Are psychedelics becoming the new cannabis? And I’m not just talking about recreational use. In the U.S. psychedelics are increasingly becoming more available as wellness drugs.
How did we get here?
With the recent ease up on regulations around psychedelics for research purposes, the medical world of healthcare and wellness could be completely reshaped. In March of 2019, the FDA approved esketamine, a drug that produces psychedelic effects, to treat depression. The FDA has also granted MDMA (otherwise known as ecstasy) “breakthrough therapy” status which can fast track its research as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, and psilocybin as a treatment for major depression. While these psychedelic drugs can help patients with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and more, this FDA approval can also make it possible for doctors to prescribe them for patients without these illnesses. This is called “off-label” prescribing, which means you can be prescribed them for alternate reasons. This means that psychedelics can be prescribed as wellness drugs.
How do psychedelics treat mental illness?
“Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy could provide needed options for debilitating mental-health disorders including PTSD, major depressive disorder, alcohol-use disorder, anorexia nervosa and more that kill thousands every year in the United States, and cost billions worldwide in lost productivity,” According to the scientific journal Nature.
While there are definitely risks such as psychotic reaction or abuse, there have recently been huge scientific discoveries on the use of psychedelics as medicine. In a November 2020 study, 71% of those who took psilocybin for major depressive disorder showed a greater than 50% reduction in symptoms after four weeks and half of the participants entered remission. This is only one study, and there are so many more with positive results. As studies continue, more discoveries are appearing daily.
How can I try it?
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While the most direct way is to go to your doctor and attempt to get it prescribed, there are many companies selling psychedelic infused products legally. Mindbloom and Mindmed are websites that can help you get prescribed ketamine and other psychedelics, and they offer programs to guide you along the way. Psychedelic Water uses Kava, a plant whose roots have properties that make you feel “happy and relaxed” without the more extreme psychedelic properties. While the options are limited at the moment, we’ll have to keep an eye on how psychedelics are further introduced into the world of health and wellness.
Would you give psychedelic wellness medicine a try? Let us know below!
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