‘Psychedelic sanctuary’ will help drug users get over bad trips
“How do you recover from a bad trip? A “psychedelics sanctuary” is set to open in New York this month, the first US therapeutic facility for users of psychedelic drugs. Instead of focusing on going cold turkey, the centre will use psychotherapy and group support to help users come to terms with any intense and difficult experiences they might have had while taking hallucinogenic drugs.”
Psychedelic drugs, such as LSD, are usually regarded as drugs of abuse. Conventionally, treatment has attempted to rid people of their addictions, encouraging complete abstinence. However, LSD, psilocybin and other psychedelics are not physiologically addictive. Many people who use psychedelics are not looking to be cured, but instead seek help making sense of their trips, which can sometimes fundamentally challenge how they see the world. “Many addiction treatment centres require the new patient to immediately establish abstinence as a requirement of starting treatment,” says Jeffrey Guss at the New York University School of Medicine. “While this may be the optimal path, some patients are just not ready to stop using completely, but are willing to begin a conversation about their concerns and worries about their use.” Staff working at the sanctuary will include a doctor, 11 clinical psychologists, plus psychedelics researchers. It will offer support groups, workshops and training in meditation and yoga. Preliminary, unpublished research suggests that people who receive help from group therapy have improved levels of well-being, says Katherine MacLean of the Center for Optimal Living. But while some people may benefit from sharing their experiences, others risk experiencing more trauma by recalling them, says Elias Dakwar, a clinical psychologist at Columbia University’s Division on Substance Abuse. It’s important that the therapists who lead these group therapy sessions are properly trained and familiar with psychedelics, he says. MacLean says centre staff will work to understand which people will and won’t benefit from group therapy. The centre will also look into the longer-term effects on people who have used ibogaine and ayahuasca, two increasingly popular but little-studied hallucinogens. The psychedelic sanctuary will also try to help users integrate more positive feelings from their drug use into their wider lives. Psychedelics can help people feel more compassion for others, and closer to nature. Research is starting to show that, in some cases, psychedelic trips that are guided by a therapist may prove beneficial for relieving depression and anxiety. A recent psilocybin study found that this compound from magic mushrooms can help people with life-threatening cancer face death.
Original Article (New Scientist):
‘Psychedelic sanctuary’ will help drug users get over bad trips
Artwork Fair Use: Tony Alter
