{"id":16546,"date":"2021-01-06T14:36:36","date_gmt":"2021-01-06T14:36:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/?p=16546"},"modified":"2023-11-02T16:41:22","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T15:41:22","slug":"pot-psihedelicele-sa-trateze-bolile-mintale-pentru-totdeauna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/ro\/blog\/can-psychedelics-treat-mental-illness-for-good\/","title":{"rendered":"Pot psihedelicele s\u0103 trateze definitiv bolile mintale?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:21px\"><strong>It&#8217;s no surprise that people have these associations. Stereotypes persist due to strict laws and frightening anti-drug propaganda. These laws have prevented scientists from proving that psychedelics have legitimate medical use, rather than purely recreational.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>MDMA, ketamine, and psilocybin have been proven to treat mental illness, from PTSD to depression, to anxiety and addiction\u2026 maybe even better than psychiatry alone ever could.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dr. Ben Sessa<\/strong>, who works with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\"><em>\u201cPsychiatry has painted itself into a corner where we don\u2019t talk about \u2018cure\u2019, and I don\u2019t think that\u2019s good enough. Other branches of medicine wouldn\u2019t accept the poor outcomes we accept in psychiatry. It\u2019s like breaking your ankle and being prescribed paracetamol for the rest of your life.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\"><em>\u201cBut with psychedelics, we can take a person in their 20s or 30s with a history of severe childhood abuse and a severe mental disorder like PTSD, and we can completely cure them and send them on their way.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is a radical new shift for mental health finally on the way? Can psychedelics truly treat mental illness for good?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Let\u2019s find out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-pale-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\" id=\"h-first-legal-psychedelic-clinic\"><em>First Legal Psychedelic Clinic <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In January 2021, Dr. Sessa and his scientific team at <strong>Awakn<\/strong> will open the UK\u2019s first medical psychedelic clinic in Bristol.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their main attraction? <strong>Ketamine psychotherapy<\/strong>, made possible as ketamine is now a legal anaesthetic. The clinic hopes to treat 30-40 patients per month for this service.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"573\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/dr-ben-sessa-1024x573.jpeg\" alt=\"black and white photograph of Dr Ben Sessa\" class=\"wp-image-159766\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/dr-ben-sessa-1024x573.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/dr-ben-sessa-300x168.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/dr-ben-sessa-768x429.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/dr-ben-sessa-18x10.jpeg 18w, https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/dr-ben-sessa-600x336.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/dr-ben-sessa.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color\">Psychedelic psychotherapy with Dr. Ben Sessa. Photo courtesy: AWAKN Life Sciences<\/mark><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Besides this service, Awakn will conduct research into MDMA and psilocybin <em>(both illegal for use in psychotherapy, at least for now).<\/em> By doing so, the <strong>case for legalizing psychedelics<\/strong> will grow stronger with solid, undeniable evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019ll also train new <strong>psychedelic therapists<\/strong>, as part of merging psychedelic medicine into <em>\u201cregular\u201d<\/em> mental healthcare.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still not convinced? Dr. Sessa makes his case for psychedelic treatment:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>\u201cI like psychedelics because I don\u2019t like psychiatric drugs. We\u2019ve got a huge backlog of chronic, lifelong mental disorders that we treat with maintenance therapy. SSRIs and mood stabilizers just paper over the cracks.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>\u201cPsychedelic psychotherapy is the best pharmacology we have to treat these disorders.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-pale-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\" id=\"h-a-continuing-trend-in-medicine\"><em><strong> <\/strong>A Continuing Trend in Medicine <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The new clinic in Bristol is the latest in the continuing trend of psychedelic medicine.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just last December 17, <strong>Neo Kuma Ventures<\/strong> launched Britain\u2019s first psychedelic healthcare fund \u2014 investing <em>millions<\/em> of pounds into psychedelic meds. Big Pharma just isn\u2019t cutting it <em>(and big-ticket investors have caught on!)