06 - CASE-REPORT OF A ‘TEA CEREMONY’ WITH AYAHUASCA: AN EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER
February 27, 2019 Matheus Arts, Linda de Jonge, S. Petrykiv 1 citation
A 47-year-old woman with no prior psychiatric history experienced a psychotic crisis lasting over four weeks after drinking ayahuasca in a ceremony. Symptoms included delusional thinking, paranoid ideas, insomnia, emotional lability, and hyperactivity with uncontrolled movements. After hospitalization and treatment with haloperidol, the psychotic symptoms gradually resolved, but emotional lability and depressive symptoms persisted for months, possibly linked to past traumatic memories that emerged during intoxication. The case and literature review suggest that ayahuasca can lead to long-term psychopathology, and individuals with personal or family psychiatric history should avoid it.