Many worry that rushing to expand psychedelic therapy could increase the risks of things going wrong, create potential opportunities for abuse and set vulnerable people up for crushing disappointment if this “miracle” cure doesn’t work as well as promised. They argue that we’re only at the beginning of understanding how transformative psychedelic therapy could be once the rigid restrictions that limit its availability are lifted.īut other experts warn about being too hasty to draw broad conclusions based on results from small, highly controlled studies that may not translate into the real world. The most optimistic scientists say we already have plenty of evidence to show that these drugs can be incredibly powerful tools that could revolutionize mental health care in the U.S.

Experts aren’t entirely sure why this process seems to work so well, but the prevailing belief is that psychedelics may allow the brain to make new connections and reorganize itself in a way that makes people more receptive to therapeutic treatment. The therapist later follows up with “integration sessions” to help patients process their experience. Psychedelic therapy typically involves a patient taking a hallucinogenic drug in the presence of a mental health provider, who guides them through the experience and ensures their safety. Psychedelics are still illegal under federal law, but researchers have been granted more opportunities to test their effects in clinical trials over the past several years.įor some people, the effects of psychedelic therapy have been life changing. But the drugs were banned nationwide in 1970, bringing any studies of their possible health effects to a screeching halt. When psychedelics first gained popularity in the 1960s, some scientists saw potential benefits in their hallucinogenic properties. Many researchers now believe that before long, drugs like MDMA, ketamine and psilocybin (the active compound in magic mushrooms) could be a key tool for treating depression, PTSD, eating disorders, anxiety and addiction. Psychedelic drugs have been shown to have remarkable benefits for people who are struggling with a range of mental health issues, recent studies show. Illustration by Alex Cochran for Yahoo News photos: Oscar Wong/Getty Images, OsakaWayne Studios/Getty Images, Bloomberg Creative via Getty Images, Yagi Studio/Getty Images, and Javier Zayas Photography/Getty Images What’s happening

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