Psychiatry Research Case Reports
July 15, 2022
Mika Turkia
14 citations
A teenager with early complex trauma from chronic domestic violence developed auditory hallucinations after using cannabis and was diagnosed with an acute schizophrenia-like psychotic disorder. Antipsychotic medication did not fully resolve symptoms. The teenager then self-medicated with LSD, carrying out six unsupervised sessions, followed by almost daily use of inhaled low-dose DMT. Psychotic symptoms mostly resolved after about one year, though subsequent cannabis use caused a transient relapse. LSD and DMT did not promote psychotic symptoms and resolved the suicidal condition in one session. High-dose LSD and low-dose DMT sessions appeared to resolve symptoms related to early complex trauma, possibly by providing access to traumatic memories. Information came from medical record excerpts, a semi-structured retrospective video interview, and follow-up interviews a year later.
March 10, 2023
Mika Turkia
9 citations
preprint
A woman in her early forties with a three-decade history of treatment-resistant depression stemming from childhood trauma (domestic violence, sexual abuse, poverty) achieved remission after approximately 1.5 years of underground small-group sessions. These sessions combined breathing exercises, cold exposure, physical exercise, music, and psilocybin mushrooms. Psilocybin appeared to interrupt trauma-related dissociation, allowing her to re-experience dissociated physical sensations in a controlled setting. She had six psilocybin sessions individually, in the small group, or with friends. A follow-up interview 2.5 years later indicated the remission was sustained. This case suggests that a multi-dose strategy over an extended period may be necessary for remission, contrasting with recent clinical trials using one or two doses.
March 10, 2023
Mika Turkia
4 citations
preprint
A young man with severe anxiety and depression from early childhood trauma, who refused medication and found supportive psychotherapy ineffective, self-treated with psilocybin. Occasional high doses produced no lasting change in a retraumatizing environment, but after age 25, he used gradually declining doses to consciously relive traumatic events while focusing on somatic sensations. By age 30, he reported resolving most early trauma, gaining a foundational feeling of peace, though sensitized to societal trauma. The case suggests chronic treatment-resistant depression with an unsupportive social environment may require repeated psychedelic sessions, similar to ketamine protocols.
June 9, 2023
Mika Turkia
3 citations
preprint
A woman in her mid-twenties with lifelong depression, stemming from childhood neglect and emotional parentification, found relief through self-administered psilocybin mushroom sessions over two years. After four low-dose and three conventional-dose sessions, she considered her depression resolved. The psilocybin helped her recognize that adverse childhood experiences were the root of her depression, and later boundary-setting and psychotherapy for integration provided significant relief. This case suggests that unsupervised self-treatment with psilocybin is a feasible, cost-effective method that could address mental health care resource shortages.
PsyArXiv
November 7, 2023
Mika Turkia
2 citations
preprint
A woman in her early thirties with depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders from childhood trauma microdosed Amanita muscaria mushrooms over 3.5 months following a dream's advice. Using an intuition-based, gradually declining dosing scheme, her symptoms significantly decreased without adverse effects. Blood tests showed no abnormalities and a slight improvement in liver function, possibly from reduced sugar addiction and muscimol's hepatoprotective effect. These findings align with existing literature on psycholytic dosing.
June 9, 2023
Mika Turkia
2 citations
preprint
A woman in her mid-twenties with insecurity and abandonment-related anxiety, intensified after a breakup, underwent a 1.5-year therapeutic process combining Internal Family Systems (IFS) methodology with MDMA and LSD. She attended thirteen therapist-led sessions, eighteen unsupervised self-treatments, and weekly IFS-only sessions. High doses were used (120-400 mg MDMA, 400-600 µg LSD). A pivotal experience was reliving her birth trauma, which she described as aligning with Stanislav Grof's model, revealing abandonment as a core organizing theme. She resolved her fear of abandonment, stopped self-blame, and experienced 'grace.' The process remained ongoing, with each session yielding further benefits.
June 7, 2024
Mika Turkia
1 citation
preprint
A woman who witnessed her mother's violent suicide at age three and endured childhood domestic violence and sexual abuse from family members later planned to have her father killed but abandoned the plan. In her early thirties, four sessions with the psychedelic 5-MeO-DMT, plus a few with psilocybin and ayahuasca over two years, completely resolved her trauma-related symptoms. She rebuilt a functional relationship with her father and felt love and compassion toward him. This complete reversal of attitude remained stable for three years. The article also presents the perspective of a female facilitator and suggests that non-medical actors can contribute to resolving deep collective trauma.
