Psychedelic drugs, long banned, are once again finding a place in scientific laboratories and clinics, and there is growing evidence that they may become a major weapon in the treatment of mental illness.
Taking a small dose of psychedelics over a long period of time can improve your mood, but there’s still a lot we don’t know about them. Psychedelic drugs, long banned, are once again finding a place in scientific laboratories and clinics, and there is growing evidence that they may become a major weapon in the treatment of mental illness. New research has changed the perception of psychedelic drugs.
Hallucinogenic drugs such as mescaline and psilocybin, found in ‘magic mushrooms’, have been used in cultural and religious rituals for centuries. A hallucinatory state arises when these things are taken in high doses. More recently, however, there has been a growing trend to regularly take ‘micro’ doses of psychedelics that do not alter our state of consciousness. The idea only entered public debate in 2011, and after that the practice caught on worldwide, along with claims that it can cure many mental illnesses and has physical benefits.
The most commonly reported method of microdosing psychedelics is microdosing one-tenth to one-twentieth of conventional recreational drugs every three to four days. Many microdose users claim that their cognitive and mental health improves; there is also evidence that microdosing alters pain perception, mood, and consciousness. But studies have also indicated that the effect of microdosing is likely due to user expectations, which means the actual cause is still unknown.
Whether this effect is due to expectations or medicinal properties, the truth is that microdosing does have an effect on people. One significant study found that 50 percent of research participants stopped taking conventional antidepressants after taking microdoses. Similarly, 27.5 percent stated that taking small doses of psychedelics is more effective than taking pain relievers.
A survey-based study of people who took small doses of psychedelics found that it helped them lower their levels of depression and improve their mood. These results have not yet been replicated in the laboratory, but there is also the fact that the participants in the laboratory experiments so far were healthy individuals and only took one to seven doses. It may be that the antidepressant effect of psychedelics occurs over a longer period of time, or it may be that the effect is measurable only in the clinical population.
Surveys and mobile app-based studies have shown that people who take small doses of psychedelic drugs have heightened awareness, become more reflective, and have a greater span of concentration. Subtle doses of psychedelic drugs help reduce smoking and drug abuse. Microdose users report low levels of impairment, but also report a higher desire to use psychoactive substances. However, the effects of small doses of psychedelics on the use of other substances have not been evaluated in the laboratory.
There is evidence that small doses of psychedelic drugs produce changes in the brain. A study examining small doses of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) found that it alters the brain’s limbic system, which is linked to mood swings. Similarly, two studies using microdoses of psilocybin reported that it attenuated the speed of the common mode network.
These findings are broadly consistent with the results for high doses of psychedelics and conventional antidepressants. Until long-term, highly controlled studies of small doses of psychedelics (for example, at least four to six weeks) are conducted and the potential clinical implications in populations with mental illness are studied, certainly nothing can be said for sure. about the possible treatment with these microdoses.
Disclaimer:Prabhasakshi has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.