Sponsored
LSD, MDMA and magic mushrooms. This isn’t a list of things that were confiscated at a music festival. These might each have reputations as scandalous party drugs but it turns out that they may also be effective tools for addiction treatment. Psychedelic assisted therapy has become a promising treatment option over the past few decades.
Researchers explored psychedelic drug therapy in the 1940s to 1960s to find out if they could help mental health treatment including addiction recovery.
But eventually this came to a stop because of stricter government regulations. Psychedelic drugs were being misunderstood and lumped together with recreational drugs and a lack of evidence based research.
In the last decade psychedelics have gained momentum again. Growing research is finding that they can be safe and effective for mental health and addiction recovery when they’re used the right way.
What Is Psychedelic Therapy?
Psychedelic therapy is a type of mental health and substance use treatment where your therapist provides psychedelic drugs that have mind altering effects. You take these drugs as part of therapy sessions to help shift your perspective, behavior and self awareness.
Research suggests that certain psychedelic drugs can be very helpful for mental health in the right doses in a controlled environment with trained providers.
Proponents assert that psychedelic therapy can help with treatment resistant depression and PTSD as well as addiction. In substance use psychedelics seem to reset the brain’s reward systems that are tied to addiction like emotion regulation and impulse control.
However, the efficacy of psychedelic therapy for substance use disorders remains unclear and research is ongoing.
How Does Psychedelic Therapy Work?
Psychedelic assisted therapy works on both a psychological and physical level. On a psychological level a trained mental health professional guides you in your altered state of consciousness produced by the psychedelic drugs within a calming and controlled environment.
The therapist’s guidance is an important part of psychedelic drug therapy. Your therapist helps you explore any memories, emotions, traumas or insights you gain while you’re under the influence of psychedelic drugs. The deep emotional exploration from the psychedelic use may be confusing or difficult to process without this piece and it may not lead to meaningful or lasting changes.
On a physical level psychedelics interact with some of the feel good hormones in your brain like serotonin. That interaction allows your brain to form new connections and can change how you think and feel.
These changes in the areas of your brain linked to emotions, decision making and memory can help you unlearn some of the unhealthy and destructive thought patterns that affect addiction.
What Are Psychedelics?
Psychedelics are a subset of hallucinogens that alter a person’s mood, thinking and perception because they impact the serotonin receptors in the brain. Throughout history certain psychedelics have been used in spiritual or religious and cultural rituals.
Psychedelics can be therapeutic because they expand a person’s consciousness and this can open you up to profound reflection. Traditional psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin are relatively safer substances compared to alcohol.
Hallucinogens like PCP are a broader category of substances that distort sensory perceptions and cause hallucinations. In this case the altered perceptions during use may or may not have therapeutic properties.
According to 2023 research in Cureus: Journal of Medical Science this is because hallucinogens have a wide range of varying effects that may be more dissociative rather than explorative.
Types of Psychedelic Therapy Approaches
Medical professionals who are trained in psychedelic therapy use different approaches. Your therapy could vary based on your mental health history, the substances you use and your other needs.
It’s also usually recommended to have some pre-treatment therapy sessions before the psychedelic experience. This allows you to understand more about the process, ensure that you’re mentally ready and have the right intentions going into the session.
There are five psychedelic therapy approaches that may be used.
In guided sessions a therapist trained in psychedelic assisted therapy gives you emotional support and safety while guiding you throughout the psychedelic experience.
Integration therapy emphasizes processing the insights you gain while using psychedelics. After the psychedelic session your therapist helps you process your experience and integrate the insights into your daily life.
Microdosing is an approach where a qualified professional provides a small dose of a psychedelic drug over a longer time. This doesn’t cause hallucinations or alter perception but it can subtly enhance your mood, creativity and focus.
During high dose therapeutic sessions the therapist administers higher doses of psychedelics like psilocybin or LSD compared to microdosing. This may treat mental health conditions like depression and addiction.
