PSYCHEDELIC medicine
Historically, these molecules were deemed unsafe because they were thought to cause everything from heart attacks to overdose to schizophrenia. It turns out that those claims are untrue and these molecules are incredibly safe. They only act in the mind and do not decrease respiratory drive, increase blood pressure or cause any damage to the kidneys or liver. While they are physically safe to take, they are not benign molecules. They can induce profound changes in consciousness which is why they are being studied to be offered during therapy sessions. There is also research being done on "micro-dosing" these compounds-- meaning that you would take a small enough dose to not induce a 'trip' to be able to utilize the healing properties of these molecules on a micro scale day-to-day.
If you want to learn more about this exciting new frontier, check out Dr. Wood's podcast, The Trip Lab-- where she breaks down the latest scientific literature, explains the science behind how these molecules work, and interviews leaders in the field that are working with these molecules daily.
LEARN MORE
Psychedelic medicine is a new frontier (utilizing ancient wisdom) for treating mental health disorders including anxiety, depression, PTSD, addiction and potentially a whole lot more. This type of therapy was used in the 50s and 60s with great success, but when these molecules started to be used recreationally in the 70s, they developed harmful (and false) reputations leading to their ban in the United States. However, in the 90s these drugs were able to be studied again, and in the past few years the research surrounding their safety and efficacy has boomed.
The 'classic' psychedelics include psilocybin (magic mushrooms or shrooms), LSD (acid), DMT (ayahuasca) and mescaline (San Pedro and peyote cactus). These molecules act on the serotonin receptor, but do not cause the release of serotonin. Their impact on the brain leads to a number of downstream effects that ultimately leads to profound experiences and deep healing. Some of these effects include "resetting" the brain of its negative cognitive patterns (associated with the psychiatric disorders listed above) in addition to increasing neuronal connectivity which imparts long term success.
Other psychedelic-like compounds are also being utilized including ketamine and MDMA (molly, ecstasy).