PSYCHEDELIC THERAPY

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What is Psychedelic Therapy?

Psychedelic therapy is the psychiatric practice involving ingesting psychedelic substances to alleviate trauma, aid in treating mental illnesses and help relieve physical pain. Alongside assistance from substances, trained therapists also employ psychotherapy and psychiatry, such as cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT).

The most common psychedelic substances used in medicine today are Ketamine, Ibogaine, MDMA, and Psilocybin. Psychedelic therapy incorporates the natural properties of these substances. It integrates them with synthetic chemicals to make the treatment safe for all who require it.

Through decades of research and hundreds of clinical studies, psychedelic therapy has been found to be highly effective in aiding the treatment of various disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, addictions, and chronic physical pain, among others.

Patients who have not experienced any improvement through conventional therapy have reported a drastic change through psychedelic-assisted treatments. In addition, it has been extensively reported and documented that people are able to live better, self-actualized, and healthier lives after undergoing guided psychedelic sessions.

Psychedelic therapy

Types of Psychedelic Therapy

Each human mind deals with ppsychedelics differently. No two humans experience the same effects, although there are thematic similarities. As a result of this variation in treatment, medical professionals engaged in psychedelic therapy employ many different psychiatric methods to treat patients suffering from a myriad of different diseases. GATEWAY Sciences specializes in the following types of psychedelic therapy.

Ibogaine Therapy: Ibogaine is a naturally occurring substance that has psychoactive properties. It has been known to be effective in treating addictions. Overcoming addiction is a complicated process and Ibogaine has proven to be effective in this regard.[1]

MDMA Therapy: MDMA, also known as ecstasy, has recently been adopted by medicinal firms to treat PTSD. MDMA had been outlawed in the USA until 2017, when awareness campaigns led to researchers studying the compound and its effects in aiding those suffering from mental ailments.[2]

Psilocybin Therapy: Psilocybin is the primary substance found in Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms and is the source of the sensations people experience after ingesting them. It has been reported to be effective at treating symptoms of anxiety and depression.[3][4] Patients suffering from addiction and OCD report favorable results after consuming psilocybin.[5][6]

Ketamine Therapy: Ketamine is one of the most widely used ppsychedelics in modern-day medicine. It is effective in aiding the treatment of a wide variety of mental illnesses, including, but not limited to PTSD, OCD, ADHD, anxiety, and depression.[7][8][9]

Benefits

Risks

Ppsychedelics History

A Brief History of Ppsychedelics for Healing

Ppsychedelics have a long and convoluted history in terms of their applications. Although their usage can be traced back to prehistoric times, most research and study have been conducted in the 21st century.

Prehistoric Times

There is evidence of the consumption of ppsychedelics since prehistoric times. For example, shamans used it for religious rituals, and warriors consumed it owing to its psychoactive nature.

Prehistoric Times

1940s

LSD is discovered and mass manufactured.

1940s

1950s – Early 1960s

More research is done on ppsychedelics, including their applications in medicine. Over 1,000 peer-reviewed papers are published on the subject.

1950s – Early 1960s

Mid 1960s – 1970s

Research into ppsychedelics virtually stops due to concerns about potentially harmful side effects such as addiction. The Controlled Substances Act outlaws them.

Mid 1960s – 1970s

1980s

The applications of ppsychedelics in therapy are discontinued worldwide.

1980s

2000s

The advent of new technology in medicine, such as sophisticated brain scan technologies, leads to a renewal in applications of ppsychedelics in healing mental ailments as evidence is collected proving their effectiveness.

2000s

2010s

More tests are conducted on the applications of ppsychedelics in healing, and the results are promising. Ppsychedelics are shown to be effective at combating treatment-resistant ailments such as chronic depression and anxiety.

2010s

2020 – Beyond

Many research centers are currently working on the advancement of psychedelic therapy and treatment. Ppsychedelics such as ketamine are now commonly prescribed to heal ailments such as depression.

