The Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin
From depression to alcohol addiction, researchers uniformly say legal medical “magic mushrooms” have many "benefits that the global legislation simply does not acknowledge".
One of the leading causes of illness and disability around the world can directly and indirectly be attributed to depression. According to the WHO, depression affects around 280 million people globally to the extent where it could require pharmaceutical or therapeutic intervention when and where meication is available.
Similarly the World Health Report of 2019: Outlines that only one in seven people with a substance use disorder ever receives treatment, despite the fact that there are estimated to be about 35 million people worldwide live with a diagnosable substance use disorder.
These are some staggering numbers.
Most people in need of mental health care around the world simply cannot get the help they require because of a lack of affordable, accessible, and effective services.
The current mental health treatment gap can be attributed a range of factors, including stigma, a lack of human resources but largely due archaic and outdated legislative paradigms in government policy that in themselves downplay the necessity of mental health programmes worldwide.
Substance misuse issues remain at the top of the list for law enforcement as opposed to mental health in the mindset of "stopping the problem" by charging or incarcerating people rather than addressing the problem at its source as a medical condition.
Notwithstanding that there is very little scope for mental health outside of the mental health community itself.
Magic Mushrooms
A number of studies into alternantive treatment models for depression, addiction, anxiety are rapidly emerging in what is being dubbed as the "renaissance in psychedelic science".
Results from some of the largest clinical trials ever conducted into the theraputic applications of psychedelics or hallucinogens has yielded particularly positive results from the compound psilocybin which naturally occurrs in over 200 species of mushrooms available world wide.
Each respective study to-date has found that psilocybin can substantially reduce the symptoms of difficult-to-treat depression, substance addiction (largely alcohol), anxiety and PTSD.
With the latest peer reviewd papers coming out as recently as in this year 2023.
Much of the research to-date provides pretty firm foundations with researchers vying for the therapeutic effects, benefits and for the use of psilocybin to be used in wider studies or to be opened up as a controlled substance in the field theraputic care for these common mental health conditions.
Trials psilocybin have consistently outperformed traditional medication for these mental health disorders with fewer side effects, faster working actions and treatments that stay effective for far longer timeframes than all mainstream medications.
There has always been some level of concern that the use of psychedelic agents like psilocybin in a mental health treatment could exacerbate the underlying disease or cause suicidal behaviour. But the evidence of large poulation clinical trials involving 135 095 random adults in the US has concluded that "No significant association was found between lifetime use of psychedelics and increased mental health treatment or suicidal thoughts, plans, or attempts."
In Febuary 2022 Hopkins Medicine researchers reported that "the antidepressant effects of psilocybin-assisted therapy, given with supportive psychotherapy, can last at least a year for some patients." (JHM Newsroom).
One has to understand that the initial study of these patients included only two doses of psilocybin. Wheras mainstream depression medication equivilents require ongoing
The New England Journal of Medicine reported that "Incidences of treatment-resistant depression remission became progressively lower from the first course of antidepressant treatment (36.8%) to the second course (30.6%), third course (13.7%), and fourth course (13.0%). In this phase 2 trial involving participants with treatment-resistant depression, psilocybin at a single dose of 25 mg, but not 10 mg, reduced depression scores significantly more than a 1-mg dose over a period of 3 weeks.
There are over 27,000 scientific studies on psychedelic substances, with over 1000 targeted specifcially on psilocybin.
The unison of many peer reviewed medical summaries indicates that psilocybin has great potential in everyday therapeutic practise. Nearly all independent research to-date advocates for further research into psychedelics with far wider human sample sizes for even more conclusive outcomes.
Psilocybin & Mental Health
Within the mental health treatment community very few practitioners are in support of psilocybin treatment suffice to say that this is not everyone but a large majority of therapists still have deeply seated biases toward both the legality or re-classification of these prohibited substances and their potential in the createion of "altered states of consciousness" more commonly known as a "trip".
This effect can either provide a deep sense of perspective or reflection or be outright terrifying depending on the substance, setting and individual.
It's not that prescribing psychotropic medication is a new concept to psychiatry but the management of individuals trips is a theraputic format requires an aptitude that frequently steps outside of many practitioners day to day training or their comfort zones.
The stigmas associated with "illegal substances" are deeply rooted in all strata of policy descision making, yet lack of support from the mental health treatment means that the recognition of psychedelic substances having therapeutic benefits further compounds and hampers policy making around Shecule 1 drugs.
