Rebirth of Psychedelics

Recent research has highlighted the benefits of psychedelic treatments for a range of disorders.

• Psychedelic drugs have been around for thousands of years. Throughout this time, humanity’s relationship with such drugs has fluctuated - sometimes for the better, other times for the worst.
• Recent research has shown that psychedelics such as psilocybin or LSD, can be used to treat a range of mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, addiction, OCD and PTSD - to name a few.
• Crucially, for some who suffer from such disorders - particularly those on the more extreme end of the spectrum - there are often no existing treatments that alleviate the symptoms they experience.
• Such symptoms can be highly debilitating and can significantly reduce the quality of life for those who experience them.
• Research has shown that for certain individuals, psychedelic treatments could alter automated brain processes typically displayed in those with such disorders, in a “rewiring” of sorts in the brain.
• Neuroscientist, David Nutt, said psychedelics could transform the treatment paradigm, yet regulatory hurdles, economics and trial design considerations frequently stand in the way of the research.
• The bitter relationship between society and psychedelic drugs across recent history had resulted in a halt in the medical research.
• The illegal status of LSD and psilocybin in many countries across the globe has also meant that trying to source funding for such drug trials can be extremely challenging.
• In addition, due to the fact that psychedelics have existed within society for centuries, they cannot be patented. Therefore, big pharma companies don’t have the incentive to invest in such trials.
• The future of psychedelic treatment is uncertain, but if it could hold the medical benefits that preliminary studies argue it does, we could be seeing it as a treatment a lot sooner than we think.