If you’re living with an eating disorder, chances are you’ve tried a variety of treatments: therapy, medications, maybe even hospital stays. But what if the relief you’ve been searching for isn’t found in any of these options? According to a large international survey, cannabis and psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD are being perceived as effektiver for eating disorder symptoms than many traditional prescription medications.
This is not just hype. It’s backed by data.
A Studie veröffentlicht in JAMA Network Open, led by researchers from the University of Sydney’s Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, reveals that many people are turning to these alternative substances, and finding real benefits.
What the Survey Looked At
This study was the most comprehensive of its kind, gathering responses from over 7,600 people with eating disorders in 83 countries. The vast majority (94%) of participants identified as women.
- 40% had anorexia nervosa
- 19% lived with bulimia
- 11% had binge-eating disorder
- 9% reported ARFID (avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder)
- 65% also reported depression
- 55% had generalized anxiety
Other co-occurring conditions included:
- ADHS: 33%
- Substance use disorder: 15%
- Alcoholism: 9%
Participants shared their experiences using both prescribed medications and non-prescription substances to manage symptoms, revealing some surprising results.
Cannabis, Shrooms, and LSD: Top-Rated by Those Who Know
Out of all the substances people tried, Cannabis, Psilocybin (der Wirkstoff in Magic Mushrooms), und LSD stood out as the most helpful for relieving eating disorder symptoms, especially for restrictive conditions like anorexia and ARFID.
Cannabis
If you’ve struggled with appetite or the ability to enjoy food, cannabis might sound familiar. Participants praised it for increasing hunger and making eating feel pleasurable again — key issues in disorders like anorexia. Science backs this up: cannabis activates the medial hypothalamus, a part of your brain that controls hunger and the reward of eating.
However, if bingeing is more of a challenge (like in bulimia), cannabis wasn’t always helpful. In some cases, it even made compulsive behaviors worse.
Psilocybin
They might only take magic mushrooms once or twice a year, but for many survey participants, that was enough. Psilocybin was linked to lasting improvements in mood, anxiety, and even body image. It helped with emotional regulation and reduced the intensity of disordered thoughts around food and self-worth.
LSD
Also used occasionally, LSD was reported to ease emotional distress related to eating. Some users felt more connected to themselves, better able to manage stress, and less trapped by negative body perceptions.
How Prescription Medications Compared
Conventional treatments like Antidepressiva still had a role to play. Many people found them helpful for general mental health, but not so much for eating disorder-specific symptoms.
Stimulants received mixed reviews. If you’ve dealt with binge eating, you might find them beneficial. But if you live with a restrictive disorder, they were often unhelpful, or even harmful.
What Made Things Worse?
Not all substances were seen in a positive light. The survey revealed that alcohol, nicotine, tobacco, und Kokain consistently worsened symptoms. People reported increased anxiety, more disordered behaviors, and overall negative impacts on mental health.
So What’s Next?
This isn’t just interesting data—it’s shaping actual medical research. Based on the results, new clinical studies are already underway at the University of Sydney’s Lambert Initiative and Inside Out Institute, including:
- A psilocybin clinical trial for treating Anorexie
- A CBD pilot study focused on youth with severe anorexia
These are big steps, especially considering how complex eating disorders are. They don’t have a one-size-fits-all cure, and current treatments often fall short.
Lead researcher Sarah-Catherine Rodan put it clearly:
“Our findings highlight promising pathways for future treatment research.”
And this isn’t coming out of nowhere. In 2022, MDMA was used in a Phase 3 clinical trial for eating disorders with promising results. And in 2024, Psilocybin once again showed mental health benefits for patients with anorexia.
Final Thoughts
Sure, this was a self-reported survey, not a controlled clinical trial. And no single treatment works for everyone. But if you’ve ever felt like traditional medications weren’t quite getting to the root of the issue, you’re not alone.
Thousands of people are exploring alternatives like cannabis and psychedelics — and many are finding something that actually helps.
More research is needed. Clinical trials are just beginning.
But one thing is clear: these substances are opening new doors in mental health care, especially where Big Pharma solutions have fallen short.
