- Published
From retreats in the Amazon to clinical trials in Newcastle, psychedelic therapy is attracting growing attention as a possible treatment for depression.
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therapy → publish → depression
Could hallucinogenic drugs one day become part of mainstream NHS care?
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drugs → become → care
Claire Torpey had tried traditional forms of mental health support, including counselling.
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Torpey → try → counselling
But she says there was still something she could not shake.
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she → say → ?
I was living in chronic anxiety," she says.
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she → live → anxiety
Claire, from Tynemouth, North Tyneside, spent part of her childhood in care and says the challenges she faced growing up were compounded by the deaths of her father and grandmother in consecutive years.
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she → spend → years
"There wasn't anything that was really moving the needle from my internal state.
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that → be → state
I was deeply sad and I didn't want to be here."
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I → want → ?
Seeking alternatives, Claire travelled to South and Central America to attend retreats where participants legally take psychedelics as part of guided therapeutic programmes.
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participants → seek → programmes
The retreats involved psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in magic mushrooms, and ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian brew containing the psychedelic compound DMT.
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retreats → involve → compound
Psychedelic tourism has grown in popularity, but experts warn that unethical and unregulated practices can pose serious risks.
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practices → grow → risks
There have been reports of participants dying after attending retreats and ceremonies abroad.
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participants → die → retreats
For Claire, however, she says the experience was transformative.
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experience → say → Claire
"It wasn't until I started taking these medicines that it started to lift," she says.
"I started to find a place of peace and happiness.
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I → start → peace
It took me on a journey of forgiveness.
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It → take → forgiveness
"I don't believe that normal talk therapies would have got me there."
'Does not turn off depression'
In the UK, psilocybin and DMT are Class A drugs and are classified as Schedule 1 substances, meaning they are considered to have no recognised medicinal use.
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they → believe → use
Yet interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy is growing.
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interest → assist → therapy
At Newcastle's Care Pathway Enhancement (CaPE) Clinic, run by Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, researchers are investigating whether psilocybin could help treat conditions including depression.
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psilocybin → run → depression
The theory is that, when used in a controlled setting, psychedelics can help people process difficult thoughts and emotions.
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people → use → thoughts
Some researchers liken the mind to a snow globe: the drugs temporarily disrupt established thought patterns, allowing thoughts and feelings to settle differently and providing new perspectives on past experiences.
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thoughts → liken → experiences
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Mourad Wahba, who leads the research, says participants often report significant shifts in how they view themselves and their experiences.
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they → lead → themselves
"The idea is that through having this experience, people can change their behaviours and patterns of thinking," he says.
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he → have → thinking
The treatment involves extensive preparation and support before and after dosing sessions.
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treatment → involve → sessions
Clinical psychologist Tom Sharp helps facilitate the trials.
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Sharp → facilitate → trials
Participants receive psilocybin in capsule form before spending up to eight hours in a specially designed dosing room under the supervision of therapists.
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Participants → receive → therapists
"People can develop a sense of what might have caused their depression," he says.
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he → develop → depression
Researchers are keen to temper expectations.
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Researchers → temper → expectations
"This type of work isn't some silver bullet," says Sharp.
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Sharp → say → work
"It doesn't turn off depression."
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It → turn → depression
Wahba agrees.
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Wahba → agree → ?
While early findings are encouraging, he says larger studies are still needed to establish how effective the treatments are and whether any benefits can be sustained in the longer term.
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benefits → say → term
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has backed further research into psychedelic-assisted therapy.
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College → back → therapy
Dr David Cousins, chair of its psychopharmacology committee, said: "The College supports further research into psychedelics such as psilocybin, which have the potential to help in the treatment of people with conditions such as depression, including those who are less responsive to other forms of care."
Some researchers believe psychedelic-assisted therapy may offer longer-lasting benefits for certain patients by helping them address underlying thoughts, emotions and behaviours rather than simply managing symptoms.
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them → say → symptoms
However, Cousins cautioned against seeking treatment outside regulated settings.
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Cousins → caution → settings
"We strongly advise against people self-medicating or seeking access to unregulated treatments as there are risks in doing so."
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people → advise → treatments
Supporters stress that psychedelic therapy is very different from recreational drug use.
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therapy → stress → use
In clinical settings, participants are screened, monitored and supported before, during and after treatment.
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participants → screen → treatment
'I became quite desperate'
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I → become → ?
Some UK charities and organisations are also helping people access psychedelic therapy overseas.
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people → help → therapy
Keith John Abraham, founder of Heroic Hearts Project UK, helps former military personnel attend retreats involving ayahuasca to support conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
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personnel → help → disorder
…and 20 more, not listed.
The Aporia