Group therapy is done in small groups where you have psychedelic experiences together or you use the psychedelics in individual sessions and talk about them in group therapy. It can be cost effective but it can also be helpful to learn from others’ experiences and build connections during the experience.
In some cases though you may have a hard time opening up to the group about your experience and this integration therapy is more rigid because of the group dynamic.
History of Psychedelics
Psychedelic therapy has struggled to gain acceptance in the medical community even though it has limited medical risks, strong therapeutic benefits and a long history in various cultures. Indigenous communities have used psychedelics like ayahuasca and peyote in ceremonies for spiritual and healing purposes. Psilocybin has been used medicinally for centuries.
LSD compounds showed promise for treating mood disorders and alcohol dependence in the 1950s and 1960s. The US government put a stop to psychedelic drug research in the 1970s and 1980s though because psychedelics were also being used recreationally. They classified these drugs as Schedule I drugs which labels them as having no medical use and a high risk for misuse.
In the past decade the medical community has started to revisit psychedelics. New research shows the benefits of psychedelic drugs and how effective they can be for substance use disorder and other mental health conditions.
Types of Psychedelics
Psychedelics come in various types and forms. Scientists categorize them based on where they come from (natural vs. laboratory created) and how they work in the brain. There are three core categories of psychedelics.
Classic or Serotonergic Agonists
These are the most well known psychedelics and they target the serotonin receptors in the brain. Examples of these psychedelic drugs include LSD, psilocybin, DMT and mescaline.
LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide) is a lab made psychedelic that can affect an individual’s perception and self awareness.
Psilocybin is the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms which are sometimes called magic mushrooms. It’s been mostly studied in addiction treatment.
DMT is the active ingredient in ayahuasca. It’s found in plants and is often used in spiritual ceremonies by boiling the plant and making it into tea.
Mescaline is also associated with spiritual rituals. It’s a naturally occurring psychedelic drug found in cacti like the peyote cacti.
Dissociative Anesthetics
These types of psychedelic drugs are traditionally used in medical procedures to reduce pain. They may also help with certain mental health conditions. The most well known examples are ketamine and DXM.
Ketamine is a psychedelic that has been researched for a couple of decades. It was originally used in veterinary medicine and it has been shown to be effective for many psychiatric disorders especially as a rapid acting antidepressant.
DXM (Dextromethorphan) is a common ingredient in over the counter cough suppressants. In high doses it acts as a dissociative psychedelic.
Empathogens and Entactogens
These synthetic drugs are made in labs and are known for making people feel more emotionally vulnerable. They have a higher rate of abuse so they are best used in a controlled environment like psychedelic assisted therapy.
The most well known drug in this category is MDMA. It’s commonly known as ecstasy or molly. This psychedelic drug has historically been seen as a party drug but researchers are now finding it to be a promising treatment for post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.
What Are the Treatment Options for Drug Addiction?
Treatment options for drug addiction can vary depending on drugs you’re using and how severe your addiction is. Drug addiction treatment can include any number of four levels of care.
Detoxification involves safely managing withdrawal symptoms and clearing the body of substances under medical supervision.
During inpatient treatment healthcare professionals provide round the clock residential care in a structured environment. Treatment normally includes medication management, group therapy and individual therapy.
Outpatient treatment uses flexible treatment programs that allow you to live at home and continue daily responsibilities while attending therapy sessions.
Aftercare is long term support to help maintain sobriety such as counseling, 12 step meetings or sober living communities.
Where Can I Find Information About Substance Abuse Treatment?
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction then there are resources available to help. Try these options to connect with treatment in your area.
SAMHSA’s National Helpline is available at all times to guide you and help you find treatment. You can call the hotline or visit samhsa.gov for free and confidential support.
Rehabs.org is an online directory for finding treatment centers and recovery programs.
Your doctor or therapist can connect you with treatment centers and give you a referral so you can get the care you need.
Local support groups like Narcotics Anonymous or NA and SMART Recovery offer community support and guidance for any stage in your recovery.
There’s help available regardless of your addiction so check out any of the resources above to get started.
