{"id":2147,"date":"2021-07-29T16:14:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-29T20:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.therecoveryvillage.com\/?page_id=2147"},"modified":"2022-04-28T19:32:23","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T23:32:23","slug":"dmt-addiction","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.therecoveryvillage.com\/dmt-addiction\/","title":{"rendered":"DMT Addiction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

DMT stands for dimethyltryptamine. While the long-term effects on the brain and body are still unknown, the immediate psychological trip can be scarring.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You may have heard the letters DMT before, but not know what they represent or how this drug is used. DMT stands for dimethyltryptamine, and it\u2019s a hallucinogenic tryptamine drug that you can find naturally occurring in many plants and animals. It\u2019s not as well-known as other hallucinogens like LSD<\/a> and mushrooms<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only in recent years has it become a drug used for recreation and possibly associated with addiction. This overview covers how DMT is used, why it\u2019s used and how it affects the brain and body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is DMT?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

DMT is a white crystalline powder found in certain plants in Mexico, South America, and parts of Asia. Its street names are Dmitri, Fantasia, Businessman\u2019s Trip, Businessman\u2019s Special, and 45-Minute Psychosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because it\u2019s a naturally-occurring psychedelic substance, trace amounts of DMT can actually be found in mammals\u2019 brains. It is the strongest of all psychedelic drugs and is sometimes referred to as an \u201centheogen,\u201d a word that means \u201cgod-generated-within.\u201d The drug\u2019s chemical root structure is similar to that of the anti-migraine drug sumatriptan. It acts as a non-selective agonist at most or all of the serotonin receptors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

History of DMT \u2013 The Strongest Psychedelic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The history of DMT dates back several hundred years<\/a> when it started as a substance used during religious ceremonies and rituals. DMT<\/a> is found in several South American-brewed concoctions like ayahuasca<\/a>. DMT can be produced synthetically<\/a>, and its original synthesis was created by a British chemist in 1931 named Richard Manske.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drug gained popularity in the 1960s and was placed under federal control under Schedule I when the Controlled Substances Act was passed in 1971. It\u2019s still found on the illicit drug market today, along with several other kinds of tryptamine hallucinogens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Is DMT Used?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite its illegal status, the hallucinogen is still used in various settings for religious ceremonies to obtain \u201cdeep spiritual awakening\u201d or insight. It results in psychoactive effects. By itself, DMT is usually snorted, smoked, or injected. This is because it\u2019s not active when taken by mouth alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dosage and Duration of High<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When smoked, the average dose of DMT is 30-150 mg, and the effects can be felt immediately. The effects peak for three to five minutes and then drop off, with the high lasting about 30 to 45 minutes in total. When the hallucinogen is consumed as a brew, the dose is between 35-75 mg and effects begin after 30-45 minutes. The psychoactive effects peak at two to three hours and vanish within four to six hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DMT Experience and Effects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The main effect of DMT is psychological. People want to take the substance because it provides intense auditory and visual hallucinations and an altered sense of space, body and time. Users have reported shifts in time, visiting other dimensions, talking with aliens, life-altering experiences and complete changes in the perception of identity and reality. Compared with other hallucinogenic drugs<\/a> like LSD, mushrooms or ketamine, people who use DMT say that it has the lowest amount of negative side effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does DMT affect the body?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Physical side effects<\/a> of DMT include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n