Last Updated:

January 29th, 2026

Ayahuasca addiction: Signs, symptoms and side-effects

Ayahuasca use has grown significantly across the UK and Europe in recent years, with thousands now attending ceremonies seeking healing, spiritual insight, or relief from mental health struggles. Ayahuasca brews can vary, but they always contain DMT, a powerful hallucinogen. While physical addiction is rare, the psychological grip can be immense. If you are worried that you have become addicted to ayahuasca, it is important to recognise the signs and symptoms and get help right away.

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Defining ayahuasca addiction

Ayahuasca addiction is an illness rooted in unmet personal needs and the brain’s response to the intense emotional relief that ayahuasca seems to provide. It is when you keep going back again and again because you believe you need ayahuasca for peace, mental health relief, or human or spiritual connection that you can’t find elsewhere.

In the UK, increasing numbers of patients are seeking rehab treatment for problems related to psychedelic use. While ayahuasca and DMT are not particularly prevalent in Britain, anyone using these drugs must be aware of the health and addiction risks.

The stages of ayahuasca addiction

The stages of ayahuasca addiction look a little different to those of other drugs, but understanding how ayahuasca misuse progresses helps you see when things are taking a bad turn:

Ayahuasca abuse
You start attending ayahuasca ceremonies occasionally, and the experiences provide temporary relief or seem to give you answers you have been seeking. Gradually, you start using ayahuasca more and tell yourself each session is necessary for your healing journey.
Ayahuasca dependence
Now, ayahuasca has become your go-to for managing difficult emotions, trauma, or existential distress. All of your travel plans, finances, and relationships start to centre around using ayahuasca, and when you go any length of time without a session, anxiety builds or depression seems to get worse.
Ayahuasca addiction
Eventually, your life becomes solely focused on the ayahuasca experience, and you start to believe you can’t heal, grow, or find any peace through ordinary therapy, relationships, or everyday life. You may start using DMT alone, brewing your own ayahuasca, or attending ceremonies run by unqualified people.

How to spot ayahuasca addiction signs

Ayahuasca addiction signs can be hard to see when you’re the one living through them. Because ayahuasca is marketed as medicine or a spiritual practice, addiction denial can run deeper than with recreational drugs. To help you see through the denial, here are some ayahuasca addiction signs that should be taken seriously:

  • Attending ayahuasca ceremonies far more frequently than before or than is recommended. 
  • Feeling anxious, empty, or disconnected during periods when you’re not using ayahuasca.
  • Isolating from friends or family who question your ayahuasca misuse.
  • Spending increasing amounts of money on drugs, travel, or ayahuasca retreats.
  • Having frightening or destabilising experiences, but believing the next ceremony will resolve what previous ones didn’t.
  • Neglecting work, responsibilities, or other forms of mental health treatment in favour of ayahuasca.
  • Feeling like normal life is increasingly unreal or meaningless compared to the intensity of the ayahuasca experience.

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Why is ayahuasca addictive?

DMT alters how you perceive the world around you and even how you see yourself. During an ayahuasca ceremony, your brain activity goes into overdrive, creating intense visions, emotional release, and feelings of deep connection. When the effects wear off and you return to normal life, you might feel empty in comparison, which makes you want more.

But brain chemistry is only part of why people keep using ayahuasca. Emotions, mental health and social factors can play a big role too:

Unresolved trauma
Many people first try ayahuasca, hoping to heal from abuse, grief, or PTSD that normal therapy hasn’t touched. When ayahuasca brings moments of relief or insight, you start to believe the brew is the only thing that can reach those wounds.
Spiritual experiences
If you feel dissatisfied or like your life has no purpose, ayahuasca can appear to provide a sense of meaning that is missing.
Ayahuasca addiction and mental health
If you’re living with depression, anxiety, or even a lot of stress, ayahuasca’s intensity can override those symptoms for a while. The emotional release can feel like progress, but without ongoing therapy, the relief doesn’t last long.
Community and belonging
Ceremony circles can offer acceptance, community and a shared purpose. If you feel lonely, isolated or misunderstood in everyday life, the community around ayahuasca use can become your main source of connection or social life.

Ayahuasca side-effects and addiction dangers

Ayahuasca is not the 100% safe plant medicine that some people claim, and when ayahuasca misuse becomes compulsive, serious risks can start to build up:

Mental health problems
Ayahuasca addiction can make you feel disconnected from yourself, or like the world isn’t real, and some people develop ongoing anxiety, paranoia, or psychotic symptoms. This happens more if you already have mental health vulnerabilities, but it can lead to a very dangerous escalation of underlying conditions.
Trauma brought back without healing
Ayahuasca often brings buried trauma to the surface. This can be part of healing when properly supported, but without skilled help, flashbacks can get worse, emotions can become unmanageable, and you can be left overwhelmed and very vulnerable.
Bad life decisions made under the influence
Ayahuasca puts you in an extremely altered state for hours. During this time, you may make major life decisions that feel spiritually right but aren’t based in reality. Some people leave their partners, quit their jobs, or “drop out” of everyday life altogether to join ayahuasca communities. These decisions feel absolutely right in the moment, but are made while under the influence of a powerful drug.
Physical health risks
Ayahuasca causes violent vomiting and diarrhoea, and taking it repeatedly can seriously strain your digestive system, lead to dehydration, and cause dangerous imbalances in your body. There is also the risk of serotonin syndrome, a potentially life-threatening condition which can happen when ayahuasca mixes badly with antidepressants or other medications.

Finding help for ayahuasca addiction

Asking for help starts with recognising that ayahuasca has become something you can’t control, and that takes courage to admit.

A medical drug detox purges all the DMT from your body and gives your mind space to settle down after intense repeated exposure to ayahuasca. Inpatient detox is usually needed because it provides critical safety measures, especially if you have been mixing ayahuasca with other substances.

Drug rehab then targets the root causes that kept you going back to ayahuasca. Therapy helps you heal those wounds with professional support, rather than a temporary escape.

After treatment ends, staying well means staying connected to people who understand. Relapse prevention planning teaches you how to spot warning signs early, while local support groups and NA meetings put you in touch with people on the same recovery path.

If you are looking to get help for yourself or considering an intervention for someone you love, Recovery.org specialises in connecting people throughout Britain with the right treatment. Contact us today for a confidential conversation about your options and next steps.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is in an ayahuasca brew?
Ayahuasca is made from two plants found in the Amazon rainforest. One plant contains DMT, a powerful hallucinogenic drug. The other plant contains chemicals that allow your body to absorb the DMT. Together, they create intense visions and altered states that can last for hours.
Is ayahuasca legal in the UK?
Ayahuasca itself sits in a legal grey area in the UK, but DMT, the active ingredient in the brew, is a Class A controlled substance. This means possessing, supplying, or producing ayahuasca could lead to serious criminal charges. While some ceremonies operate quietly, attending them carries serious legal risks.
Can you overdose on ayahuasca?
Yes, ayahuasca overdose is possible, especially if the brew is made too strong or combined with other substances. Symptoms of ayahuasca overdose can include severe vomiting, dangerously high blood pressure, seizures, and, in rare cases, heart problems or death. The risk increases significantly if you’re taking antidepressants or other medications that interact badly with DMT. Always seek emergency medical help if someone shows signs of overdose after using ayahuasca.

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