Many of the self same opponents to psychedelic re-classification within the medical and therapeutic communities routinely prescribe and advocate mainstream medications that have been later proven ineffective, contain far more addictive properties or that pose as far higher health risks in terms of side effects when compared with the prohibited psychedelics.
Consequently it's only the large pharmaceutical operations peddling their compounds continue to profit from the lack of action.
President Nixon signed the Controlled Substances Act, prohibiting psilocybin as Schedule 1 drug in 1970 in a very different time in history. The concepts of communisim appealed to many "hippy" opposers of the war in vietnam. The mindsets of public figure war veterans returning from Vietnam and openly opposing governemnt policy meant that the newly elected president needed a new war to distract public attention and the controversial "War On Drugs" began.
We will outline the stigmas created in the ensuing propaganda campaigns of the 1970's later in this article however it is important to mention that the societal understanding of psychedelics over 5 decades later is still vilified in medical communities in spite of empirical medical evidence to the contrary.
Needless to say Nixon's War on drugs has nothing to do with breakthroughs in mental health treatment and medical care but many in the field of mental health treatment refuse to advocate it's use.
Psilocybin therapy sessions
Currently, psilocybin or other hallucinogenic drug trials are used in conjunction with time and resource-intensive psychotherapy sessions.
If effective therapeutics can be developed without that additional requirement, treatment access may improve.
To ensure the patient feels safe and supported during the psilocybin session, the therapist and patient spend the first few sessions getting to know each other and building trust.
For one the psilocybin experience usually lasts around 6-8 hours.
Patients put on an eye mask and listen to a playlists of music that are meant to induce a semi meditative like state of mind. There are usually a primary and a secondary thereapists throughout the session and in support of the patient.
In the session patients are asked to share their thoughts and feelings about the session with the facilitating therapist.
Patients are encouraged to reflect on their experiences and come up with novel solutions for altering patterns of thought or behaviour that are no longer serving them.
"It's not the lunatic fringe of peace loving hippies that has been hailing the use of psychedelics".
Perhaps the most prolific data comes from the Johns Hopkins Medicine research.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/psychiatry/research/psychedelics-research.html
But Hopkins Medicine are not alone in their research and results.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35953638/
"Psilocybin represents a promising alternative in the treatment of depression."
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33146667/
"Findings suggest that psilocybin with therapy is efficacious in treating MDD, thus extending the results of previous studies of this intervention in patients"
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29119217/
"Symptom improvements appeared rapidly after just two psilocybin treatment sessions and remained significant 6 months post-treatment."
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35166158/
"These findings demonstrate that the substantial antidepressant effects of psilocybin-assisted therapy may be durable at least through 12 months following acute intervention in some patients."
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsmedchemlett.0c00048
In the 1950s, scientists began to realize the potential of psychedelic compounds in neuroscience, mood disorders, behaviors, and psychiatry. A notable quality of these compounds was they showed little propensity for habit formation, overdoses, or addiction.
Psilocybin in Modern Media
Some mainstream media reports
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/09/health/psychedelics-mdma-psilocybin-molly-mental-health.html
https://news.yale.edu/2021/07/05/psychedelic-spurs-growth-neural-connections-lost-depression
Outspoken celebrities, religious & spiritual leaders, documentaries on streaming networks and the accounts of millions of recreational users world wide compile a narrative about personalised experiences that connect so many psilocybin users to their inner psyche and to a greater collective conciousness in deeply meaningful and spiritual experiences.
Psilocybin and Addiction Treatment
Psilocybin therapy in particular has been shown to be effective in alleviating symptoms of treatment-resistant depression, however in a great number of smaller group studies have found that addiction disorders have responded with similar promising results.
For many people that struggle with substance use disorders, there is currently very little that can be done with pharmacotherapy to treat these conditions. Yet most pharmacology still does not meet far wider demand in mental health care particularly with depression and addiction treatments.
Medication to reduce drug cravings and depression is available yet many of the mainstream medications have a staggering range of side effects or inefficacy that encumbers their adoption in medical practices or patient uptakes.
Alcohol Addiction and Psychedelics
In a "A Double-Blind Trial of Psilocybin-Assisted Treatment of Alcohol Dependence"
Ref : "In this double-blind randomized clinical trial with 93 participants, the percentage of heavy drinking days during 32 weeks of follow-up was significantly lower in the psilocybin group than in the diphenhydramine group."
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2795625
"psilocybin administered in combination with psychotherapy produced robust decreases in the percentage of heavy drinking days compared with those produced by active placebo and psychotherapy."
