Psilocybin treatment for AUD: Promise in new study
Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly October 14, 2022 DOI: 10.1002/adaw.33584
Summary
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy shows significant promise for alcohol use disorder. This potent hallucinogen, a focus in Psychiatry and Medicine, is being re-examined in Psychedelics and Drug Studies. Forty years ago, Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), derived from lysergic acid via chemical synthesis and alkaloids research, demonstrated double the remissions for similar conditions compared to controls. Modern psychology and psychotherapist approaches, understanding neurotransmitter receptor influence on behavior, are now exploring psilocybin's potential, suggesting a paradigm shift in treating AUD.
Abstract
The beneficial effects of psilocybin‐assisted psychotherapy on alcohol use disorder (AUD) are significant, based on a study published in JAMA Psychiatry last month. In general, psychedelic medications have been a focus of research, but less is known about psilocybin, and it has been 40 years since the studies with lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) provided double the remissions as comparison treatments.