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the US, Oregon state has begun its 2-year wait to offer psychedelic psychotherapy to the <strong>mainstream by 2022<\/strong>. This comes after they voted <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/articles\/psychedelic-culture\/oregon-votes-yes-to-psilocybin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YES to legalize psilocybin<\/a><\/strong> for therapeutic use, back in November. This same decision also decriminalized possession of <strong>all drugs<\/strong> in small amounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The States\u2019 bold strides haven\u2019t gone unnoticed by their tea-loving cousins, either. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/articles\/psychedelic-culture\/biography-professor-david-nutt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Professor<\/strong> <strong>David Nutt<\/strong><\/a>, the UK\u2019s leading voice on drug reform, said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>\u201cWhile we\u2019ve done much of the research into psychedelic psychotherapy in Britain, the US is clearly ahead of us. They\u2019re also way ahead of us with cannabis. While in the UK the government controls everything, America\u2019s devolved healthcare means that the liberated, sensible states can vote for these changes.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What, then, is the root cause of this delay?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-pale-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\" id=\"h-nobody-wins-the-war-on-drugs\"><em>Nobody Wins the War on Drugs <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor Nutt points to a single culprit: the <strong>War on Drugs<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Useful research on psychedelic medicine + treatment was <strong>set back by at least 50 years<\/strong>, says Nutt, just because of an invisible war waging from the 1970\u2019s until today:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>\u201cThere is no country in the world where synthetic psychedelics are legal. This has caused about a million excess deaths a year, due to failures of being able to access medication.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"639\" height=\"366\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/pile-of-pharmaceutical-drugs.jpg\" alt=\"pile of different colored pharmaceutical drugs and pills\" class=\"wp-image-159768\" style=\"width:841px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/pile-of-pharmaceutical-drugs.jpg 639w, https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/pile-of-pharmaceutical-drugs-300x172.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/pile-of-pharmaceutical-drugs-18x10.jpg 18w, https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/pile-of-pharmaceutical-drugs-600x344.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 639px) 100vw, 639px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color\"><strong>Who wins the War on Drugs? <\/strong>Photo by Myriam Zilles on Unsplash<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tracy Yeung<\/strong>, Chief Communications Officer at <strong>COMPASS Pathways<\/strong>, echoes the same idea:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>\u201cThere are 100 million people in the world with treatment-resistant depression \u2014 that\u2019s a huge number. It\u2019s a huge economic burden and burden on society, and it\u2019s unfair that so many people currently don\u2019t have any options.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-pale-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\" id=\"h-largest-psilocybin-trial-for-depression\"><em> Largest Psilocybin Trial for Depression <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To remedy this, COMPASS is currently holding the world\u2019s largest clinical trial <strong>using psilocybin to treat depression<\/strong> \u2014 with 216 patients in 21 sites across Europe, Canada, and the US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>\u201cIf it\u2019s approved, [psilocybin] gets into the system and is proved to be safe and effective for treating depression. We\u2019re generating the evidence that can be used to get into national health systems.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As of right now, COMPASS is in the stage of rigorous clinical trials to prove that <strong>psilocybin-assisted treatment works<\/strong>. Solid results will give people <em>(and lawmakers)<\/em> confidence to use psilocybin as clinical therapy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-pale-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\" id=\"h-a-cure-for-trauma\"><em> A Cure for Trauma<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the fact that psychedelic-based meds for treating mental illness is still a ways off from legalization, the benefits are stacking up. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Sessa, who oversees the Bristol clinic with Professor Nutt, revealed how MDMA-assisted psychotherapy can <strong>cure alcohol addiction<\/strong> \u2014 which often stems from trauma.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See, traditional treatment for depression, anxiety, and PTSD include antidepressants and <strong>Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)<\/strong>. But SSRIs only treat the symptoms of mental illness, rather than the root cause of trauma, and CBT alone is often not enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Psychedelics such as MDMA, ketamine, and psilocybin can help <em>\u201copen up\u201d <\/em>the dark cave of trauma by <strong>dissolving the ego\u2019s defense wall<\/strong>. Paired with expert psychotherapy, it\u2019s a killer combo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sadly, both MDMA and psilocybin are schedule 1 substances, so it\u2019s <strong>illegal to prescribe them<\/strong> outside of a clinical trial. Even so, you need a Home Office license to produce, possess, or supply such drugs. This makes procuring them, even for research, very tricky. