Alcohol has an intense impact on the physical and mental wellbeing of a person. It interferes with the chemical reactions between brain cells, which causes intoxication, poor memory, impulsive behavior, and slurred speech. Too much indulgence in alcohol can make a person dependent and addicted to it, signifying alcohol use disorder or alcoholism. People with alcoholism will continue drinking alcohol even after it starts affecting their job, relationships, and everyday activities. They might be aware of the destruction caused by alcohol in their lives, but they cannot stop drinking. Eventually, the pleasurable feelings experienced by drinking alcohol fades away and people with alcoholism drink to prevent withdrawal symptoms. It leads to severe signs of anxiety, depression, and causes suicidal thoughts. There are several intrinsic and extrinsic treatment methods available these days to counter alcoholism ranging from natural substitutes of alcohol, medicines, community groups, rehabs, to psychological therapies. In this article, we are going to talk about two natural supplements that can help fight alcohol use disorder: CBD and Psilocybin. But first things first, what are these? Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurring cannabinoid present in cannabis buds. It possesses a wide range of traits like antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, and antiepileptic. Psilocybin is an active component found in magic mushrooms canada. It is known for its therapeutic benefits and is classified as a psychedelic. Psilocybin interacts with the serotonin receptors causing the brain to switch off and induce self-reflective thoughts and memory.
The impact of CBD and Psilocybin on the body:
Our body has an endocannabinoid system (ECS) that plays an essential role in regulating mood, memory, hunger, and pain sensation. Another vital function of ECS is its role in regulating neurobiological processes like alcoholism and the motivational effects of substances. The impact of marijuana and magic mushroom is very different from that of alcohol. The drinking of alcohol can cause an intoxicating effect on the brain and can also damage the liver. In contrast, marijuana and psilocybe cubensis can have positive impacts on the brain, like alleviating anxiety and depression when consumed right. Studies prove that using psychedelic substances might help reduce the consumption of alcohol in people with an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Let's see how CBD and Psilocybin mushrooms can help fight Alcohol Use Disorder.
How does CBD fight AUD?
CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid receptors present throughout the brain and the body to regulate the pain and inflammation. As per a 2018 abstract, prolonged usage of CBD reduced cocaine use and reduced adverse withdrawal effects. The report also stated that CBD has therapeutic impacts on improving psychological symptoms and cognitive skills. The antioxidative properties of CBD help improve the immune system functionality and repair the damage caused by AUD like anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Another study conducted by researchers by administering CBD on ethanol-preferring mice reported that CBD caused a reduction in reinforcing properties and ethanol relapse. Then researchers increased the CBD dosage, which progressively decreased ethanol preference and intake. It also reduced the motivation to drink ethanol. Animal studies also show CBD's positive impact on liver diseases like fibrosis caused by regular alcohol consumption. CBD's immunomodulatory and lipic metabolization qualities prevent the surge of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), protecting the liver from any alcohol damage. Thus, CBD has excellent healing qualities that might help decrease alcohol relapse by alleviating stress and anxiety. It can also help protect the liver from the damage caused by alcoholism by overcoming oxidative stress and lipid buildup.
How psilocybin fights AUD:
A Journal reveals that psilocybin can be useful in reducing alcohol misuse. A higher dose of psilocybin produces mystical-type effects and heightens the personal experience, leading to lower alcohol consumption, and associated anxiety. Feedback from people taking psilocybin reported that it induced a "mystical experience" that made them feel good. Psilocybin helped them address the underlying mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. Most people drink alcohol occasionally as it is sedative and helps unwind the psychological problems. But the truth is a person can build tolerance towards the winding down effects of alcohol, which makes coping with anxiety and stress difficult. Participants said that they showed increased appreciation and connectedness to the world after taking psilocybin. Scientists took a survey of 343 people who said hallucinogenic substances helped fight their alcoholism. Most people were suffering from alcoholism for more than seven years, and almost 80 percent reported they are no longer suffering from AUD. Nearly 35 percent of these people said taking a higher dose of psilocybin helped reduce alcohol consumption. It clearly shows that psilocybin can cause a notable advancement in abstinence post-psilocybin administration. Researchers took another experiment on ten participants with alcohol dependence to see the effect of psilocybin. Researchers analyzed the participants and eliminated those who had a psychiatric disorder or opioid addiction. They then administered a small dose(0.3 mg/kg) of psilocybin for the first session and 0.4 mg/kg in the second session. Before this experiment, there was no clear evidence of the dosage of psilocybin for treating alcohol dependence. However, this experiment led to the conclusion that a dose range between 0.29-0.43 mg/kg of psilocybin is suitable for the initial stages of healing addiction.
The experiment showed the following results:
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Relationship to alcohol
Therapists studying the effects of psilocybin on alcoholic patients learned that the patients reported being less inclined towards drinking alcohol after taking psilocybin.
- Motivation to change
The motivation to change comprises factors associated with a person's inner desire to create positive, healthy changes in addictive behaviors. Researchers noticed that psilocybin's anti-addictive traits could enhance self-efficacy in controlling alcohol use.
- Dysphoric experiences
People overcame dysphoric experiences like emotional distress, fear, and anxiety caused by alcohol dependence after using psilocybin. It resulted in enhanced wellbeing.
Conclusion:
Thus, CBD and psilocybin can help fight alcohol use disorder. However, it is essential to note that the studies are still in their initial stages and conducted on rodents and not on humans. Understand that the risk of developing mental and physical health problems increase with regular alcohol consumption. One can start reducing the habit of drinking by having a drink-free day on weekdays and avoiding binge drinking. Visit CBD affiliate marketing