Friday, October 27, 2023
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Psychedelics
Research
What is Psychedelic Therapy?
Psychedelic therapy aka psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, or the acronym PAP is a type of psychotherapy in which organic psychedelic compounds or chemicals are used as part of the psychotherapeutic process.
The use of psychoactive substances is frequently paired with communicative therapy in psychedelic therapy.
In both clinical and non-clinical contexts, a variety of consciousness-altering psychedelic substances are now being utilized or investigated for therapeutic purposes, often referred to as psychedelic medicine by some. They are also using psychedelic substances and therapies to engage in consciousness research.
Psychedelic substances such as psilocybin (psychedelic mushrooms or magic mushrooms), DMT, peyote, ayahuasca, and ibogaine are all produced from plants or fungi. Others are chemical compounds, such as ketamine, MDMA, and LSD, for example.
Psychedelic treatments are relatively young in Western professional medical settings, despite millennia of usage among Indigenous tribes for therapeutic, consciousness, and religious purposes.
With the rising legalization of some psychedelic compounds, an increase in mental health concerns, and a slowdown in psychopharmacological research, it’s becoming more prevalent in the Western world.
The therapeutic potential of psychedelics whether they be psilocybin assisted therapy or ketamine therapies or even MDMA assisted psychotherapy is something that has been shown to help with certain mental health conditions as well as general well-being.
4 Popular Psychedelic Drugs or Substances Used in Therapy
Here’s a four of the various psychedelic drugs or substances and their possible applications within the realm of psychedelic therapy.
1. Ketamine-Assisted Therapy
The most researched psychedelic medication for mental health treatment is ketamine.
It has been demonstrated to be effective in modest dosages in various experiments looking into its ability to cure depression, although its benefits are transient.
For those with serious depression, for example, evidence suggests that therapy produces considerable improvements, with gains lasting on average 6 to 8 weeks.
Spravato, a medication based on these discoveries, has been developed. It’s a nasal spray that contains the active component ketamine. Intravenous ketamine administration, on the other hand, is thought to be more effective and less costly.
2. Psilocybin Assisted Treatment (Magic Mushrooms)
The principal component in psychedelic mushrooms also known as magic mushrooms, psilocybin, has shown promise in treating depression and anxiety in persons with terminal illnesses, such as cancers.
It may also assist with OCD, substance addictions, and treatment-resistant depression, according to experts, but more study is needed.
3. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD)
LSD, or lysergic acid diethylamide, is a long-acting, powerful psychedelic that is regarded as the archetype for therapeutic psychedelics and has been demonstrated to aid with both alcoholism and anxiety in persons with terminal diseases, such as late-stage cancers.
4. MDMA Assisted Psychotherapy
MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine), sometimes known as ecstasy or molly, is a psychoactive substance that is being used in some clinical settings. According to studies, MDMA can alleviate PTSD symptoms for up to four years!
Specialists have also concluded a phase 3 study for PTSD using MDMA-assisted therapy, which examines whether a treatment performs better than what is already available. This was the first psychedelic-assisted treatment phase 3 experiment.
After three sessions, 67 percent of 90 individuals with severe PTSD no longer met the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis, and 88 percent had decreased PTSD symptoms.
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, which sponsored the experiment, claims that the findings might lead to FDA clearance by 2023.