Psychology

Tripping out: the highs and lows of psychedelic therapy

‘The strongest evidence is currently for addiction, then depression and anxiety, followed by moderate evidence for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD),’ says Professor David Nutt, a psychiatrist and neuropsychopharmacologist I speak to for advice, and who has pioneered the research. ‘In a study we published in The Lancet, one dose of psilocybin, found in magic mushrooms,…

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Psychology

Addiction specialists ponder a potential aid: pot

“There’s no scientific reason to believe that somebody is better off being completely miserable and sober than using cannabis occasionally, or even fairly regularly, as an adult and being functional and happy and productive,” said Dr. Reiman, an unpaid consultant with High Sobriety, who added, “Using cannabis is a relatively safe practice.” “Every single treatment…

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Psychology

LSD… microdosing to enhance creativity

Researchers have found that there is a correlation between psychedelic microdosing and a decrease in symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, Bipolar disorder and even addiction. The analogous nature of the active chemicals in drugs like LSD to serotonin, a chemical in the brain associated with happiness, is a big contributor to this, as it can…

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Psychology

The second coming of psychedelics

Three years later, Ric Godfrey says he hasn’t had a single symptom of the shakes or night terror since he came back from the jungle. He’s relaxed and holding down a great job. “I’ve always been afraid that someone was out to get me, but I don’t have that fear anymore,” he says. “I still…

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Psychology

Evidence of altered consciousness when using psychedelic drugs

Evidence that psychedelic drugs may offer some benefit has caused some psychiatrists to call for a reclassification of the drugs. A reclassification would make it easier to research potential benefits of these drugs. The role of psychedelic drugs in mental health, and especially in mental health treatment, continues to be controversial. Previous research suggests some…

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Psychology

People use drugs…

During… [the] tragic opioid crisis, many have written some variation of the sentence, “The war on drugs has failed.” It’s true. Decriminalizing drug use is required to solve this problem. But accompanying a policy shift will need to be a major attitude adjustment, including among us bleeding hearts…. In other words, our imposition of “help”…

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Psychology

Magic mushrooms as a treatment for depression

Writing in Scientific Reports (13 October 2017), the researchers said the findings were the first time that psilocybin had been shown to change brain activity outside of the active treatment period The team found that depressive symptoms were significantly reduced in all patients at one week, and 47% showed a response at five weeks. There…

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