Raves, psychosis, and spirit healing.

A 19-year-old university student in Toronto was hospitalized with drug-induced psychosis after attending raves and using Ecstasy. Standard psychiatric treatment failed, but transfer to a facility that allowed a traditional Filipino healing ceremony led to recovery with no relapse after 10 years. The healing session mirrored the sensory and communal elements the young woman sought at raves, but unlike raves, which caused family conflict and illness, the ceremony was family-sanctioned and curative.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This paper reflects the intersection of three cultures: the rave (all night dance party and use of the drug, Ecstasy) culture; the ward culture of an inpatient psychiatric program for First Episode Psychosis; the spirit healing culture of the Philippines. All three intersected in Toronto, Canada in the mid 1990s, as illustrated by the clinical case of a 19-year-old university student who was hospitalized with symptoms of drug-induced psychosis. Her initial treatment was not successful and presented dilemmas for the treating staff. Transfer to a second psychiatric facility that permitted attendance at a traditional Filipino healing ceremony resulted in a cure, with no recurrence 10 years later. According to James Dow's 1986 formulation, the components of the key spiritual healing session paralleled the very elements the young woman had sought by participating in raves, an activity that was problematic because it led to family displeasure. Whereas attendance at a rave triggered illness, the healing session, sanctioned by her family and taking place in their midst, resulted in healing.