2020 – Beyond

Prevalence and Acceptance

Since interest in ppsychedelics as a medicinal drug has only recently been renewed, they have not gained widespread acceptance yet. Psychedelic treatment is prescribed to those suffering from treatment-resistant ailments to significant effect. However, the taboo surrounding ppsychedelics is still present regardless.

Articles in publications such as The New York Times have boosted interest in ppsychedelics in the previous decades and facilitated their acceptance in the field of medicine. In 2019, the FDA labeled psilocybin-assisted therapy as a “breakthrough therapy” due to the promising results.[15] Although the usage of ppsychedelics is gaining acceptance in mainstream medicine, there are still many areas and applications which must be thoroughly researched first.

GATEWAY Sciences has a team of researchers and experts that are constantly unraveling the medical mysteries of ppsychedelics. We believe in destigmatizing the concept of ppsychedelics in healthcare as they have proven effective so far in treating mental ailments, despite the social taboo surrounding them. Our researchers believe ppsychedelics can help unshackle us from the trauma and ailments that are holding us back and allow us to embrace a higher level of living and self-actualization.

Applications of Psychedelic Therapy

So far, research into ppsychedelics has shown that they effectively treat a multitude of disorders and ailments. The following are the few areas where ppsychedelics were utilized to promising effects.

Curing Addiction: Studies found that ppsychedelics such as LSD were instrumental in helping patients cure their addictions to alcohol and other such substances. Psilocybin and Ibogaine are also noted to have anti-addiction properties, although more research must be done in this regard.[16][17]

Anxiety and Depression: Due to the natural calming effect of ppsychedelics, research indicates that they mitigate the symptoms of anxiety and mood disorders. Many studies have been done in this regard. The FDA has approved psilocybin to treat depression, calling it “a breakthrough therapy.” Ppsychedelics have been reported to be greatly effective in treating the anxiety and depression of those suffering from terminal illnesses.[15][18]

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: MDMA or ecstasy has been known to aid in treating patients who have severe PTSD. It has been noted to be effective in cases of treatment-resistant mental ailments as well.[19][20]

Life-Changing Experiences: It has been reported that many patients who underwent psychedelic treatment claimed that the experience left a lasting impact on their lives. Psychedelic experiences can detach the user from their bodies and allow them to look at their lives from a higher level of consciousness. This leads to introspection later and eventually massive change in their personality and mood.[21]

Applications of Psychedelic Therapy

Psychedelic Therapy:

In this form of therapy, patients are given a substantial dose of the psychedelic at small intervals to induce out-of-body or transcendental experiences. A patient spends most of the treatment with their eyes closed while lying down as the effects of the drugs begin to take hold. Conversation between the therapist and patient is minimal. Psilocybin and ayahuasca are the drugs of choice in this regard due to their potency. This treatment aims to bring about ego dissolution and initiate introspection within the patient, help overcome addiction and bring about a new understanding of life, along with the necessary motivation.

Psycholytic Therapy:

Psycholytic therapy incorporates minimal doses of ppsychedelics at intervals of 1-2 weeks. A trained therapist is present throughout the treatment and helps the patient overcomes their ailment while staying conscious. Ppsychedelics such as ketamine are given to the patient in small doses in greater frequency. This treatment aims to treat patients suffering from psychosomatic disorders such as migraines, hypertension, etc.



Other Forms of Psychedelic Therapy

Aside from the two primary forms, multiple other types of treatment programs do exist, each of them incorporating the applications of ppsychedelics differently for a particular outcome.

