Australia became the first country to approve therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs. 80 years have passed since the day when the assistant chemist Albert Hoffmann she had to take him home on her bike due to dizziness and distorted images, which she suffered from for several hours. The scientist investigated the influence LSD and decided that the best way to do it was to swallow it yourself. Since then, this and other psychedelic substances have been widely used recreationally, but their therapeutic role has also begun to be explored.
psychedelic drugs such as MDMA or psilocybinextracted from the famous “magic mushrooms” seem to play a very interesting role as adjunct to psychological therapy in mental states post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. For this reason, many countries have already begun to work, first researching their use and then endorsing them.
America’s preeminent authority on pharmacology, Food and Drug Administrationgave them the green light in 2020 to develop more clinical trials of this type. Swiss Things have gone a step further since, since 2014, physicians in that country have been able to request special approval from the Federal Health Administration for the clinical use of LSD, MDMA, and psilocybin. Now, Australia further opened these permits, although access to psychedelics for therapeutic purposes remains severely restricted.
How do psychedelics work for therapeutic purposes?
The two psychedelic drugs that Australian doctors will be allowed to use are MDMA and psilocybin. The former has long been studied as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, as it has the ability to, to put it mildly, very roughaccess the memories of the person who consumes it.
The problem with this disorder is that memories of traumatic experience they remain attached to hippocampuswhich is an area of the brain responsible for regulating memory and emotions, among other things.
These memories are very difficult to erase. However, it has been observed that, if supplemented with psychological therapy, consumption MDMA it can change those traumatic memories into more positive ones. It makes it kind of origin, Just like in a Christopher Nolan movie.
Referring to psilocybinalso useful in its ability open the doors of the brain. In particular, it causes the brain circuits associated with negative thoughts to become less rigid, so that it is easier to treat when supplemented with psychological therapy. depression.
What can be done in Australia?
It is important to note that mental illnesses such as depression have multifactorial origin. There are even those who believe that they cannot be defined as diseases. Be that as it may, this is something so complex that it cannot be solved with a simple pill.
In some cases, it is not clear whether psychoactive drugs are effective. For other patients yes, but this should always be supplemented psychological therapy. Now, what if nothing works?
This is where in Australia now psychedelic drugs. They will be used as a last resort for patients for whom no other option works. In addition, they should only be administered by qualified personnel in a clinical setting and not by the patient at home. All this will be possible after Therapeutic Goods Authority (TGA) of Australia I transfer them from category 9, banned substances, to 8, which is controlled drugs.
They can be entered, but very specific circumstances. Be that as it may, this is the first step, which other countries will surely follow. Well, the non-recreational or ritual use of psychedelics is increasingly well founded. At least that crazy bike ride 80 years ago will do the trick.
Source: Hiper Textual
