Psychedelics or Hallucinogenic drugs are substances that cause an altered state of consciousness, perceptions, and thoughts. The term ‘Psychedelic’, refers to ‘mind-manifesting’ according to the Psychiatrist, Humphry Osmond. They include LSD, DMT, MDMA, etc.
Dr. Jerrold Rosenbaum mentioned that Psychedelic drugs might cause the brain to change in such a way that allows a reset to take place and permits alteration in previously stuck ways of feeling and thinking about most things. The psychedelic drugs put the patients into a transient state where they will be able to process their memories, feelings, and past trauma in a better way, and they will be able to establish a new perspective on themselves which is freeing and healing. This is called Psychedelic Assisted Therapy.
According to Michael Pollan, during the 1950s and the 1960s, many regarded LSD and psilocybin as wonder drugs that helped the treatment of depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction, and many more. But as these drugs came to be correlated with the counterculture of the 1960s, the excitement around these new drugs gave a new way to moral panic. But the usefulness of most psychedelics kept growing rapidly.
Psychedelic drugs provide a promising future for the treatment of various mental health conditions by being paired with psychotherapy. Studies show successful results for these treatments with remarkable clinical improvements and few if any, serious adverse effects. The emerging results have implications for future psychiatric research, education, and policy and they are assured to offer new therapeutic options.
Results of a study suggest psychedelics might have a protective effect when it comes to general mental illness. Pooling more than 150,000 adults, the relationship between classic psychedelic use and psychological distress and suicidality was evaluated by researchers. They found that psychedelic use was linked with a significant decrease in the previous month psychological distress, and the past year suicidal thinking, planning, and attempt. This offers new insight into the potential promise of psychedelics in helping to prevent suicide.
The use of psychedelics has both pros and cons of its own. They provide a promising treatment for psychiatric conditions like PTSD, depression, etc. Under genuine supervision, the usage of psychedelics for the treatment of various mental health conditions can be life-changing.
Regardless of their promise in the field of psychiatric treatment, psychedelic drugs have not yet been regarded as conventional medicine. These substances can cause severe disability, these should not be used without actual guidance, and there can be adverse side effects.
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About the Author.
Supritha Bhat s a psychologist at MindTribe.in. You can learn more about her by clicking here
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Acknowledgement: All images used are open source and from Unsplash.