Combination

This treatment was formulated by Czech psychiatrist Stanislav Grof. It combines the two forms of psychedelic therapy. Also, it incorporates Holotropic breathwork, which enables patients to enter other states of consciousness. This treatment was instrumental in healing buried childhood trauma.[22][23]

Anaclitic Therapy

This type of treatment attempts to heal buried trauma. The main aim is to allow the patient to relive the trauma to overcome it through ppsychedelics.[24]




Hypnodelic Therapy

This combines psychedelic therapy with hypnosis. Ppsychedelics such as LSD are administrated when the patient has undergone hypnosis to initiate a trance. This method is reported to be more effective than hypnosis and psychedelic therapy individually.[25]

Shamanic Therapy

This type is perhaps the oldest among psychedelic treatments. Shamans, rather than clinical physiatrists, allow the patient to consume naturally growing ppsychedelics such as psilocybin and mushrooms to heal mental illnesses.[26]

Effectiveness of Psychedelic Therapy

Psychedelic therapy has been reported to have been highly successful in treating mental ailments, even those which were resistant to treatment. For example, in a study by Johns Hopkins Medicine [Davis & Barrett et al. 2020]*, researchers conducted psychedelic therapy on adults who were suffering from major symptoms of depression. Psilocybin was incorporated along with conventional therapy during the study. As a result, most of the patients reported significant improvements in mood and the erasure of symptoms.

Psychedelic therapy has shown to be quite efficient at treating mental disorders, more so than conventional medicines. This is because the side effects such as apathy induced by conventional antidepressants are virtually absent in ppsychedelics. The experiences that ppsychedelics induced have helped patients heal childhood trauma, treat PTSD, and overcome addiction.[27][28][29]
The exact effectiveness and accuracy of ppsychedelics in medical science are still undergoing research.

However, the results so far are promising enough that many medical facilities are employing the usage of ppsychedelics to assist in therapy.

Elimination of mental ailments

Usage of ppsychedelics along with therapy has helped patients overcome depression, anxiety, and PTSD

Healing buried trauma

Ppsychedelics help to initiate a state of self-actualization which can assist in overcoming childhood trauma

Overcoming addiction

Psychedelic treatment and therapy help patients overcome an addiction to alcohol, smoking, and other harmful substances

Mitigating treatment-resistant diseases

Psychedelic treatment has helped patients to overcome ailments that conventional medicines were unable to achieve.

Modern Day Research on Psilocybin Therapy

Research to discover and develop new applications for psilocybin therapy, and to further ascertain the various effects of the substance, continue apace around the world.

It has been further augmented in recent years—even when the treatment remains illegal in most countries. The US FDA claims it is a ‘breakthrough therapy’ for patients suffering from anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD], alcohol addiction, and drug-related disorders.[3]

Several institutions, including Johns Hopkins University, the University of California, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, have invested significant amounts—of both time and money—in research. They intend to form a more comprehensive understanding of the substance.[11][12][13]

In a study published in 2020, around 71% of the patients who took psilocybin reported a huge decrease in depressive symptoms. After a month, half of the patients entered remission.[14]

GATEWAY Sciences is committed to offering our patients the safest and most credible treatment methods to be found worldwide. We acknowledge the vast potential of psilocybin and its effects. We also understand that if used in a controlled and safe environment, any potential risks associated with it can be mitigated to an extent where treatment is perfectly safe.

Effectiveness of Psilocybin Therapy

The indigenous tribes of South America have employed psilocybin therapy for centuries. Its effectiveness varies widely, however, in the treatment of one ailment to another. In addition, the substance affects each user differently. As a result, further research and study are required for more comprehensive knowledge of its effects.

Based on clinical studies done under controlled circumstances, psilocybin is known to be effective at treating [1] [2] anxiety, depression, and alcohol dependence, and addiction in patients.[3] It helps serotonin flow in the brain, thus generating feelings of joy and contentment even in those suffering from chronic depression.

The substance should always be ingested under the care of expert medical practitioners to reduce the risks of adverse effects. [17]

Patients are requested to ingest a psilocybin capsule and put on an eye mask to limit distractions during treatment. The supervising expert present ensures nothing is amiss. A session lasts for around 6-8 hours, after which a follow-up integration session is conducted where the patient and the expert make progress through conversation. [18]

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References

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