Potential Depression Cure Could Be ‘ LSD and Psychedelics,’ Studies Say

Psychedelic drugs could prove to become effective treatments for alcoholism and depression, according to latest scientific research.

Using 20 people in the early trial, results are promising providing a much clearer overview on current evidences on how psychoactive drugs could help in reversing patterns of negative or addictive thinking.

Prof David Nutt, lead researcher along with Beckley Foundation’s Amanda Feilding, warned that patients were missing on the potential treatment benefits because of prohibitive control and regulation into recreational drug research.

Nutt, who was chief drugs adviser, spoke in a London briefing and said that the restrictions were the worst censorship in science history.

But because he and his team from the Imperial College London were not able to secure conventional funding help, they started using Walacea, a crowd-funding site, in an attempt to fund and complete the latest LSD study.

He said that those drugs offered the greatest opportunity they had in mental health and that there was little else on the horizon.

After several trials producing encouraging results, there has been resurgence of medical interest for psilocybin, the main active components of magic mushrooms, and LSD, especially for conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression in cancer patients.

In 2014, a study in the US proved LSD helped patients with illnesses, such as anxiety over death, while a study in 2012 showed that when MDMA was combined with psychotherapy, patients could survive post-traumatic stress disorder. In 2006, a study conducted by scientists in Arizona proved that psilocybin could help in relieving the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Bad news, according to Prof Nutt, was that funders and the UK government remained unwilling in engaging with the potential clinical benefits of psychedelics. He compared the research barriers to research to the censorship done by the Catholic Church in the works of Galileo in 1616 and that they were banned on research on drugs, such as cannabis and psychedelic drugs, for 50 years.

He concluded that in terms of the wasted amount of opportunity, it was much greater than telescope banning and that it was a truly appalling censorship level.