Healing PTSD with the “Vine of the Soul”, Ayahuasca
Best Treatment for PTSD Holistic Options
Post-traumatic stress disorder also known as (PTSD) was once more commonly associated with soldiers returning from combat. It was then referred to as shell shock. However in the past 20 years it has become a more common diagnosis among people from all walks of life. With the increased use of pharmaceutical drugs for treatment, talk therapies and mainstream treatment centers the cure or relief ratio remains quite low.
Over the years The Holistic Sanctuary has witnessed the damages caused by these band aid therapies as lives lose hope living in the fog of depression increased by toxic chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Our healing therapies not only heal the body but restore hope as many experience a renewed desire to engage in living. There are many 5 star treatment centers on the map but most lack the ability to promise the certainty of wellness. For those suffering with PTSD and other addictive disorders they aren’t promised cures but instead are promised an endless filling of prescriptions. What we confidently offer is the healing of spirit, mind and body using only nature based therapies like our Ayahuasca protocols for PTSD. Healing becomes possible as we restore the health of the brain which generally has been repeatedly exposed to antidepressants and other chemically based therapies.
According to research studies it is evident that most antidepressant drugs appear to initiate or increase severe emotional effects. In a 4-6 week study in controlled outpatient trials using the drug Celexa (also used for PTSD treatment); the results stressed the urgency for the continuous monitoring (by physicians) of patients using Celexa in excess of 24 weeks. Studies show that prolonged use of any antidepressant may ultimately have a reverse reaction.
“The following symptoms, anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness, impulsivity, akathisia (psychomotor restlessness), hypomania, and mania, have been reported in adult and pediatric patients being treated with antidepressants for major depressive disorder as well as for other indications, both psychiatric and nonpsychiatric. Although a causal link between the emergence of such symptoms and either the worsening of depression and/or the emergence of suicidal impulses has not been established, there is concern that such symptoms may represent precursors to emerging suicidality”.
THE MEDICAL DEFINITION OF PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Many people who go through traumatic events have difficulty adjusting and coping for a while, but they don’t have PTSD — with time and good self-care, they usually get better. But if the symptoms get worse or last for months or even years and interfere with your functioning, you may have PTSD.
The Holistic Sanctuary is built on the principle of providing effective and long term healing. Founder Johnny “The Healer” Tabaie created the sanctuary based on his own healing journey. Over the course of several years Johnny had experienced the non-effective methods of treatment centers and pharmaceutical drugs. It is that journey that lead him to understand what it feels like to hit a brick wall time and time again, seeing no way out or around that wall. It was then that he decided to take charge of his life without the use of traditional therapies which had previously failed him. Engaging a protocol of the Ayahuasca ceremony, detoxification of toxins, a diet of organic foods, oxygen, mineral baths, meditation, energy healing and more, he gave his spirit mind and body what it longed for. He experienced healing at the cellular level leading him to a complete life change. This is what The Holistic Sanctuary now offers many.
To understand the mechanics of the brain in the processing of memory is important in better understanding the course of PTSD Treatment. This involves memory formation within the five systems of memory: working memory, semantic memory, episodic memory, procedural memory and perceptual memory.
- Information from the outside world passes through the Sensory cortex =known as perceptual memory
- The information then travels up to the Limbic System – hippocampus and amygdala in the brain– here we are able to form a rational understanding; cognitive.
- We are then able to form periodic or intermittent memories; episodic
- Memory is then connected to emotions via the amygdala and the episodic memory (for PTSD fear symptoms is said to originate in the amygdala)
- Recall of memories/events then involves original sensations and emotions attached to the memory being recalled
- Over time relevant information significant to your general knowledge is then transferred by the neo cortex and stored in the created semantic memory network
- A reaction or feedback loop to the hippocampus is then created with instructions to reduce the sensations of the periodic or episodic memory. So one is not subject to endure reliving each memory at the same level of sensory and emotions as originally experienced.
Yes we are a 5 star experience but we don’t distract you with bells and whistles, instead we deliver as promised…freedom! the freedom to experience your memories and your life without the trauma. We understand that without the proper consolidation and assimilation of memory the episodic memory becomes vivid or fragmented and becomes trapped in the hippocampus. The hippocampus is part of the Limbic system, the fight or flight area of the brain. For this reason repairing the brain and restoring new brain cells is an important part of our healing principles. The Holistic Sanctuary PTSD Treatment leaves no stone unturned in confirming the evidence of healing. Our guests have the option of our 90 day platinum program which they can undergo brain scans both before and after, allowing us to witness the evidence of the transformation. We understand that when the brain is healed wholeness and balance is restored. No snake oil treatment but simply the use of cutting edge protocols delivering a factual experience.
