How Psilocybin May be the Key to Treating Depression by Nishat Miah

How Psilocybin May be the Key to Treating Depression A look into recent studies that demonstrate a promising future in psychedelic used in the medial field for mental health issues. By Umaima Cheema, Nishat Miah & Alexandra Sanoulis

America’s relationship with drugs

or reduce addiction that smokers or

has demonstrated that with changes in our

alcoholics experience. Through this paper,

culture, come changes in medical practices.

we hope to explore the way that scientist

With greater social acceptance of drugs like

attitudes towards mind altering substances

marijuana for medical use, there has been

have changed, and how that has unlocked

more leeway for the use of other “taboo”

new avenues of research for mental health

items for their potential health benefits.

treatments. The key ingredient in this

Psychedelics in

process to understand is

particular have

psilocybin, the

experienced a rise in

hallucinogenic substance

popularity as a research

that induces these effects in

subject. There has even been a push to

people. It can be found in

reclassify psilocybin, the active compound

mushrooms (colloquially known as “magic

in hallucinogenic mushrooms to possibly

mushrooms”) that grow in Europe, South

treat depression, anxiety and to aid in

America, Mexico and the United States.

quitting smoking. There is also evidence to

This substance is not naturally addictive and

suggest that controlled use of LSD can limit

can cause physical and psychological

effects. When ingested, psilocybin is

Schedule I drug to a Schedule IV drug,

converted into psilocin within the body

Schedule IV drugs include things like

which the chemical with the psychoactive

sleeping pills). There is a push for controlled

properties. In a test to properly document the

use of the drug in much smaller doses. With

effects of psilocybin on individuals, it was

the help of studies and extensive controls

found that the majority of volunteers (about

and regulation, psilocybin may just become

72%) had mystical experiences while the

the key to a better future for those with

majority of the rest experiences extreme

depression. Although this reclassification

anxiety or fear. In this study one month after

requires more extensive testing there are

having administered the highest doses of the

already studies out there to back this move

drug, volunteers demonstrated that their

for a reclassification.

experiences with psilocybin had â&#x20AC;&#x153;substantial

It is important to understand the ways that

personal and spiritual significanceâ&#x20AC;? which

psilocybin is tested to ensure that it does

involved changes in their moods, behaviors,

indeed take effect. In a study published by

and attitudes that were positive. In a second

the Society of Biological Psychiatry, it was

round of data collection, at fourteen months,

concluded that psilocybin decreased

the effects were not as great.

amygdala reactivity in the brain during

It is researches from John Hopkins

emotion processing which led to an increase

University who are the forefront of these

of positive moods in healthy volunteers. The

changing attitudes toward psilocybin. They

amygdala is an almond shaped set of

have recently recommended that it be

neurons that play a key role in processing

reclassified as a drug fit for medical

emotions. Typically, it has been shown that

purposes (i.e. it would go from being a

there is a relation between amygdala

hyperactivity and negative mood states in

assessed using the Positive and Negative

depressed patients. Once patients were put

Affect Schedule and the state portion of the

on serotonin reuptake inhibitors, amygdala

State-Trait Anxiety Inventory both before

hyperactivity decreased and this led to

and then 210 minutes after each drug

positive mood changes in these patients.

treatment.

This study and previous studies show that

The results of the study show that

psilocybin, also known as magical

there is a significant relation between the

mushrooms, tend to have antidepressant

change in amygdala reactivity that

properties including reducing neural activity

psilocybin causes and positive affect change.

to induce positive moods as well. In this

Psilocybin induced a decrease in amygdala

specific study, scientists administered

reactivity and this was strongly associated

psilocybin and a placebo to twenty five

with the increase of positive moods in

healthy volunteers by using blood oxygen

participants, without an increase in anxiety

level-dependent functional magnetic

as well. Additionally, scans of the brain

resonance imaging. All the subjects in the

show that no additional areas of the brain

study had healthy medical histories,

were activated by psilocybin that were not

including physical examination, routine

also active in the placebo participant scans.

blood analysis, electrocardiography, and

The findings of this study show that

urine tests for drug abuse and pregnancy.

