Beckley Psytech’s Post

"The page, “Psilocybin for Mental Health and Addiction: What You Need To Know,” was posted this month on the website of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), which is part of the National Institutes of Health. It includes basic information about what psilocybin is, where it comes from, the legal status of the drug and preliminary findings around safety and efficacy." #psilocybin #plantmedicine #mentalhealth #hirehigher https://lnkd.in/gvXrg_Jp

New article! Are psychedelics the solution to our mental health crisis?

Psilocybin as a Pathway to Healing: A Personal Reflection on Addiction and Transformation The potential of psilocybin to aid in addiction recovery is profoundly meaningful to me. I’ve witnessed firsthand the devastation addiction can bring, having lost someone close to me due to overdose. In the last year of his life, he spoke of wanting to try mushrooms as a path toward healing, yet I discouraged him, thinking it wasn’t right for someone with his struggles. Now, with more awareness of the power of this medicine, I wonder how different his life might have been. My journey with psilocybin began after his passing, leading me through shadow work, across the country, and deep into nature. This medicine became a guide, showing me aspects of myself I hadn’t fully understood and offering healing beyond what I thought possible. Mushrooms are intelligent, and the fungi kingdom has an innate wisdom and purpose, each species offering unique teachings and pathways for transformation. As I continue to see studies and case reports demonstrating psilocybin’s power to heal trauma and address addiction, I feel a growing hope for those seeking alternatives to conventional treatments. For some, traditional programs like the 12-step process offer critical support, yet they can also keep individuals tethered to an identity as “an addict,” often reciting their lowest points without moving beyond them. Psilocybin, however, can invite true transformation, offering a way to understand life and self with fresh clarity. Its potential to heal addiction is, in my view, one of the most exciting and promising developments in mental health and addiction treatment. With gratitude, I stand as an advocate for exploring the full spectrum of possibilities that this medicine holds. Healing, I believe, can come in many forms, and the fungi kingdom has been here, quietly waiting, as a profound gift from the earth.

We have to be careful on how and when we pathologize substance use. There is a risk of promoting even greater social injustice to drug users from an-overly simplified, reductionistic, overly-medicalized view of substance use. I wish we were more open as society to discuss drug use not from a punitive, morally charged, medicalized view, but from compassionate, understanding and empathetic views. The brain is such a complex, beautifully resilient organ; Give it more credits than simply reducing substance use into a bunch of disorders. “Evidence shows that addiction's course is highly variable, and long-term management may be necessary for some, challenging the notion that addiction is always a chronic, relapsing condition” https://lnkd.in/gXx5BkuG #SubstanceUse #Opioids #Stimulant #HarmReduction

A second review addressed the significant comorbidity between opioid addiction and depression, emphasizing the need for comprehensive treatment (PubMed). https://lnkd.in/eTe25xY5 Title: The Reality of Comorbidity: Depression and Drug Abuse Summary: This article, authored by Nora D. Volkow, explores the significant overlap between depression and drug abuse, highlighting the challenges associated with treating individuals suffering from both conditions. Comorbidity between these disorders is common due to complex genetic, environmental, and psychological factors. The study discusses how depression can increase susceptibility to substance use disorders and vice versa. Self-medication, neurobiological changes, and shared risk factors often contribute to this bidirectional relationship. Furthermore, the presence of one disorder can exacerbate the severity and treatment difficulty of the other. Takeaway: This article emphasizes the importance of integrated treatment approaches that address both depression and substance abuse simultaneously. Understanding the genetic, psychological, and environmental underpinnings of this comorbidity is crucial for improving therapeutic outcomes. By recognizing the interplay between these disorders, healthcare professionals can tailor more effective, comprehensive treatment plans that enhance recovery rates and support long-term well-being. Contact HWOANY at 1-888-995-3405 visit https://lnkd.in/ePzvet3q. #MAT #OpioidAddiction #Recovery #Health #Wellness

Alcohol Use Disorder Market Size to Reach USD 620 Million in 2023 | DelveInsight According to DelveInsight’s analysis, the market size of alcohol use disorder (AUD) in the 7MM was USD 620 million in 2023. The 12-month diagnosed prevalent cases of AUD in the 7MM were approximately 25 million in 2023, with a projected increase by 2034. Prominent companies such as Adial Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ADIL), Corcept Therapeutics, Clearmind Medicine, Clairvoyant, Bioprojet , and others are leading the development of innovative alcohol use disorder therapies. These novel treatments are expected to enter the market during the forecast period and have the potential to transform the alcohol use disorder treatment landscape. Key alcohol use disorder treatments in development include AD04 (ondansetron), CORT 118335 (Miricorilant) (mifepristone), CMND-100, Psilocybin, BP1.3656, and others. Get More Detailed Information: https://lnkd.in/gcV6U2F5 #AlcoholUseDisorder #AUD #HealthcareMarket #DrugDevelopment #PharmaceuticalResearch #MedicalInnovation #MarketAnalysis #PsychiatricDisorders #DelveInsight

