Psychedelic substance use in the Reddit psychonaut community. A qualitative study on motives and modalities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate motives and modalities of psychedelic substance use in the psychonaut community that is hosted on the Reddit platform (r/psychonaut). Psychonauts are sometimes described as responsible drug users. Elements of responsible use include sharing stories, advice and experiences, reagent testing substances, proper dosing and education on harm reduction and its practical implication. Investigating psychonauts’ substance use can highlight what responsible use means for them and could inform best practices for psychedelic use. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative content analysis of posts and comments on the r/psychonaut subreddit was completed. In total, 350 posts were investigated. A combination of deductive and inductive methods was used to both structure the research and to allow room for novel information. To investigate participant’s motives, this combination was used to both collect and analyse the data. To examine modalities, concepts and keywords were formed out of the collected data and then analysed. Findings Motives for use ranged from self-knowledge, self-investigation and self-medication to increasing artistic expression, curiosity and recreation. Concerning modalities, the respondents put a high emphasis on preparation, set and setting, integration, dosage and gathering and sharing information through research, articles and trip reports. These features are identified in the literature as elements of responsible drug use. This investigation can help by unearthing best practices already in use by the community to inform the bourgeoning movement of psychedelic substance use – both in a medical and self-reflexive setting. Originality/value This paper is framed in the context of paucity of the academic literature on people taking psychedelic substances in Western society in non-rave and non-medical settings, with findings that indicate important change happening in the psychonaut subculture.

A new desensitization protocol, overcoming hypersensitivity reactions to chemotherapy.

e15523 Background: Despite the progress for cancer treatment, some drugs remain a cornerstone for an optimal approach. Hypersensitivity reactions to chemotherapy may render these essential chemotherapeutic agents useless and for some types of cancer continuing the therapeutic scheme could be crucial. Various regimens for desensitization to allow chemotherapy administration through the time were conceived, with different dilutions, time and settings of administration. Methods: A prospective study of patients with systemic treatment for histopathologically confirmed cancer in our Oncological Institute „Prof. Ion Chiricuta” Cluj-Napoca, with an allergic reaction during treatment being the keys inclusion criteria in the analysis. Patients were administered a three days desensitization regimen from the following cycle of treatment with blood samples that were taken to observe the predictive value of biological markers. Results: Eighty-two patients were the initial pool, with a median age of 56 years. Platin derivates containing regiments were responsible for an allergic reaction for 75 out of 82 patients. Four of them were known with a previous allergic reaction for chemotherapy in their personal medical history, and 56 of them had more than one chemotherapy line in their treatment. More than 688 desensitization cycles were administrated during our study with a rate of failure of 1.3 %. The main reason for discontinuation was disease progression or adjuvant character (limited duration) of the chemotherapy administration. Conclusions: Allergic reaction does not impede the administration of the responsible drug. A 3-day inpatient regimen could be a valuable option with a successful rate of administration without the need for ICU monitoring.

Isoniazid Induced Psychosis: A Case Report

Psychosis is a state of altered behaviour and mentation and it is not common in children. Isoniazid is a commonly used drug in the treatment and prophylaxis of tuberculosis. It may cause psychosis if overdosed but rarely with usual recommended doses. We report a case of drug induced psychosis secondary to isoniazid intake in a seven years old boy, who exhibited psychotic features about 10 days after the commencement of anti-TB combination drugs (Directly Observed Treatment Shortcourse) containing Isoniazid. This patient had no past medical or family history of mental illness. Drug induced psychosis was a possibility, and the responsible drug (isoniazid) was stopped. He improved following the withdrawal of isoniazid. Isoniazid psychosis is a major complication as iatrogenic psychiatric complications can greatly impact the patients’ quality of life, which if recognised early can be effectively treated.

Experiencing Effects of Cocaine and Speed with Self-Regulation Therapy

This study demonstrates the efficacy of Self-Regulation Therapy (SRT) to induce effects of cocaine and speed in a single session. SRT is a suggestion procedure of sensorial recall exercises (salivation, feeling of weight, tension, etc.) that increases the capacity to reproduce all sensation types and those that drugs produce. The Self-Regulation Scale (SRS) measures this capacity. Four groups participated, formed according to drug use: Group 1 (uses no illegal drugs); Group 2 (experimentally uses cannabis only); Group 3 (moderate drug users); Group 4 (regular drug users, especially stimulants). All four groups participated in an SRT session to induce relaxation. No differences in the SRS were found. Group 4 also participated in a session that reproduced effects of drugs with SRT, when Euphoria and the Effects of drugs score (high and rush) substantially increased in relation to the base-line (MD = –5.83; p < .001; and MD = -3; p < .001, respectively) and in relation to the relaxation session (MD = –4.06; p < .001; and MD = -1.96; p < .05, respectively). A profile predicting SRT efficacy was also obtained to induce the effects of cocaine and speed: low Conscientiousness and high Openness and SRS scores. Finally, the potential use of this procedure to treat addictions, and strategy development towards more controlled, responsible drug use, are discussed.