Psychedelic Drugs Look Like A Viable Treatment For PTSD
June 06, 2021
As the national mental health crisis among veterans becomes increasingly dire, researchers are looking for new ways to offer relief. Scientists and politicians alike have recently begun advocating more seriously for psychedelic drugs like “magic mushrooms,” ketamine and ecstasy (MDMA) as viable treatment options for conditions that overwhelmingly affect veterans like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and traumatic brain injuries.
Support for psychedelics as medical therapy is not new. However, it has been growing rapidly and catching on as a potentially life-saving treatment for veterans especially. Psilocybin, the hallucinogenic substance found in mushrooms, has been especially promising in trials that have already been conducted.
Scientists believe that these drugs work at treating PTSD so well by essentially rewiring the brain. They can create new connections between brain cells and weaken old ones. Patients who have already used psychedelic drug therapy also claim that they induce feelings of joy, dissociation and general wellbeing capable of overriding the darkness associated with their mental health disorders.
When these treatments are given in precise doses under doctor supervision patients, have seen clear benefits, sometimes when no other drugs or therapies have worked in the past. However, hallucinogenic drugs come with potentially severe side effects, which necessitate a closer look at the benefits and risks.
Rick Perry, past Texas Governor, presidential candidate, and Energy Secretary under former President Donald Trump, has become a very vocal supporter of using hallucinogenics like psilocybin to treat PTSD in veterans. Although Perry staunchly opposes the legalization and use of drugs for recreational use, he says the evidence to support the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics for veterans struggling with PTSD and other mental health issues is overwhelming. As a result, he is urging Texas to back further research on the topic.
Texas lawmakers have proposed a large-scale clinical study of the medical applications of hallucinogenics and a literature review of existing research. Other states are pursuing similar studies, and some, like Oregon, have recently legalized psychedelics for recreational use.