March 10, 2023
Mika Turkia
1 citation
preprint
A man in his forties with a long history of addiction to alcohol and diazepam, stemming from childhood exposure to severe domestic violence, achieved and stabilized abstinence after a 28-day retreat using the Minnesota model, but his most painful traumatic memories remained unresolved. A single session combining MDMA with Internal Family Systems therapy allowed him to safely re-experience those events in an embodied manner, and a subsequent IFS session without MDMA helped resolve his complex PTSD and stabilize his abstinence. The case illustrates how MDMA-assisted therapy can address the underlying trauma driving addiction.
March 10, 2023
Mika Turkia
1 citation
preprint
A woman in her late thirties with complex trauma from severe childhood sexual abuse, diagnosed with bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder, experienced resolution of suicidality, reduced shame, and decreased social isolation after participating in ayahuasca ceremonies. Despite being severely psychotic in private, she appeared high-functioning in public. Nine ceremonies alleviated her distress further, and after sixteen additional ceremonies over several years, she recognized her bipolar disorder diagnosis and believed early trauma was its sole cause. Her core trauma remained partially unresolved, but dissociative symptoms continued to decrease. The case reviews ayahuasca's potential in bipolar disorder and severe traumatization.
June 9, 2025
Mika Turkia
preprint
This book explores ayahuasca's therapeutic potential across diverse contexts, including case studies of its use for bipolar disorder with psychotic features and chronic childhood sexual abuse within religious communities, as well as the adaptation of Indigenous ceremonies in Europe. It also examines 'spiritual attacks' during ceremonies and frames the clinical trial as a ritual. The work argues for a nuanced understanding of ayahuasca's effects beyond biochemical models, emphasizing cultural, psychological, and ritual dimensions.
April 23, 2025
Mika Turkia
preprint
A collection of thirteen ethnographic case studies describes how people alleviated or overcame serious issues such as alcoholism, severe anxiety and depression, suicidal behavior, and psychotic disorders caused by ignorance, neglect, violence, war, and sexual abuse. The compilation highlights courage, innovation, and the application of knowledge and power in overcoming illness and suffering, serving as a tribute to the possibility of healing.
March 27, 2025
Mika Turkia
preprint
A woman in her mid-50s, who experienced childhood sexual abuse by her father and was not believed by her church or mother, later developed severe depression and catatonic episodes. After decades of talk therapy and a destabilizing self-help program that led to a bipolar diagnosis, she tried psilocybin with some physical relief but no resolution of depression. She then attended four underground ayahuasca ceremonies without disclosing her diagnosis, reporting that the core of her embodied trauma dissolved. The case questions the rationale for psychiatric diagnoses and suggests that psychedelic therapy, focused on etiology, may reduce the need to distinguish between conditions. Trauma is described as socially contagious, and prohibition of psychedelic therapies is seen as a societal refusal to recognize trauma.
June 7, 2024
Mika Turkia
preprint
Ketamine, a general anesthetic from the 1960s, is used in sub-anesthetic doses for treatment-resistant depression and acute suicidality. In Finland, it has been administered to hospitalized patients since 2010; in Norway, about 500 patients at a private clinic and 300 at a public clinic have received it. A retrospective ethnographic case describes a Finnish woman in her twenties with treatment-resistant depression who failed ten antidepressants and seventeen other medications, experiencing massive adverse effects including 60% weight gain and psychotic hallucinations. A single esketamine spray session resolved her depression, with weekly re-administration ongoing. Repeated esketamine alleviated depression by producing corrective emotional experiences without re-traumatization. The authors argue for wider adoption of ketamine as an emergency measure while preparing non-addictive alternatives.
March 10, 2023
Mika Turkia
preprint
A man in his forties with family trauma that occurred before his birth experienced alienation from his parents after his teenage years. After more than two decades, he attended a psilocybin session in which he relived the trauma, leading him to rebuild his relationship with his parents and the relationship between his parents and his children. A second psilocybin session a year later improved his relationship with his wife, and a third session with MDMA released embodied job-related stress. Inspired by his experiences, his father also attended a psilocybin session. The case illustrates the kinds of unexplainable or mystical phenomena that may emerge in psychedelic therapy and how such experiences relate to treatment outcomes.
Mika Turkia
preprint
Spiritual attacks reported during Amazonian ayahuasca ceremonies are often dismissed as imaginary, but this article argues they are real subjective experiences involving visions or bodily sensations felt as harmful interventions from an external hostile party. The author proposes that these attacks can be understood as mental representations of fundamental disagreements between two parties, with defenses consisting of methods to maintain stability and resolve negative emotions. This conceptualization aims to improve understanding of a rarely documented and difficult-to-conceptualize phenomenon.