Ayahuasca and eating disorders

[SunnyHours]

Hi everyone!

I'm new here but not new to entheogens in general. Although I don't have any experiences with DMT yet, I'm looking forward to it.
The reason for this post is that I have 1 of my cousin who is dying of Anorexia/Bulimia. She is actually dying and won't be making it to her birthday this May if things keep going like this.

I'm usually not one to suggest drugs for psychological issues but this time I don't think she'll change on her own and I can't stand just watching her die.

What are your views on Ayahuasca as a cure?
Also any places in particular you could suggest to experience Ayahuasca safely? ( I mean, I know it is mostly safe, however given the circumstances I wouldn't feel at ease doing the ceremony at home.)

Thank you so much guys (and girls)

 

[corpus callosum]

That's tough SunnyHours.

As Im sure you know, longstanding eating disorders especially with anorexia can have widespread physical effects beyond weight issues; these include cardiac complications and without full evaluation beforehand taking agents with significant cardiovascular effects is ill-advised.

I wish you and your cousin the best in trying to tackle this very dangerous and distressing condition.

 

[Global]

Something that immediately comes to mind for me is that ayahuasca is a purgative, and if your cousin is bulimic, then ayahuasca might not be the most ideal route. Smoked DMT may be more appropriate, but as corpus callosum mentioned, there could be some cardiovascular drawbacks. Ideally hyperspace could show her the error of her ways, but these matters are really a crap-shoot. You never know what you're gonna get, and that goes 100x as much for someone who has never done it before. I really hope things work out for the best.

 

[Cosmic Spore]

I don't know if ayahuasca would help, but I wish both of you well.

Check the attachments that I'm posting, think about getting her to try Cannabis or an extract from Cannabis.

 

[arcologist]

Cannabis would probably be the better choice because it will help with appetite, though DMT/Ayahuasca might help with the psychological aspects.

 

[endlessness]

I`m no doctor so take that with a pinch of salt, but yeah cannabis sounds probably more benign in short-term, might help with appetite and won't challenge the cardiovascular system.... Though I`m unsure how it would psychologically act with that specific person. The researches posted above sound interesting. I can see how ayahuasca might eventually be of great use in some cases but maybe should only be considered after she starts some minimal recovery and gets her cardiovascular and digestive system checked out by a doctor.

Mushrooms have also been shown to help with similar `self-image` issues, there is a publication about a case report with mushrooms helping with someone that had body dysmorphic disorder, and OCD cases. Might be worth checking out too... I guess all psychedelics could help in some way, but if so, make sure she has propper sitting, and that her physical health has been more or less estabilized and checked out. And definitely they should only be part of the treatment, she needs a more complex help from many angles.

How aware is she of her situation? Do you talk to her? What`s her outtake on it? What kind of support is she getting? How are the family and contextual dynamics at play, is there something that might be further hindering her progress?

 

[SunnyHours]

I do agree that right now, she might be too weak for Ayahuasca, I'm scared for her heart. I'm seeing her soon, so I'll bring the vape and a couple different strains and see if she'd like to try. She has no trouble with my usage of Cannabis but I'm unsure if she'd like to try. We'll see I guess.

She's on the edge of going back to the hospital and she sees a psychiatrist as well. She's always been close to her family but it's taking a toll on her mom. We've gotten closer to her since her problems got worse. Although she does have mood swings and all, so sometimes it's not easy talking to her. It's also pretty hard for me since I have BPD and it's my anxiety makes it difficult to talk to her sometimes. Especially when she's moody, it makes it that much harder for me to stay cool (I have emotional issues of my own).

Thanks a bunch for the feedback guys!
It's very much appreciated :thumb_up: