New methods of mental health treatment now include the use of psychedelic therapy, but what may be the unstated consequences?

Mental well-being is important, and although medication can be beneficial, many of the current ones available may not be effective for everyone. When treatments don't work for a disorder, patients and researchers seek new methods that could be useful. In addition to brain-stimulating devices, psychedelics are an ancient method now gaining attention as a potential solution for those in need.

Psychedelics have a long history, and some people still go to remote jungle areas to experiment with these mind-altering substances.

In terms of human knowledge of psychopharmacological drugs, psychedelics may be the most ancient. Hallucinogens may have been used in religious rituals as early as 2,000 years ago, according to historical records. The Olmec, Zapotec, Maya, and Aztec civilizations in Mesoamerica used psychoactive plants frequently.

The number of psychedelics, both known and undiscovered by science, may be infinite. So far, researchers have delineated the substances into three categories: dissociative (such as phencyclidine and ketamine), classic psychedelics (LSD), and entactogens (such as MDMA).

Worldwide, obsessive-compulsive disorder is one of the leading causes of impairment, and many persons with untreated obsessive-compulsive disorder may experience a chronic course.

First-line therapies for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are exposure and response prevention (ERP), a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy, and serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) medications. Psychotherapists instruct individuals undergoing Exposure Reprocessing (ERP) to repeatedly and persistently expose themselves to events that trigger their anxiety and obsessions, while refraining from engaging in compulsions.

As a result of these interventions, patients may lose the link between (a) their obsessions and their anxiety and (b) their compulsions and relief from anxiety if they engage in them. Furthermore, patients acquire the knowledge that their concerns will most likely not come true, that their anxiety levels may decrease on their own, and that they are capable of handling risk and uncertainty.

While first-line therapy can be helpful for some people with OCD, it doesn't work for everyone. For that reason, researchers have initiated new studies and have been extensively researching novel means of addressing this disorder and others over the past two decades. A potential avenue being explored involves psychedelics.

Treatments for eating disorders, too, have incorporated, an exploration of psychedelic and treatment modalities.

Research seems to support broad treatment variables that are important for eating disorders. Psychedelics have been used in the past by persons with EDs, and there is some evidence that they can help with trauma processing, abnormal reward processing, reducing behavioral and cognitive rigidity, and improving distorted body image.

Additionally, psychedelics have the potential to enhance general therapeutic aspects that aid in the recovery process from avoidance-related mental diseases, such as EDs and common comorbidities. Possible causes for this therapeutic action include the calming effect on higher-order beliefs and the facilitation of acceptance of uncomfortable feelings and thoughts.

Clinical trials involving psilocybin or MDMA have shown promising results in treating a range of mental disorders in recent decades. These include major depressive disorder (MDD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcohol use disorder (AUD), and tobacco use disorder (TUD).

Since these results are encouraging, there is a growing possibility that the FDA will recognize MDMA and/or psilocybin as a legitimate psychiatric treatment. However, this is still speculative, and ongoing research must continue to provide solid evidence of its safety and efficacy. Therefore, no one should be shouting from the rooftops that this is a bona fide given treatment of choice or a game changer.

There is promise, of course, but we must also understand that the downside of this type of treatment may not have been sufficiently uncovered at this time. Usually, contraindications and side effects of any therapy take years of follow-up studies to truly understand, the totality of any intervention.