Psychedelic-assisted therapy, using substances like MDMA and psilocybin, shows preliminary efficacy for depression, PTSD, and substance use disorders. Psilocybin, MDMA, and LSD have been designated breakthrough therapies by the FDA. However, in August 2024, the FDA declined to approve MDMA and requested an additional phase 3 trial. Clinicians should prepare for the possible return of psychedelics to medicine.
A researcher explores how psilocybin may help patients with treatment-resistant IBS by modulating interoception, the sense of the internal state of the body. The work is the first of its kind in gastroenterology and examines how early-life trauma becomes somatically encoded. Psychedelic-assisted therapy may create pathways for emotional release and functional improvement. The patient-centered approach combines neuroimaging, qualitative analysis, and clinical outcomes to develop scalable therapeutic options, challenging the artificial mind-body divide in medicine. This research represents a paradigm shift in understanding how psychedelics could transform treatment for patients unresponsive to conventional therapies.