Frontiers in Psychiatry
November 4, 2021
Ricarda Evens, Simon Reiche, Roman M. Marek et al.
16 citations
During the early COVID-19 pandemic, a survey of over 5,000 people across five languages found that among 1,375 who had used psychedelics in 2019 or 2020, 642 (46.6%) continued using them during the pandemic. Usage shifted away from settings outside the home, and motives changed: less curiosity, celebration, or social influence, more boredom. Positively connoted, often pro-social experiences increased, and two thirds of pandemic users said psychedelics helped them cope with the pandemic at least slightly. The changes likely reflect pandemic restrictions and a possible shift toward safer settings and self-selection.
SUCHT - Zeitschrift für Wissenschaft und Praxis / Journal of Addiction Research and Practice
December 1, 2025
Dario Jalilzadeh Masah, Derin Marbin, Tomislav Majić
1 citation
Symptoms of depersonalization and derealization are common during the acute effects of classic psychedelics and can persist, leading to depersonalization-derealization disorder (DDD) with distress and help-seeking behavior. Three cases of DDD after use of LSD, psilocybin, and 5-methoxy-dimethyltryptamine are presented, all treated at an outpatient clinic for post-psychedelic complications. Symptoms emerged shortly after exposure and lasted months. Psychotherapeutic interventions were helpful, while initial misdiagnoses delayed treatment in some cases. Psychotherapy should be prioritized for psychedelic-related DDD, with pharmacological treatment as a second-line option. Exploring the acute drug experience may validate patients and strengthen the therapeutic relationship, while revealing psychodynamic factors underlying individual pathologies.