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-pale-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\" id=\"h-potential-savings-for-healthcare\"><em>Potential Savings for Healthcare <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The language of bureaucrats is <em>money<\/em>\u2026 so if the science won\u2019t be enough to convince them, then perhaps the potential savings for the NHS <em>(thats the National Health Service in the UK)<\/em> will?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A<strong> <\/strong>recent study by<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosone\/article?id=10.1371\/journal.pone.0239997\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MAP<\/a><\/strong>  found that if MDMA-assisted psychotherapy was made available to just 1,000 patients, then <strong>healthcare costs in the USA will be cut by $103.2 million<\/strong> over 30 years. So why wouldn&#8217;t the NHS be interested in making these savings too? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It all boils down to the UK\u2019s drug prohibition laws, says Dr. Sessa:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:21px\"><em><strong>\u201cDrug policy is connected to our work. Prohibition relies on a substance being dangerous. But you undermine the dangerous aspect of a drug if a doctor is prescribing it.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:21px\"><em><strong>\u201cOur prohibition drug laws in the UK have been entirely ineffective at their job, which was to control these substances. After 50 years of prohibition, drugs haven\u2019t gone away.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>\u201cIn fact, far more people are using psychedelics now than they were in the 60s.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/18-24.png\" alt=\"shrooma the mushroom sitting with eyes shut smiling\" class=\"wp-image-159769\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1;width:374px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/18-24.png 1000w, https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/18-24-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/18-24-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/18-24-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/18-24-12x12.png 12w, https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/18-24-600x600.png 600w, https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/18-24-100x100.png 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-pale-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\" id=\"h-not-sure-if-talking-therapy-is-always-enough\"><em> \u201cNot sure if talking therapy is always enough\u201d <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Laura How<\/strong>, a therapist and counsellor near Bristol, shares how adding psychedelics to talk therapy can help cure trauma \u2014 for good:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cI was in talking therapies for nearly two decades, and it was gruelling. I experienced an abusive childhood and for people who have experienced complex trauma, I\u2019m not sure if talking therapy is always enough.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201c So<\/em> <em>I took antidepressants, but they didn\u2019t work. But when I started taking psilocybin, I stopped getting long periods of depression. I started to feel lighter and lighter, after feeling heavy my whole life.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But as long as it\u2019s illegal to use psychedelics for medicine, people will continue to buy them from illegal sources\u2026 and even self-medicate, without guidance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So why not legalize these so-called <em>\u201cillicit\u201d<\/em> substances, and have them administered by doctors to treat mental health issues? The psychedelic train seems to be chugging along determinedly, but only time will tell for sure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What do you think?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Will 2021 <strong>fast-track the legalization<\/strong> of psychedelics in the UK \u2014 just as Oregon state enjoys at present?\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pentru majoritatea oamenilor obi\u0219nui\u021bi, cuv\u00e2ntul \"psihedelice\" \u00eenseamn\u0103 a te droga \u0219i a \u00eenc\u0103lca legea. Nu conteaz\u0103 dac\u0103 este vorba de MDMA, ketamin\u0103 sau psilocibin\u0103. Dac\u0103 guvernul spune c\u0103 este ilegal, atunci trebuie s\u0103 fie r\u0103u pentru tine... nu? <\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16547,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"topics":[],"class_list":["post-16546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-and-studies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16546"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16546\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":159770,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16546\/revisions\/159770"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16546"},{"taxonomy":"topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholecelium.com\/ro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topics?post=16546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}