Adverse effects of psychedelics: From anecdotes and misinformation to systematic science

She endorsed a short history of LSD use in the 1960s, which she stopped after experiencing an “existential crisis” precipitated by taking two unspecified doses within hours of each other. She reported first using psilocybin three years prior to her hospitalization as part of a guided experience, with multiple uses since. Four months prior to admission, she had been functioning at her usual high level as a private practice psychotherapist working on several psychedelic clinical trials, and mother of three adult children. She maintained a life-long meditation practice and had recently celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary. Psychedelic substances have gained attention for their potential therapeutic benefits in mental health treatment. However, concerns alcoholism remain about their effects on individuals predisposed to psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia.

• Healing centers and facilitators will be required to ask patients about family and medical history before proceeding with psychedelic-assisted therapy.
• Subsequently, Health Canada granted exemption to 16 healthcare professionals to take psilocybin themselves for personal training (Dubinski, 2020), which is indicative of a rapidly growing infrastructure for psilocybin-assisted therapy in Canada.
• Those studies had a lot of methodological problems; many lack baseline data about their subjects, didn’t use placebos and/or failed to specify the source of the drug or the setting in which it was given.
• Since psychedelics affect people differently, even a mild dose can be unpredictable.
• Many countries and states treat psychedelics as controlled substances, meaning driving under their influence is a serious offense.
• Drake had seen just one winning season in the previous nine before DeVries took over, and he won 20-plus games there all six years he was in Des Moines.

Anxiety and depression

While anecdotal reports are abundant, rigorous evidence, such as clinical studies on microdosing, is still limited. Some small-scale studies have explored the cognitive effects and safety of microdosing, but more research is needed. However, some early research suggests that psychedelics may have the potential to treat conditions like OCD and certain eating disorders. Psilocybin and other psychedelics have been investigated for their potential to help individuals overcome addiction—for alcohol use disorders particularly. It is proposed that psychedelics may induce a profound shift in perspective and increase motivation for change. Psychedelic substances can interact with certain drugs, altering their effectiveness and increasing the likelihood of negative effects.

• Unfortunately, this did not generate the same media attention as the original work (Strassman, 1984), meaning that earlier studies played a major role in shaping media representations of psychedelics, ultimately shaping public opinion.
• He also wanted to see how different processing methods affected the release of the psychoactive alkaloid nuciferine that causes the euphoria.
• The NMDA receptor hypofunction hypothesis posits that reduced glutamatergic transmission, particularly in cortical and hippocampal circuits, leads to disorganized thought processes and cognitive impairments.
• To mitigate this risk, psychedelic experiences should be paired with therapy sessions and close supervision.
• In Europe, a special use programme for d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin has been established in Switzerland to provide compassionate access to (mainly major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)) patients not responding to other treatments (Schmid et al., 2021).
• You may choose to attend a psychedelic integration circle which is an intimate closed space for people to share their experiences on psychedelics.
• Psilocybin and other psychedelics have been investigated for their potential to help individuals overcome addiction—for alcohol use disorders particularly.

Serotonin and Dopamine Receptor Activity

It emphasizes the importance of one’s mindset (set) and the physical and social environment (setting) in which psychedelic experiences occur. This concept was popularized by Timothy Leary, a Harvard researcher and key figure in the psychedelic movement. Therefore, those who are prone to manic episodes or have psychosis previously should consult with their mental health care provider when deciding whether or not to use psychedelics. After the psychedelic drug sessions are finished, the therapist will often engage in a supportive follow-up process with the client.

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However, scientists need are psychedelics addictive to carry out more clinical studies to investigate how effective psychedelics are for health conditions and the safety and long-term effects of psychedelics. Ultimately, the field is still evolving—more rigorous clinical research is required to establish the long-term effects of these treatments. We need to wait before we can conclude psychedelics as mainstream treatments for mental health conditions.

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LSD, for example, has partial agonist activity at dopamine D2 receptors, which may explain its higher potential for inducing euphoria and reinforcing effects compared to psilocybin. Given that dysregulated dopamine signaling is a hallmark of schizophrenia, the ability of psychedelics to modulate this pathway raises concerns for individuals predisposed to psychotic disorders. Serotonergic dysfunction also plays a role, particularly in relation to perceptual disturbances. The 5-HT2A receptor, a primary target of classic psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD, modulates sensory processing and cognitive flexibility. Postmortem studies have shown increased 5-HT2A receptor density in the prefrontal cortex of individuals with schizophrenia, which may contribute to heightened sensitivity to external stimuli and delusional beliefs.

• Thompson said it’s important for a facilitator to know if a patient has used certain medications, such as an SSRI (a common antidepressant) long term.
• If the cognitive effects aren’t enough to deter someone from driving on shrooms, the legal consequences should be.
• It’s currently believed that SSRI’s can change the way someone responds to psychedelics such as psilocybin.
• While governments have offered some clarity, there are many matters that regulators have yet to flesh out.

Once LSD was banned, most countries made other serotonergic psychedelics illegal as well (Nutt et al., 2013; Rucker et al., 2018). Psilocybin may also be helpful in the treatment of depression and anxiety when these mental health conditions are specifically linked to life threatening diseases, according to a 2020 systematic review and meta-analyses of clinical trials in Biomedicines. Research on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addiction is still in its infancy and ongoing.