There was a time when lysergic acid diethylamide, the controlled substance more commonly known as LSD, was discussed as a potential therapeutic tool to help in the treatment of certain mental health conditions. This was at the height of the counterculture period that culminated in the Summer of Love in 1967, which was characterized by people letting go of societal inhibitions and trying new things. A few years later, United States President Richard Nixon launched what we now know as the “War on Drugs,” and this had a chilling effect on medical research into LSD and other hallucinogenic substances. Times are slowly changing, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse is now funding studies to determine how LSD and other psychedelics such as ibogaine can help with the treatment of depression as well as other mental health issues.
LSD as a Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor
In March 2022, researchers from McGill University in Montreal published a study that specifically compared LSD to medications such as Prozac, which is often prescribed to patients who suffer from anxiety and depression. In the past, the use of LSD along with talk therapy was largely based on the idea that entheogenic experiences help with introspection and mental clarity, but McGill researchers have confirmed that small doses stimulate the flow of serotonin in ways that appear to be more effective than SSRI antidepressants.
Artificial Intelligence as a Tool for Psychedelic Research
Another research team from McGill University is engaged in a project that could reveal more about the neurochemical and thought processes that make hallucinogens useful for mental health treatment. This project, which has the support of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will use AI software and natural language processing to evaluate thousands of narratives patients have written about their psychedelic experiences. A large part of this study will also focus on "bad trips” reported by people with and without diagnosed mental health conditions.
Psychedelics and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
In the U.S., the Veterans Administration is closely watching the outcome of the NIDA clinical studies on hallucinogenic substances. Two decades of combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have resulted in thousands of war veterans struggling with PTSD, a condition many individuals have already treated with psychedelics. Ibogaine is one of the leading substances in this regard, and MDMA is a candidate that has previously been used in conjunction with talk therapy for survivors of sexual assault. For people who choose Ibogaine Treatment, Mexico is one country where this type of treatment is legally available.