While drug abuse in general produces detrimental effects in one form or another regardless of the drug type, hallucinogens tend to draw a different crowd of people than opiate and stimulant-based drugs. Hallucinogens produce unusual effects sending users on “trips” into different states of awareness, whereas opiates and stimulants produce specific effects that work to depress or stimulate a person’s experience of everyday reality.

Unlike traditional rehab treatment approaches, holistic rehab programs take a “whole person” approach to helping a person overcome the need to use drugs. While the likelihood of developing an addiction to hallucinogens runs considerably lower than with opiate and stimulant abuse, chronic hallucinogen abuse can still cause serious problems in a person’s life over time. Holistic rehab treatment offers an alternative approach to dealing with drug abuse that aptly addresses the hallucinogen user’s need to escape from the pressures of daily life.

The Hallucinogen “High”

Hypnotherapy is one commonly used approach in holistic rehab treatment.

Hallucinogens come in a variety of forms, some natural and some synthetic. Commonly used hallucinogen drugs include:

• Mescaline
• LSD
• Psilocin
• PCP

Each drug within this class produces hallucinations though different drugs may give rise to different types of effects in terms of how the actual hallucinatory experience plays out. Some drugs may induce dream-like states that seem real while others distort a person’s sense of his or her body.

According to Bryn Mawr College, most all hallucinogens distort reality in one way or another, which ultimately becomes the overall goal when using these drugs. These effects develop out of how these drugs essentially reroute neurotransmitter processes in the brain.

Considering the drastic effects hallucinogens have on a person’s state of mind, hallucinogen abuse practices can eventually impair bran chemical functions over time. Helping a person find healthy ways of coping with everyday reality without the need for drugs becomes the overall purpose of holistic rehab treatment.

The Holistic Rehab Treatment Approach

The holistic rehab approach views addiction as the result of inherent imbalances within a person’s life. Whereas traditional rehab approaches only treat the physical and psychological effects of hallucinogen abuse, holistic rehab programs include the spiritual aspect of the individual as an essential component within the treatment process.

In turn, the goal of holistic rehab treatment works to restore a natural balance within the life of the individual based on his or her individual treatment needs. Interventions commonly used to accomplish this end include:

• Meditation practices
• Yoga
• Nutrition-based interventions
• Acupuncture
• Hypnosis
• Massage

More often than, the effects of stress in daily life predispose a person to drug abuse as means for finding reprieve. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, stress levels have a considerable bearing on the likelihood a person will engage in drug abuse. More than a few of the interventions used in holistic rehab treatment work to address the effects of stress in daily life while equipping a person with the tools needed to continue these practices once treatment ends.

Where to Find Help for the Effects of Hallucinogens

Treatment Considerations

As the hallucinogen user tends to seek out a different kind of drug experience than the average user, it’s important to find the type of treatment approach that best matches his or her needs and preferences. While hallucinogen abuse may not pose the degree of danger and risk that opiates and stimulants do, it can nonetheless impair your ability to manage daily life over time.

If you or someone you know struggles with hallucinogen abuse and have more questions about holistic rehab treatment approaches, please feel free to call our toll-free helpline at 800-411-9312 (Who Answers?) for more information. Our phone counselors can also help you locate holistic rehab programs in your area.