Novel Treatment Approaches for Substance Use Disorders: Therapeutic Use of Psychedelics and the Role of Psychotherapy
January 1, 2021 Betzler, Felix, Gründer, Gerhard, W. Johnson, Matthew et al.
Psychedelic therapy combines pharmacological and psychological processes to treat substance use disorders (SUD). Although psychedelics are known for recreational use, recent evidence shows they can be feasibly, safely, and effectively used in therapeutic settings. Psychedelics enhance key psychotherapeutic processes in approaches like psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral therapy. The individual psychedelic experience, a major part of the mechanism, does not fit neatly into one therapeutic approach. When administered under well-defined conditions, psychedelics can augment various psychotherapy interventions for SUD and other mental disorders, regardless of theoretical origin.