Can Psychedelics Radically Change SUD Treatment?
Psychiatric News March 20, 2020 Katie O’connor
Psychedelics such as LSD, MDMA, ketamine, and psilocybin show promise for treating substance use disorders, with early results suggesting patients may become substance-free for months or a year after a single treatment. Barriers to research persist, including Schedule I classification and misconceptions among psychiatrists, though 81% of surveyed psychiatrists agreed the drugs deserve further research. In one trial, psilocybin combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy produced a 56% smoking abstinence rate at one year versus 17% for nicotine patch. An observational study of ibogaine for opioid use disorder found half of 30 participants reported no opioid use one month after treatment.