Theorizing that Psychedelic Assisted Therapy May Play a Role in the Treatment of Trauma-Induced Personality Disorders.
Gianni Martire, Daniel Sipple, David Baron, Mark S Gold, Kai-Uwe Lewandowski, Catherine A Dennen, Alireza Sharafshah, Igor Elman, Panayotis K Thanos, Edward J Modestino, Rajendra D Badgaiyan, Albert Pinhasov, Abdalla Bowirrat, Milan Makale, A Kenison Roy, Keerthy Sunder, Kevin T Murphy, Shaurya Mahajan, Yatharth Mahajan, Chynna Levin, Kenenth Blum
Journal of addiction psychiatry January 1, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.psc.2018.07.008 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractBorderline personality disorder (BPD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) share overlapping neurobiological mechanisms, particularly reward deficiency and stress-like anti-reward processes. The authors propose reclassifying BPD as a "traumatic personality stress disorder" (TPSD) to unify therapeutic strategies that may stabilize dopaminergic reward function, such as psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT). They argue that PAT could treat trauma-induced personality disorders by addressing these shared mechanisms. Reframing BPD as TPSD may lead to more effective, personalized interventions, reduce stigma, and improve understanding of underlying mechanisms, benefiting conditions characterized by anhedonia, negative affect, hypervigilance, and dissociation.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Topics | Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy PTSD |
| Keywords | Personality disorders bpd Personality pathology Borderline personality disorder |
| Citations | 341 |
| Key finding | Psychedelic-assisted therapy may play a role in treating trauma-induced personality disorders by targeting shared neurobiological mechanisms between BPD and PTSD. |
Abstract
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) share overlapping neurobiological mechanisms particularly reward deficiency and stress-like anti-reward processes. And so, BPD may be reclassified as a "traumatic personality stress disorder" (TPSD) with ensuing common therapeutic strategies that may stabilize dopaminergic reward function such as psychedelic-assisted therapy. Integrated therapeutic strategies may be further supported by genetic studies aimed at assessing similarities between the two therapeutic entities. In this perspective we theorize that psychedelic assisted therapy (PAT) may play a role in the treatment of trauma induced personality disorders. This study identifies PAT as a pathway for treating both BPD and PTSD, proposing that reframing BPD as TPSD could lead to more effective, personalized interventions, ultimately improving the quality of life for those affected by trauma. Such a reclassification might also mitigate stigma, enhance our understanding of the underlying mechanisms, and optimize therapeutic interventions for a broader range of diagnostic categories characterized by anhedonia, negative affective states, hypervigilance, and dissociation.