By Haley Weiss — 2019
A study on rats offers the first biological evidence that small doses of hallucinogenic drugs could have therapeutic benefits.
Read on www.theatlantic.com
CLEAR ALL
The mind-altering drug has been shown to help people suffering from anxiety and depression. But how it helps, who it will serve, and who will profit are open questions.
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My first encounter with ketamine did not go well.
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Through this treatment plan, the patient was able to “reconceptualize her trauma” and “was able to move through difficult memories and emotions rather than letting them consume her,” explained U of O associate professor, Monnica Williams.
The first randomized controlled trial to compare the illicit psychedelic psilocybin with a conventional selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant found that the former improved symptoms of depression just as well on an established metric—and had fewer side effects.
The authors found that micro-dosers tend to harbor less dysfunctional attitudes, exhibit less negative emotionality, and score higher on measures of wisdom, open-mindedness, and creativity.
Amazonian healing traditions collide with Western medical sensibilities.
The party line of the microdosing community is that it helps with feelings of depression and anxiety (depending on the drug and the severity of the illness), and can make general improvements to your day-to-day life — from focus and productivity (it’s a Silicon Valley hack) to sleep and sex drive.
A new generation of research into psilocybin could change how we treat numerous mental health conditions.