{"id":47652,"date":"2019-09-20T18:56:20","date_gmt":"2019-09-20T18:56:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/merryjane.com\/psychedelics-can-help-treat-a-variety-of-psychiatric-disorders-new-review-says\/"},"modified":"2019-09-20T18:56:20","modified_gmt":"2019-09-20T18:56:20","slug":"psychedelics-can-help-treat-a-variety-of-psychiatric-disorders-new-review-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/merryjane.com\/news\/psychedelics-can-help-treat-a-variety-of-psychiatric-disorders-new-review-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Psychedelics Can Help Treat a Variety of Psychiatric Disorders, New Review Says"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new scientific review<\/u><\/a> published in this month’s Journal of Psychiatric Practice <\/em>reported that psychedelics<\/a> have successfully been used to reduce symptoms linked to at least eight different psychiatric disorders. And since today is National Psilocybin Mushroom Day<\/a>, we figured there was no better time to break down this news for you.<\/p>\n

Researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio reviewed sixteen previously-published studies<\/u><\/a> exploring whether psychedelic drugs could help treat a variety of disorders. These original studies, published between 1946 and 2017, examined the effects of ibogaine, ketamine, LSD<\/a>, MDMA<\/a>, psilocybin<\/a>, ayahuasca<\/a>, and other drugs on patients suffering from conditions like depression, substance use disorders, and PTSD.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe conditions treated ranged from depression to autism, with the largest volume of research dedicated to substance use disorders,\u201d the researchers wrote<\/u><\/a>. \u201cThe majority of studies that were reviewed demonstrated significant associations with improvement in the conditions investigated.\u201d <\/p>\n

Out of the 16 studies reviewed, 15 found that hallucinogen-based therapy \u201cproduced clinically significant reduction in\u201d symptoms of psychiatric disorders.<\/p>\n

Specifically, the review noted two studies that found that ayahuasca helped reduce the symptoms of treatment resistant depression, and another study which found that MDMA-assisted therapy helped patients deal with PTSD associated with sexual trauma. Several other studies found that ibogaine, ketamine, LSD, and dipropyltryptamine<\/u><\/a> (a synthetic hallucinogen known as DPT or \u201cThe Light\u201d) all showed evidence of helping patients struggling with substance use disorder remain sober.<\/p>\n

The researchers explained<\/u><\/a> that many of these studies were flawed, due to small subject size or lack of control groups, making it \u201cdifficult to draw definite conclusions\u201d about the research. However, the study concluded that \u201cthis body of pilot literature suggests the possibility of therapeutic benefit that could outweigh adverse events and warrants more rigorous, definitive investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gallery \u2014 9\/20 is Psilocybin Mushroom Day, and This is How We’re Celebrating<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n