The Re-Emergence of Psychedelic Assisted Therapy
Psychedelic Assisted Therapy has re-emerged as a form of therapy to help treat individuals with depression, anxiety, PTSD, addiction, and other issues. This form of therapy came about in the 1950s-1960s, however, the first wave of research was brought to a halt as there were several flaws in research methodologies due to more lenient regulations for testing human subjects at the time (Wheeler, 2020). Since the 1990s and with tighter regulations, there have been several clinical studies on psychedelic therapy that have shown to safely improve mental health disorders.
What are Psychedelics?
Psychedelics are a class of psychoactive substances thought to “expand consciousness” (Penn, 2021). There are several substances that are classified as psychedelics such as MDMA, LSD, psilocybin, ketamine, DMT, salvia, and more. For some people, psychedelics can be the only treatment intervention that is effective when compared to talk therapy and traditional medications. Within psychotherapy research, ketamine is actually the primary substance prescribed, while psilocybin is currently being reviewed.
Ketamine has some advantages over other psychedelics when used within psychotherapy. The psychoactive effects last about an hour, and it is not classified as a Schedule I like some psychedelics as it is already a prescription drug used for anesthesia (Krupitsky, 1997). According to a review article on a ten-year longitudinal study for ketamine-assisted therapy, It was found that out of the 111 participants who were being treated for alcoholism, 65.8% of the patients remained abstinent from alcohol use for more than one year. It has been consistent that ketamine-assisted psychedelic therapy resulted in alcoholic patients experiencing positive transformation of non-verbalized self-concept and emotional attitudes to various aspects of themselves and other people, as well as positive changes in life values and purposes (Krupitsky, 1997). The biggest takeaway is that the psychological changes were shown to favor a sober lifestyle, which was the main reason for using this type of treatment intervention.
In recent history, psilocybin has been studied as a treatment alongside others for tobacco cessation, alcohol dependence, anxiety and depression related to life-limiting illness, and demoralization experienced by long-term AIDS survivors (Penn, 2021). The emergence of psychedelic-assisted therapy treatment can be a powerful tool for patients because of how effective it can be compared to other treatments that have not worked for so many individuals.
The Research and Potential Benefits
With this new wave of psychedelic therapy, there is a great deal of research being done to fully understand and discover the benefits of using psychedelics for treating mental health conditions compared to conventional pharmaceutical drugs. One review article, “A Systematic Review of Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy for Mental Health”, including 43 studies combined concluded that overall, patients reported experiencing increased acceptance of emotions, positive changes in perspectives regarding themselves and their condition, and enhanced connectedness with others and the universe as a whole. This outcome is based on treatments for conditions of substance use disorders; anxiety and/or depression, often associated with a terminal illness; posttraumatic stress disorder; and obsessive–compulsive disorder (Wheeler, 2020).
Dr. Roland Griffiths, a psychopharmacologist working at John Hopkins’ Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research stated that a study of 51 cancer patients with a life-threatening diagnosis who met the criteria for having an anxiety disorder have improved symptoms from the use of psychedelic-assisted therapy. From the study, 92% of those who received a high dose of psilocybin were showing clinically significant improvements just five weeks after the session compared to those who took the low dose (Griffiths, 2016).
Where We Are Now, and What’s in Store For the Future
Psychedelics are increasingly becoming more accepted in medical capacities. In 2019, Denver was the first city in the United States to decriminalize psilocybin and since then, several cities began to consider decriminalizing it. A year later, Oregon became the first state to both decriminalize psilocybin and legalize it for therapeutic use (Siegal, 2023). As we slowly step away from the negative outlook on psychedelics and tap more into their therapeutic potential, there will continue to be a push for obtaining FDA approval and the DEA on changing the classifications of psychedelics.
References:
Fauvel, B., Strika-Bruneau, L., & Piolino, P. (2023). Changes in self-rumination and self-compassion mediate the effect of psychedelic experiences on decreases in depression, anxiety, and stress. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, 10(1), 88-102. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/cns0000283
Griffiths, R. (2016, April 20). The science of psilocybin and its use to relieve suffering. YouTube. https://youtu.be/81-v8ePXPd4
Krupitsky, E. M., & Grinenko, A. Y. (1997). Ketamine psychedelic therapy (KPT): A review of the results of ten years of research. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 29(2), 165-183. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.1997.10400185
Penn, A., Dorsen, C. G., Hope, S., & Rosa, W. E. (2021). Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: Emerging Treatments in Mental Health Disorders. The American journal of nursing, 121(6), 34–40. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000753464.35523.29
Siegel, J. S., Daily, J. E., Perry, D. A., & Nicol, G. E. (2023). Psychedelic Drug Legislative Reform and Legalization in the US. JAMA psychiatry, 80(1), 77–83. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.4101
Wheeler, S. W., & Dyer, N. L. (2020). A systematic review of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for mental health: An evaluation of the current wave of research and suggestions for the future. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, 7(3), 279-315. doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/cns0000237