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0269881119845793?journalCode=jopa
"Although results cannot demonstrate causality, they suggest that naturalistic psychedelic use may lead to cessation or reduction in problematic alcohol use, supporting further investigation of psychedelic-assisted treatment for AUD."
The medical research into alcohol use disorders and psilocybin is quite conclusive however many individuals in modern age actively seek psycodellic expereinces illegally as a means to curb their addictions to alcohol. The stats and lies on how large and successful this phenomenon is obviously obscured.
Bill Wilson (Founder of Alcoholics Anonymous)
While there are many new studies emerging, it's not like psychedelics are a new concept in alcohol use disorder AUD treatment and recovery circles.
The infamous founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill Wilson, was shunned by his own alcohol recovery community after he suggested that people who struggle with alcoholism would "greatly benefit from taking psycodellics".
Bill notoriously experimented with a number of psycodellics and claimed in many personal accounts of how his own spiritual experiences had enabled him to re-form his views on his alcohol consumption.
Bill Wilson's correspondence with the renowned Swiss psychologist Carl Jung (founder of analytical psychology) in 1961 is one of many examples of his enthusiasm for psychedelics as a tool in his twelve-step work.
Jung agreed with Wilson that spiritual enlightenment produced by psychedelics could indeed help some chronic alcoholics to break their addiction and that they showed great merit for catalysing the psychological changes required for their recovery.
Bill's experiments with psychedelics extended far beyond his personal use in the 1930's where unknown numbers of early AA adopters were influenced by Wilsons views, it's not out of the question that psychedelic substances did contribute to the original concepts behind Alcoholics Anonymous's in specific regard to the "spiritual awakenings" aspects of the program that is touted today.
"I am certain that the LSD experience has helped me very much. I find myself with a heightened color perception and an appreciation of beauty almost destroyed by my years of depression…The sensation that the partition between “here” and “there” has become very thin is constantly with me." - - - Bill Wilson's, Letter to Gerald Heard, 1957
The AA movement today sets to provide social and complementary support their members and does not advocate or promote the use of ANY psycoactive substance whatsoever, inspite of Bill's efforts.
Nicotine Addiction & Psilocybin
In a study unscientifically titled "Psilocybin-occasioned Mystical Experiences in the Treatment of Tobacco Addiction" 15 smokers were given 2 or 3 doses of psilocybin within the context of cognitive behavioural therapy for smoking cessation in an open-label pilot study of psilocybin-facilitated nicotine addiction treatment.
At the 6-month follow-up, 12 of 15 (80%) participants showed biological evidence of having quit smoking.
At 12-month follow-up, 10 participants (67%) were confirmed as smoking abstinent.
At long-term follow-up, nine participants (60%) were confirmed as smoking abstinent.
The side effect conclusion of psilocybin-induced "mystical experiences" was that the study produced such positive changes in behaviour, attitudes, and values, as well as an increased "openness" of subjects personality that that there was no better title than "mystical experiences" for their clinical observations in the study.
Don't believe us, read for yourself
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4342293/
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/magic_mushrooms_help_longtime_smokers_quit
Clinical Studies on Anxiety Reduction
Psilocybin has also been shown to be effective at reducing anxiety in individuals struggling with terminal cancer.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20819978/
"This study established the feasibility and safety of administering moderate doses of psilocybin to patients with advanced-stage cancer and anxiety. The data revealed a positive trend toward improved mood and anxiety."
The Scientific Experience
While observations in behaviour change have been recorded in many treatment settings the pharmacological reasoning behind why these changes occur remains widely debated and contentious.
In a recent report by Virginia Tech researchers on the pharmacological compounds of psilocybin "To explore the genomic basis" (Which is the study of the molecular / genetic and structural of the compounds of psilocybin) or basically the hard science stuff.
Researches came back with the not so hard science findings.
"psilocybin causes significant changes in how we perceive our own reality and through those changes in perception we are able to re-construct better versions of ourselves and outlooks on life."
https://vtx.vt.edu/articles/2021/11/psychedelics-show-promise-in-treating-mental-illness.html
These kinds of studies and outcomes are all too frequent where scientific research comes back with non-concrete answers that involve mysticisim and scared enlightenment within the psyche.
Not to detract from the present research but many individuals in the governmental, scientific and acedemic are simply not willing or bold enough to associate themselves with open ended conclusions in the hard science, but yet these conclusions are indeed prevelant throughout the studies of psychedelics.
Psilocybin research is thus encumbered by societal stigmas associated with "drug use" that cause governmental, scientific, acedemic and often law enforcement to shy away from the work.
