Psychedelics have been stigmatized in Western culture since their creation, but new research shows that these dangerous substances are actually very beneficial in treating mental disorders and also safer than we thought. With psychedelics becoming more widely available to the public, we’re now looking into the past and seeing what these drugs could be used for. We’ve had the opportunity to see how these substances affect people with depression, PTSD, anxiety and even autism; it would only make sense to make them more accessible to people who suffer from these conditions, right?
An Overview on How Psychedelics Can Help
Today, many people are finding psychedelics to be a highly therapeutic tool. In fact, some studies show that psychedelic drug use has positive effects on mental health. One study published in 2012 found that just one dose of psilocybin could significantly reduce anxiety and depression for up to six months. Another study published in 2016 found that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy could help alleviate anxiety and PTSD symptoms in sufferers of severe trauma—such as those who had survived violent crimes or sexual assault.
What Are ‘Psychedelic Microdosing’ and ‘Ampakines’?
Recently, a range of media coverage has drawn attention to microdosing—taking miniscule amounts of psilocybin (the main ingredient in magic mushrooms) and LSD to try to improve performance. Meanwhile, an ampakine is a new class of drug designed for regulating AMPA receptors, which play a key role in learning and memory.
What About the Risks?
It’s a common misconception that psychedelics have no risks or negative side effects. This is not exactly true, but it’s also not totally false. Of course, psychedelics do have potential side effects—the main one being a heightened risk of psychological distress in people with mental health issues and/or who are prone to them.
What’s The Future of Psychedelic Therapy?
It is well known that psychedelic-assisted therapies work. We have seen them (with LSD, psilocybin and MDMA) eliminate depression for months and even years after a single treatment. It is also becoming increasingly obvious that these plant medicines are much safer than we previously believed; in fact, when administered to carefully screened patients in controlled settings with proper preparation and integration work, psychedelics appear to be very safe indeed. What will happen once psychedelics are widely legal for use in psychotherapy? Who will prescribe them?