of treating with marijuana as research continues.
Psilocybin
Found in more than 100 different species of mushrooms, psilocybin is the psychoactive component discovered in 1957, although it had been used for thousands of years in “religious, medical and divination ceremonies.” Psilocybin activates a particular type of serotonin receptor in the brain that creates 7 a psychedelic experience.
For mental health treatment, research has found small doses of psilocybin to be effective in treating conditions such as:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Alcohol dependence
- Tobacco cessation
Further research found that microdoses – those that are 1/10 of a hallucinogenic dose – helps to “promote cognitive flexibility, creativity, and single-solution problem-solving.” Psilocybin helps to change mental and thought patterns and help users form deeper understandings of themselves.
Kambo
This cleanse is becoming more popular in North America and across Europe. It is a medicine derived from the secretions of a Phyllomedusa bicolor or Giant Green Monkey Tree Frog found predominantly in the Amazon jungle. This frog has no known predators because it produces a secretion that is toxic to any would-be predators.
For people, though, shaman find and carefully harvest this secretion (no harm comes to the frog) to use as a medicine to treat many conditions. It’s administered by a practitioner in a special ceremony and is said to use your intentions to guide how it will work for you. The administration is different for men than it is for women and should only be done by an experienced practitioner. It can have negative effects for some people if administered improperly.
Spiritually and mentally, Kambo helps clear negativity and unblock the chakras.
It’s critical that any medical advice you get, comes from someone who is trained to properly monitor your state of health and who knows how to administer the medication properly. What works for some, may not work for others, but healing through some of these natural therapies can certainly be an effective choice for many.