While the pharmacological compound for this increased brain activity still remains a mystery, the outcomes of psilocybin treatment on the behaviour changes in mental health care patients is not.
Recent peer reviewed clinical studies indicate that the neurobiological mechanisms of Psilocybin are very different from those of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) that are most commonly prescribed for treating depression.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine found that psilocybin, a psychedelic treatment, reduced major depressive disorder symptoms in adults for up to a month in prior studies. Now, a follow-up study of those patients suggests that the significant antidepressant influence of psilocybin-assisted therapy, when combined with compassionate psychotherapy, may last for at least a year for some patients.
Johns Hopkins University is a highly regarded medical institution for their work with psilocybin.
Although researchers still don't know how psilocybin works, the outcomes of peer reviewed trials todate do indicate that Psilocybin is an exciting new option for treating not only depression but many addiction and anxiety disorders.
Side Effects Of Psilocybin
In the self reported side effects of psilocybin.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7034876/
Risky use may result from psilocybin's ability to induce hallucinations, synesthesia, and changes in temporal perception, as well as the rapid alterations in emotional and cognitive states.
It is possible for otherwise healthy people to have "bad trips", which are defined as episodes of negative experiences that can include mental confusion, irritability, anxiety attacks, fear, and psychotic episodes, such as seeing terrifying images, feeling severely paranoid, and losing touch with reality.
It is important to consider subjective factors as important triggers of anxiogenic results related to the consumption of psychedelic substances, and the correlation between bad trip episodes and specific mental states and/or physical settings is highly relevant in this regard.
The relevant therapeutic use of psilocybin may be significantly impacted by this research, and the knowledge gained may be useful for harm reduction efforts.
The Stigma of Psilocybin
The context is crucial, but when you hear the word "drugs," you might think of the "Just Say No" campaigns, couch-bound adolescents, tie-dye, and unpleasant withdrawal symptoms etc.
These subconcious distains are all thanks to the war on drugs.
U.S. President Richard Nixon declared a war on psychedelic drugs in June 1971, but his decision was heavily sensationalised, politically motivated, and not grounded in any real science.
Prior to 1971 the scientific research into potential benefits of psycodellics had sparked a massive uprising in the US against the then wagered war in Vietnam. The US government faced open internal resistance against there operations in Vietnam and the obvious culprit seemed at the time to be the rampant use of (then legal) psychedelics changing the viewpoints of so many Americans to no longer be in support of the war efforts.
Psilocybin and other psychedelics became demonised in the public view through repetitive television, billboard, educational propaganda campaigns and finally legislation that was forced-fed accross the globe by the US.
6 December 1971 South Africa's apartheit regime signed off the (South Africa’s Abuse of Dependence-Producing Substances and Rehabilitation Centres Act, No. 41 of 1971) that has only endured minor alterations since then.
The media's negative portrayal of hallucinogens, the exhausting war on drugs, and the opposition of medical professionals have all contributed to a negative public perception of psychedelic medicines, even though they may offer a ray of light to those living with mental illness conditions.
The late psychedelic pioneer Terence McKenna asserted that “Psychedelics are illegal because they dissolve opinion structures and culturally laid down models of behaviour and information processing. They open you up to the possibility that everything you know is wrong”.
50+ years later and in the face of direct evidence the societal stigma on propaganda campaigns of the 70's lives on in South Africa and in many countries around the world.
Are Psychedelics Addictive?
Researchers have found that psilocybin does not produce any substantial addictive or compulsive behaviours in users nor are there any significant withdrawl effects of their use.
History of Psychedelics in Society
In a cave in the Tassili-N-Ajjer province of the Sahara desert in Algeria, archaeologists have discovered the earliest example of psychedelic use.
The'mushroom man' or'mushroom shaman,' a bee-headed figure with mushrooms growing out of his body, was painted on the wall of this cave. The mushrooms were later determined to be Psilocybe mairei. Common to this area are psychedelic mushrooms. Age estimates place the mural between 7,000 and 9,000 years.
The Selva Pascuala mural in a cave near Villar del Humo, Spain[*] is another piece of evidence suggesting the use of psychedelics at an early date. Local psychedelic mushroom species Psilocybe hispanica, depicted in the mural, have been positively identified by scientists. This painting is over 6,000 years old.
Peyote (a cactus containing the psychedelic mescaline) was also used, as shown by artefacts discovered in the Rio Grande in Texas[*].
Scientists who uncovered the artefacts, which date back to 3,700 BC.