Psychedelics and Coping With Grief and Loss of Loved Ones

When someone we love dies, it is devastating and heartbreaking. Although we understand that grief is a part of the human experience, that pain can sometimes be too much to bear. Can psychedelics help us so we don’t completely lose ourselves in the process? 

“Psychedelics have shown therapeutic potential in managing and coping with grief, particularly for individuals struggling with complicated or prolonged grief.”

— Katharine Chan, MSc, BSc, PMP

Let’s explore the role of psychedelics in coping with grief when experiencing the loss of loved ones.

What is Grief?

Grief is the emotional response to loss, typically following the death of a loved one. Grief can come up anytime we experience a significant change or loss in life because it challenges our sense of stability, identity, or future expectations. For example, grief can manifest after a breakup, job loss, or moving to a different city. Grief affects our emotional, physical, and behavioral well-being.

When We Lose a Loved One

When we lose a loved one, we experience a profound emotional, psychological, and physical response. The process unfolds differently for each of us, but certain common experiences emerge.

Emotional and Psychological Impact

At first, we may feel shock or disbelief, especially if the loss is sudden. This initial numbness helps protect us from the full weight of the pain. As the reality sinks in, we might feel waves of sadness, anger, guilt, or even relief. Longing and yearning for our loved one often follow, leaving us with a deep sense of sadness. It’s common to feel isolated in our grief, even when others who have lost the same person surround us.

Our sense of self and our worldview often change. We can feel disoriented or empty, as though a part of our identity is missing. We might question the meaning of life, death, and the purpose of our existence. These existential or spiritual questions are normal as we try to make sense of the loss.

Cognitive and Physical Effects

Grief affects our ability to think clearly. We may need help concentrating, making decisions, or remembering important details. Our minds might be consumed with thoughts of our loved one, replaying their final moments or memories we shared. Sometimes, flashbacks appear unexpectedly.

Grief also affects our bodies. We may feel exhausted, struggle with headaches, or have difficulties sleeping. Some of us lose our appetite, while others overeat. The stress of grief can weaken our immune system, making us more vulnerable to illness. Physical symptoms, like tension or even heart palpitations, can appear, especially if we have preexisting health conditions.

Behavioral and Social Changes

Our behavior often changes when we’re grieving. We might withdraw from social activities, lose interest in our typical routines, or find it hard to do everyday tasks. Some cope by overworking, while others might turn to substances for temporary relief. We may also find comfort in maintaining a connection to our loved one, visiting their gravesite, holding onto their belongings, or creating new memorial rituals.

The Search for Meaning and Adaptation

As time passes, we gradually learn to adapt to life without our loved one. This change doesn’t mean we forget them; instead, we learn how to live with the loss while moving forward. We often seek meaning in the experience, trying to make sense of their death and find ways to honor their memory. In the process, our priorities and values may change as we integrate the loss into our lives.

How Long Grief Lasts

Grief is highly individual. In many cases, acute grief lasts for several months, with the most intense feelings typically easing within six months to a year. However, grieving doesn’t follow a fixed timeline, and feelings of loss may come up at unexpected times long after the event.

Complicated or Prolonged Grief

When severe grief persists for an extended period, typically beyond 12 months, without signs of improvement, health professionals may classify it as complicated or prolonged grief. Symptoms include a constant and excessive yearning for the deceased, inability to accept the loss, emotional numbness, and difficulty performing activities of daily life. Prolonged grief can interfere with personal relationships and work, preventing healthy adjustment to the loss.

If your grief feels overwhelming or you’ve been struggling to function in daily life for over six months without improvement, seeking therapy or counseling can be a crucial part of coping. Therapists, especially those trained in grief counseling, can help you work through complex emotions and develop coping strategies.

Current Research

Grief is complex, and while there is no “right” way to grieve, seeking support is key to navigating the emotional process. 

A few studies have looked into the role of psychedelics and grief; however, the evidence is still limited, and investigators need to conduct more research to understand its full effect.

Psilocybin and Survivor’s Guilt Among Males With Long-Term HIV-AIDS

An open-label safety and feasibility pilot study published in 2020 looked at psilocybin-assisted group therapy for demoralized older long-term AIDS survivor men (OLTAS). The study included 18 participants, and the intervention included 8–10 psilocybin-assisted group therapy visits and one psilocybin administration visit. 

The outcome measure was a change in demoralization. Demoralization refers to “a form of existential suffering characterized by poor coping and a sense of helplessness, hopelessness, and a loss of meaning and purpose in life.” Due to the AIDS epidemic, the participants had, on average, 17 people close to them pass away. The results showed significant improvements in demoralization measurements from baseline to end-of-treatment and to 3-month follow-up. 

