What Are Psychedelics?
Psychedelics also known as hallucinogens are a class of psychoactive substances that can alter perception, mood, and cognitive processes. Psychedelics can affect a person’s senses and alter a person’s thinking, sense of time, and space. They have the ability to help the consumers escape reality and indulge in a spiritual experience.
Use of Magic mushrooms for the treatment of depression
Magic mushrooms are a type of psychedelic drug, wherein the mushroom contains hallucinogenic alkaloids such as psilocybin, consuming this drug can cause nausea, hallucinations, increased heart rates, and drowsiness.
Magic mushrooms are now being looked at under a fresh lens which is that of using it for psychological therapy. A recent early age study published by the New England Journal of Medicine has suggested that psychedelics are as effective as leading anti-depressants in treating moderate to severe depression. As per the study, 30 out of 59 adults were given 25mg doses of psilocybin 3 weeks apart and daily placebo capsules; the other 29 adults were given 2 doses of psilocybin 3 weeks apart (the dose was very low and was considered inactive) and escitalopram capsules. After the end of the six weeks, both groups on average showed a decrease in the severity of symptoms. Although, the reductions appeared more quickly in the psilocybin group. The results conclude that magic mushrooms show promise as a medicine for the treatment of depression.
As per an article published by the BBC, psilocybin in magic mushrooms appears to free up the brains of people suffering from severe depression which in a way other anti-depressants don’t. Psilocybin helps in improving the overall mood and ability to feel pleasure. It is important that the drugs are provided under the supervision of a medical professional as an overdose of the drugs could cause hallucinations, nausea, drowsiness, etc.
MDMA-assisted therapy for the treatment of PTSD
Experts have discovered that giving people with PTSD a small amount of MDMA in a clinical setting helps them open up and work through traumatic events. But, because of its history as a recreational drug with the potential for harm, abuse, and addiction, MDMA is not approved for legal use. However, the FDA has designated the drug’s beneficial effects on PTSD symptoms as “breakthrough therapy” since 2017.
MDMA (short for 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) stimulates the release of neurotransmitters, which are chemical messengers to brain cells that change brain activity. Dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine are examples of “feel-good” hormones, as are oxytocin, prolactin, cortisol, and vasopressin.
The following emotions may be experienced as a result of the effects: Empathy, Self-Awareness, Sensory pleasure, and less anxiety. All of these effects can make the patient open up about difficult emotions and share their past experiences.
Cannabis for reducing social anxiety
The Cannabaceae family of flowering plants is a relatively small family of flowering plants with 11 genera and approximately 170 different species, a small number of which elicit a variety of varying psychoactive effects.
The endocannabinoid system has been discovered to be a modulator of anxiety and mood, with recent research indicating that cannabinoids or substances targeting this system may interact with specific brain regions such as the medial prefrontal cortex, amygdaloid complex, bed nucleus of stria terminalis, and hippocampus.
Cannabidiol (CBD) was found to be effective as a treatment for anxiety specifically social anxiety disorder (among other anxiety disorders) in a 2015 review. Individuals with social anxiety who were given CBD had increased blood flow in the cingulate cortex, which is involved in interpreting the reactions of others. They also had decreased blood flow to the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus (PAG), which are important in memory formation and recall, as well as the inferior temporal gyrus, which helps you perceive faces.
Psychedelics have always been a part of the human culture because it helps humans have a spiritual experience. But the consumption of the substance has to be minimal as a higher dose of psychedelics can cause harm to one’s health. Marijuana has been legal in a lot of parts of the world due to its benefits in pain relief. A lot of research is being done by the best psychiatrists and research scientists in the area of Psychedelics being used for the treatment of mental health disorders and the results have been positive. Although the condition remains that the consumption must happen under supervision.
Janhavi Mehta
Psychologist
Veda Wellness and Rehabilitation