Trip Therapy: Using Psychedelics to Treat Mental Illness

MOHNISH MISHRY – Magic mushrooms, ketamine, LSD, and DMA/ecstasy are all psychedelic drugs considered illegal by federal law in the United States. Nonetheless, researchers have discovered the significant health benefits of psychedelics in treating mental illnesses. Generally speaking, there is a rich history of psychedelic usage in many cultures across the globe, whether that’s through medicinal or recreational practices. For instance, the traditional medical practices of many Native Americans involved the usage of mescaline, a naturally occurring psychedelic found in cacti, to treat alcoholism. In addition, many pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures also used different types of hallucinogenic cacti, plants, and mushrooms for both religious and therapeutic purposes. 

Today, researchers have tapped into the natural potential of psychedelics to create treatments for a wide variety of mental illnesses. Researchers at Stanford University have completed early clinical trials which suggest that MDMA may help to treat PTSD in patients. Another area of their work is the application of ketamine to reduce suicidal thoughts and other symptoms in patients diagnosed with clinical depression. Another notable example is Australia’s official approval of prescribing medication with psilocybin, the compound found in magic mushrooms. As of July 2023, authorized psychiatrists were approved to prescribe these medications to patients experiencing treatment-resistant depression. In addition, psilocybin has also been proven to have anti-anxiety effects and treat both nicotine and alcohol dependence. 

How does this work exactly? It’s not so simple as just handing a small amount of these drugs to a patient and telling them to ingest it. Rather, psychedelic therapy involves several preparatory sessions for patients. The environment in which the patient takes it is always controlled, typically accompanied by ambient music and a pair of eye shades. Once the patient has completed their psychedelic trip, there is a therapist-aided process of integration, in which the patient recounts their experience and applies it back into their life. The idea is that it is a holistic process in which the drugs act more like ‘catalysts’ rather than treatments. However, psychedelic therapy is quite difficult to regulate since it does require a lot more oversight than traditional therapy. Oftentimes, there are more than one therapists in the room supervising the patient while they are engaging in their trip. 

In terms of future possibilities, one obstacle that researchers are trying to tackle is to reap the benefits of psychedelics, but without having to undergo these profound trips. Ultimately, the goal would be to reduce the hallucinogenic effects of the drug completely and create a pill-form of medication. 

Copy Editor – Elizabeth Vaitl

Photography Source – https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/10/well/mind/psychedelics-therapy-ketamine-mushrooms-risks.html