🌿 Exploring New Frontiers in Mental Health Treatment 🌿 We're excited to share this insightful article from The Guardian that dives into the emerging use of psychedelics and hallucinogens as potential treatments for depression. From innovative therapies to the latest scientific findings, this piece highlights the transformative potential of these treatments and their impact on those struggling with depression. As we continue to seek more effective and holistic approaches to mental health, it's crucial to stay informed and open to new possibilities. Read more about these groundbreaking developments and join the conversation on how we can better support mental wellness. #MentalHealth #Psychedelics #DepressionTreatment #InnovativeTherapies #MentalWellness 👉 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ei3iFR9x

Great journalism piece below examining the question of how we define addiction; more specifically, whether we invoke the word or idea of "disease." Personally, I don't. To me, addiction is essentially a metastasized coping strategy. Someone is trying to find peace, relief, enjoyment, etc. - all very natural human goals that all of us care about. People struggling with addictive behaviors just happened to land on a strategy that ultimately is a bait and switch: it looks great at the start, but ultimately ends up being hurtful and vampiric. I don't like using the word "disease," though. I think it sounds overly pathologizing, and also has a flavor of disempowerment regarding personal agency in the process of change and recovery. I'm a big supporter of the biopsychosocial model of addiction: that addiction is a syndrome that involves problems and interplay between biological, psychological, and social domains. Recovery means addressing all of them. The label of "brain disease" falls short of capturing the complexity. #addiction #recovery #psychology https://lnkd.in/gGVJWNvY

Mental Health News Withdrawing From Anti-Depressants This is an article about a recent antidepressant study in the U.K. It’s part of a larger program called REDUCE, studying the effects of withdrawing from long term use of antidepressants. (Btw- I take issue with the title)♥️You can stay on antidepressants forever - as long as you live - there is hope. Curbing inappropriate use of antidepressants? Let’s do it. Saves money, decreases side effects… But - I have questions. What’s the tracking and follow up? How long? Things to think about. I’m interested to learn more. Especially if they are targeting a certain type of depression, such as postpartum - would make sense. What do you think? 🤔 #depression #antidepressants #mentalhealth #therapy #mentalhealthcontent #research #mentalhealthwriter

Gosh, I’ve been saying this for fifty years now. Nobel Prize anyone? https://lnkd.in/efj6_Ekn In 1977, Stanton, based on Love and Addiction, wrote the first in his Redefining Addiction series, whose abstract (below) demolished decades of scientific thought about addiction. It was ignored for 40 years. By 2017, a series of books and articles in Scientific American by Carl Hart, Maia Szalavitz, and Marc Lewis (all of whom acknowledge Stanton’s primacy in this area) undercut the entire disease model of addiction, while international conferences were organized to rethink the addiction process. According to Nick Heather: Stanton Peele has done as much as anyone to reveal the inadequacies, absurdities, and injustices of the idea that addiction is a disease and, specifically, that it is a disease of the brain. In a constant flow of influential books, articles, and blogs over more than forty years, he has persuasively extended the critique of the disease theory of addiction beyond the scientific community to the general public. When the disease theory is eventually replaced by a more rational and humane approach in the popular understanding of addiction, Stanton Peele will be first in line to receive the plaudits, and those of us who broadly share his view will owe him a profound debt of gratitude. — Nick Heather, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Alcohol & Other Drug Studies, Northumbria University, UK; co-editor, Evaluating the Brain Disease Model of Addiction. Here is the original idea. International Journal of Health Services, Volume 7, Number 1, 103-124,1977. Copyright 1977 Stanton Peele. Redefining Addiction I. Making Addiction a Scientifically and Socially Useful Concept Stanton Peele Addiction is both a more complex—and a more common—phenomenon than either medical personnel or laymen have realized. It is impossible to link addiction as a medical syndrome to any one drug or family of drugs, or to trace it to a specific biological mechanism. As scientists have uncovered more data leading to these conclusions, they have turned away from employing the term "addiction." Yet many drug researchers and workers in the helping professions continue to make incorrect assumptions about both addiction and drug use. In this paper the author attempts to broaden the applicability of the addiction concept in order to give it meaning. With this broader approach, we find that many involvements that people become engaged in follow the pattern of addiction, while some involvements with supposedly addictive drugs do not follow this pattern. The addiction cycle is explored by means of the following psychological definition: An addiction is any compulsive activity or involvement which decreases a person's ability to deal with other aspects of his life to the point where that activity or involvement comprises the dominant source of emotional reinforcement and identity for the person.