What sets us apart is our diversity in the use of indigenous therapies combined with a bit of modern day technology. We realize that complete healing requires a holistic approach. We don’t disappoint as we realize that for many the sanctuary may be their final attempt at healing.
MEDICINAL PLANTS HISTORY
The fact is that trauma is not a new human experience and perhaps have been part of our experience since the beginning of time, whether it was the shock of almost being eaten by a lion or perhaps narrowly escaping an enemy. The Ayahuasca plant also known as the “vine of the soul”, might have been a core medicinal plant in a number of ancient societies. Its use dates back at least 2000 years having strong ties to rituals and ceremonies as a significant source of healing
Plant medicine dates back at least 60,000 years with written evidence and illustrations from the Sumerian’s, the Egyptians and the Greeks. The US in particular will only allow research on isolated alkaloids which according to Dr. Charles Grob MD; yields very different results as opposed to the use of the whole plant. Plants have been an essential resource in the discovery of a number of pharmaceutical drugs such as Aspirin which has its origin in the inner bark of the willow tree (salicitic acid), Digitalis from the herb Foxgloves, morphine from poppy seeds. Over 120 substances derived from plants are sold as drugs in various parts of the world as the active chemicals are isolated and extracted.
AYAHUASCA HISTORY AND RESEARCH
In 1993 the Medical Studies section of the União do Vegetal (Centro de Estudos Medicos) sponsored a biomedical study involving the long term consumption of the Ayahuasca plant by committed drinkers of the brew. The study was carried out by an international group of scientists from the United States, Brazil and Finland. Dr. Charles S. Grob MD, recalls that PTSD was not the focus of the study, the problems they observed were common symptoms among PTSD sufferers. “Our psychiatric interviews showed that virtually all this psychopathology stopped after they started participating in the religious ceremonies where Ayahuasca is a ritual sacrament.” Ayahuasca is said to hyper-activate regions of the brain such as the neo-cortex; the area of the brain that makes us human.” This is the area of the brain where memory is then connected to emotions via the amygdala and the episodic memory; where we reason and make decisions.
At The Holistic Sanctuary our certainty is not only evidenced in the visual results but in the scientific studies that support the natural protocols we uphold. We have not shied away from providing effective therapies not mainstream but heal the brain. Dr. Jordi Riba’s states that “In early life, powerful or traumatic events create an imprint on the brain, a pattern. This pattern is like a shortcut, activated every time we face a similar situation. Repeated events cause these neural patterns to reinforce their connections, binding them with protein, and building them up like scar tissue” If this is how these traumas are rooted in our brains, how does Ayahuasca affect those ingrained patterns? “Ayahuasca hyper-activates the entire brain region where we store and process emotional memory, often uncovering long forgotten memories. This hyper-activation enables the conscious part of the new brain to temporarily override previously entrenched patterns, allowing new connections to be made.
We know of no other treatment center that offers our tried and proven treatments for PTSD treatment, addictions, depression and other behavioral challenges. Additionally we take exceptional safety precautions with our guests by having a full medical team available; Emergency Room Doctors, Emergency Room Nurse and Paramedics are on site. We incorporate a full spectrum of therapies alongside Ayahuasca in healing PTSD. We encourage all those in search of true healing to reach out to the sanctuary here in Baja, Mexico. It’s time to heal and to discover a life that is waiting to happen. You don’t have to continue through life with the label of PTSD, it is not who you are however it is an opportunity to heal wounds of trauma. The Holistic Sanctuary and Johnny the healer are ready to welcome you and your new life. We will personalize your steps to healing.
Notes:
PTSD Medical definition http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Post-traumatic+stress+disorder
Botanical Dimensions http://botanicaldimensions.org/the-hoasca-project/
PTSD on the brain http://ptsd.about.com/od/symptomsanddiagnosis/a/hippocampus.htm
The Brain Science of Ayahuasca Experiences http://www.beamsandstruts.com/bits-a-pieces/item/750-neuro-huasca
