Psychedelic.
A word that can give a variety of impressions — some good and some bad. But one thing is for sure, our understanding of them is at a revolutionary cusp.
Psychedelics are Schedule 1 substances that alter perception, mood and affect numerous cognitive processes.
This includes magic mushrooms, MDMA and LSD. Despite their federal drug classification, scientists have been using them in an attempt to treat various types of mental disorders — from PTSD and anxiety to addiction and Alzheimer’s.
More than two decades of research by John Hopkins University were a catalyst for a rapidly shifting dialogue on how to approach these substances. Their studies found that psychedelics have the potential to cure mental disorders, as well as promote healthier brain function in adults.
A study by Professor Albert Romeu-Garciais one of the most influential publications by John Hopkins. His team took 343 individuals with alcohol use disorder or “AUD” and submitted them to a psychedelic treatment. They found that after a single, moderate-to-high dose of LSD, 83 percent of the individuals no longer met the AUD criteria.
“Participants rated their psychedelic experience as highly meaningful and insightful, endorsing psychedelic-associated changes in life priorities or values as facilitating reduced alcohol misuse,” according to the study.
This response is attributed to the effect these substances have on the biochemistry within the brain.
Essentially what happens is there is a decrease of blood flow to the brain’s default mode network that results in the creation of new neural pathways.
Creating new neural pathways within a therapeutic setting is what solidifies the positive response from the individuals suffering from the illness.
A treatment with this high of a success rate for alcohol addiction is instrumental when considering that there is no functional treatment in place to help those with the addiction.
This is one of more than 75 peer reviewed studies that have provided sufficient evidence for their utility.
It is promising results such as these that have raised awareness to the necessity of these studies, and are exactly why they are being studied in the field of psychology in colleges and universities across the country.
Last year UC Berkeley opened up a center dedicated to Psychedelic Science and Education with a plan to educate the public about the advancement of psychedelic research.
Professor Michael Pollan of UC Berkeley wrote a book in 2018 about how psychedelics, if used properly, can aid psychologists in the pursuit of mental health treatment.
He is releasing a new book this year as a continuation of that thought which revolves around the social implications of introducing psychedelics into society as a mainstream treatment.
“I’m looking at the age-old human engagement with plants that change consciousness,” he said in an MSNBC interview Aug. 25. “All of us are involved in those plants whether you drink alcohol, coffee, tea or even more powerful things like magic mushrooms. This is a curious innate human drive to want to change consciousness. We need to accept that it’s just part of our humanity, instead of going to war with that urge. Which is what we’ve been doing for at least 50 years.”
This year marks the 50th anniversary of The War on Drugs, and the California senate is looking at bill SB-519, which may cultivate a new approach.
It was introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener, who is an advocate for psychedelic science and drug reform. In early September, the Chacruna Institute hosted a web forum where he spoke to a few non-profit organizations advocating for psychedelic reform.
“In the big picture, we need to end the war on drugs—for all drugs—and we should not be criminalizing possession and use of drugs,” Weiner said. “Drugs are a health issue, drugs are many things, they’re not a criminal issue.”
Bill SB-519 is a bill that would essentially allow individuals 21 or older in the state of California to possess and share these substances
If the bill is signed, then we could be looking at a major shift on how the government will approach drugs in the future.
This act would follow the lead of Oregon and Colorado. California, Oakland and Santa Cruz have already decriminalized these substances but a statewide shift is close.
More importantly, this means that further research will be allowed to take place. The change in regulation will open the doors for further education and investigation.
Learning more about these drugs has proven to be instrumental in expanding the general understanding of mental illness and how to treat it.
According to the CDC, mental illness is at a steady incline. Adults with symptoms of anxiety or a depressive disorder increased from 36.4 percent to 41.5 percent, and the percentage of those reporting an unmet mental health care need increased from 9.2 percent to 11.7 percent.
The rise is attributed to the repercussions brought on by the global pandemic. The main factors range from social isolation to unemployment.
At a time when mental illness is on the rise, this may be exactly what mental health treatments need to stay ahead of the curve.