The authors concluded that the study’s results “make a compelling case for controlled and well-blinded trials of psilocybin therapy (either with an adjunctive group or individual psychotherapy) for demoralization, complicated grief, and other forms of distress experienced by patients with serious medical illness and traumatic stress.”

Therapeutic Potential of Psychedelics for Grief Symptoms

Researchers surveyed 363 recreational psychedelic users who had experienced a bereavement. Participants reported their grief symptoms before and after their psychedelic experiences. Subjective reactions, including emotional breakthroughs and challenging moments, were also recorded. 

The results showed significant improvements in grief symptoms following the psychedelic experience. Emotional breakthroughs correlated strongly with reductions in grief symptoms; challenging experiences had the opposite effect, correlating with fewer improvements in grief.

The 2023 study concluded that its preliminary results “support the development of a psychedelic-assisted therapy protocol to target symptoms of grief. Psychedelic-assisted therapy might offer an alternative to current grief treatment options.”

Ayahuasca Prospective Observational Trial

A 2020 study observed grief for over 1 year among participants who participated in Indigenous Shipibo ayahuasca ceremonies at a center in Peru. A total of 50 completed the online baseline questionnaire after leaving the retreat. The following number of participants completed each follow-up assessment:

• 39 at 15 days after leaving the retreat
• 31 at 3 months after leaving the retreat
• 29 at 6 months after leaving the retreat
• 27 at 12 months after leaving the retreat

The study measured grief symptoms, roles of experiential avoidance (“avoidance of the experience of internal events, such as attempts to suppress or control emotions”), and decentering (“the ability to observe one’s thoughts and feelings in a detached manner”) as mechanisms of change.

Grief symptoms improved across all follow-ups. The study found significant correlations between experiential avoidance and decentering and a reduction in the severity of grief.

The authors concluded that “a significant improvement in the severity of grief and the high effect size maintained over a year follow-up are sufficiently encouraging to warrant further research. Furthermore, the assessment of experiential avoidance and decentering highlights the improvement of these mechanisms of change following drinking ayahuasca and their relation to grief improvement. Therefore, more research is necessary to better understand ayahuasca’s therapeutic value in terms of relief from grief symptoms.”

Potential Role of Psychedelics in Coping With Grief and Loss of Loved Ones

Psychedelics have shown therapeutic potential in managing and coping with grief, particularly for individuals struggling with complicated or prolonged grief. Researchers are studying substances like psilocybin, MDMA, and ayahuasca for their ability to facilitate emotional processing, promote healing, and offer new perspectives on loss. Here are some potential mechanisms of how psychedelics can support the grieving process:

Emotional Processing and Release

Psychedelics work on the brain’s serotonin receptors, especially the 5-HT2A receptors, which research has linked to mood regulation and emotional processing. They also decrease activity in the default mode network (DMN), which is associated with self-referential thinking. This disruption can help us break free from repetitive negative thoughts and rigid emotional patterns.

Therefore, psychedelics can help us access and process deep, often suppressed, emotions related to grief. Substances like psilocybin and MDMA can reduce the emotional barriers that make it difficult to face the pain of loss. Under the influence of these substances, we may feel more open to experiencing and releasing emotions like sadness, anger, or guilt. Breaking down these emotional barriers can lead to catharsis, a release of pent-up feelings that may have stuck in the grieving process.

Breaking Patterns of Avoidance or Numbness

Psychedelics lower activity in the amygdala (the brain’s fear and threat detection center), which reduces our fear response. They also disrupt habitual thought loops, helping us confront difficult emotions from a place of safety and openness.

Many people dealing with grief become stuck in avoidance patterns, numbing themselves to avoid the pain of loss. Psychedelics can help break these patterns by creating an environment in which we are more willing to confront the grief head-on. By softening psychological defenses, psychedelics allow us to approach difficult emotions with curiosity rather than fear.

Altered Perception and New Perspectives on Loss

Psychedelics promote neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to reorganize and form new connections. This flexibility can allow us to reframe our grief, move beyond persistent thinking patterns, and open up new ways of understanding our loss.

Psychedelics can provide us with altered states of consciousness that shift how we perceive ourselves and our relationship to the world. In a psychedelic experience, we may gain new insights into our grief or feel a sense of connection to something greater. This shift in perspective, whether spiritual, existential, or symbolic, can help us make sense of our loss, integrate it into our life narrative, and see a path forward.

Reduction of Anxiety and Fear Around Death

Psychedelics can induce mystical or transcendent experiences, during which we may feel a deep sense of interconnectedness, peace, or unity. These experiences can help shift our view of life and death, making us more accepting of impermanence and loss.

