Study: From Research to Reality: Crafting an Image of the Current State of Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapies for Substance Use Disorders. Image Credit: YARPhotographer / Shutterstock.com How can modern psychedelic research and traditional approaches integrate to address substance use disorders and mental health challenges? A recent study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs discusses the history and current state of psychedelic research for the treatment of substance abuse disorders (SUDs).
Psychedelics Psychedelics are consciousness-altering drugs, some of which include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), dimethyltryptamine (DMT), psilocybin, and mescaline. Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and ketamine are also considered psychedelics; however, these drugs have different mechanisms of action. Although psychedelics have been exploited for centuries to induce altered states of consciousness, their use, as opposed to their abuse, has largely been unexplored in modern medicine.
In fact, several studies have indicated the potential utility of psychedelics for individuals who have mental illness due to traumatic experiences, false beliefs, and unhealthy behavioral patterns, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. The recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to global changes in the use of methamphetamine, alcohol, and cannabis, as well as a significant increase in opioid overdoses in the United States. Thus, another prom.