psilocybin can in fact be used to benefit

Additionally, subjects did not have a history

those who suffer from depression by acting

of hallucinogen use. Change in mood state

in a similar way to antidepressants such as

was the primary concern of this study, and

SSRIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, however further studies must be

the state of the participantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; moods was

performed on depressed participants because

the participants of this study were perfectly

extremely controlled in the sense that

healthy. With any drug, one person’s body

participants were offered a light breakfast

may react differently to the drug than the

prior to consuming the psilocybin, followed

next person’s, which is why it is important

by a nurse obtaining vital signs, collecting

for the administering of drugs to be

urine samples for pregnancy testing and

controlled, or else they may result in “bad

drug screening, placing ECG electrode

trips”. Additionally, all medications and

patches, and inserting an IV catheter with a

drugs have the possibility for side effects

saline lock extension for each participant.

that may be harmful, but it is less likely to

Additionally, post-psilocybin session, all

happen if the amount of the drug and the

participants were seen by a nurse

reasoning for consuming the drug is controlled and justified. In a study published by the Journal of Psychopharmacology, a study was conducted for the primary purpose of evaluating the effects of consuming escalating doses of psilocybin in a controlled and supervised setting. Participants of the study were given doses of psilocybin based on their weight, and they increasingly gave each person a higher dose with at least four weeks in between each dose received. This study was

practitioner or a physician for a complete

Psilocybin has been used as a plant based

physical examination. The results of this

remedy for years used as holistic treatments.

study showed that the majority of

Most people correlate a negative association

participants said that their experience on

with those who use psilocybin as remedies

psilocybin was highly positive and

for mental illness. However, naturalistic

meaningful. Participants also reported no

observations and population based data

persisting positive effects of psilocybin 30

indicate a positive correlation instead!

days after the final dose and a moderate

Between 1949 and 1973, studies were

increase in their overall well being and

conducted regarding psychedelics with

happiness in life. These results infer that the

mood disorders. This study showed that

controlled and prescribed use of psilocybin

79% of patients displayed significant

can improve the overall well-being of

improvement after the treatment was

individuals, specifically l those who face

completed.

depression, which could be a major game

Psilocybin and psychedelics consist of some

changer to those battling depression.

similarities and differences when compared

to conventional antidepressant. One

growth and possibilities for psilocybin and

similarity is that when treated you become

psychedelics will continue to grow as it has

extremely sensitive to the environment

for decades in the past. There is so much

surrounding the patient. A difference is that

potential in them to protect people from

with antidepressants, they reduce limbic

certain diseases which may be extremely

responsiveness and emotional moderation.

harmful.

With psychedelics, there is an emphasis on

Neuroscientists have also been looking to

emotional release.

psychedelics as a serious opportunity to

Psilocybin has been used to treat mental

grow their own research when treating

health diseases for years, and has been

psychiatric problems. Neuro Chemists

successful as well. Due to this, researchers

actually took it upon themselves to learn and

are even more hopeful about the future of

understand neurotransmitters and their

psilocybin in treatment for medical issues.

receptors. In 1950, the idea that drugs could

One researcher believes that psilocybin with

possibly alter the way distressed patients

psychological support (PwPS) will become

could be treated was shocking and

an option early on for patients diagnosed

something researchers were intrigued to

with depression. This is because PwPS gets

look more into. However, psychedelics

minimal exposure and also act rapidly to

hosted an â&#x20AC;&#x153;illegalâ&#x20AC;? status in society for

address the emotions directly which separate

decades and only a few years ago was that

it from other treatments.

status removed.

Regardless of whether or not in the future,

Schedule I drugs are substances that have a

patients decide to use treatments via

high potential for abuse and have no

antidepressants or psychedelics. The field of

accepted medical use, as defined by the

Federal government. In 1967, psychedelics,

subject to search at any time by a

including mescaline, psilocybin and LSD,

government official.

were classified as Schedule I drugs at the UN Convention of drugs. Due to these drugs commercial potential, special licenses are required to process and administer Schedule I drugs. The use of these drugs is closely monitored as well. In the United Kingdom, the pharmacies which possess Schedule I drugs are closely monitored by a webcam and television. These pharmacies are also

Psychedelics do not have much evidence that they are addicting or could be linked to any sort of dependency. Tolerance for the Euphoria during the psychedelic experience develops quickly and has not been reported to have any significant withdrawal symptoms. Although dependence of psychedelics seems to be nearly nonexistent,

the research in this area is not vast. Due to this fact, psychedelics have a low chance of being abused by consumers. Psychedelics and psilocybin have provided us a way to look deeper into how to best treat those suffering from mental illnessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for years. It has changed many lives and helped so many, that there is no doubt it will continue to provide more benefits in the future. As our world advances technologically, researchers are on a constant journey to find new and improved ways to use psychedelics to the best of their abilities and to get the most out of them as well.

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