Research shows that psychedelics can reduce anxiety around death and dying, which is especially relevant for grief related to the loss of a loved one. In clinical studies, researchers have used psilocybin to help terminally ill patients confront their mortality, leading to a reduction in death-related anxiety. This same principle can apply to those grieving, as psychedelics can help us confront the fear of death, both our own and our loved one’s, and reduce the existential distress that often accompanies grief.

Enhanced Empathy and Connection

MDMA increases the release of serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin, which are associated with mood regulation, bonding, and emotional closeness. Increased levels of these chemicals help reduce social anxiety, enhance emotional connection, and heighten feelings of warmth and safety.

Enhancing these feelings can be particularly helpful in grief work, as it allows us to feel more connected to others, including those we’ve lost. MDMA, often called an “empathogen,” encourages emotional openness, allowing us to experience feelings of love and gratitude even while grieving. Psychedelics may help us strengthen bonds with others, honor the memory of our loved one, and feel less alone in our grief.

Impact on Post-Trauma Stress

Grief, especially in cases of traumatic loss, can lead to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Psychedelics, particularly MDMA, have been used in clinical trials for PTSD, helping individuals process trauma in a controlled, supportive environment. 

MDMA-assisted psychotherapy works by dampening the brain’s fear response, allowing individuals to revisit traumatic memories or emotions without triggering overwhelming fear or distress. By reducing fear and increasing emotional safety, psychedelics may help us work through grief-related trauma.

PARTING Trial

The PARTING Trial stands for Psilocybin-Assisted suppoRtive psychoTherapy IN the treatment of complicated Grief. 

The PARTING Trial is based in Brisbane, Australia, and is looking to explore psilocybin-assisted therapy as an experimental intervention to reduce distress among those who are experiencing severe grief. The Trial “aims to determine whether this approach is safe and acceptable to participants and to establish an initial impression of whether it might help people with prolonged grief.”

Dr. Stephen Parker, the Trial’s Psychiatrist, told QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute the following:

“This is a critical trial. There are a lot of people who don’t necessarily benefit and respond to conventional mental health treatments, and the hope of something different, something new, is really important…The goal is to examine whether this therapy is acceptable, safe, and potentially beneficial to people in some way. This [research] will help guide planning of larger studies with a big enough sample to test the effectiveness of this intervention for prolonged grief.”

Phase I of recruitment is currently closed. 

Phase II of the PARTING Trial is opening soon. 

Therefore, there is a promising role for psychedelics in coping with grief and loss of loved ones. A safe, supportive, and intentional setting, including the guidance of a trained therapist, is essential for using psychedelics to work through grief. Integrating insights and emotions from the psychedelic experience into daily life is also a critical part of the healing process.

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References

Anderson, B. T., Danforth, A., Daroff, R., Stauffer, C., Ekman, E., Agin-Liebes, G., Trope, A., Boden, M. T., Dilley, J., Mitchell, J., & Woolley, J. (2020). Psilocybin-Assisted Group Therapy for Demoralized Older Long-Term AIDS Survivor Men: An Open-Label Safety and Feasibility Pilot Study. EClinicalMedicine, 27, 100538. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100538.

Cleveland Clinic. (2024, May 1). Grief. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24787-grief.

Ehrenkranz, R., Agrawal, M., Penberthy, J. K., & Yaden, D. B. (2024). Narrative Review of the Potential for Psychedelics to Treat Prolonged Grief Disorder. International Review of Psychiatry, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2024.2357668.

González, D., Cantillo, J., Pérez, I., Farré, M., Feilding, A., Obiols, J. E., & Bouso, J. C. (2020). Therapeutic Potential of Ayahuasca in Grief: A Prospective, Observational Study. Psychopharmacology, 237(4), 1171-1182. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-019-05446-2.

Low, F., & Earleywine, M. (2023, July 27). Psychedelic Experiences After Bereavement Improve Symptoms of Grief: The Influence of Emotional Breakthroughs and Challenging Experiences. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 56(3) 326-323. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2023.2228303.

QIMR Berghofer Staff. (2023, July 27). QIMR Berghofer Trials Psychedelic-Assisted Treatment for Prolonged Grief. QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. https://www.qimrberghofer.edu.au/news/qimr-berghofer-trials-psychedelic-assisted-treatment-for-prolonged-grief-2/.

QIMR Berghofer Staff. (2023, September 5). PARTING Trial. QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. https://www.qimrberghofer.edu.au/study/parting-trial/.

Smith, M. MA, Robinson, L., & Segal, J, PhD. (2024, October 23). Coping with Grief and Loss: Stages of Grief and How to Heal. HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/grief/coping-with-grief-and-loss.

Grief and Loss. (2024). Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/caregiving/grief-and-loss.