Journey To The Centre Of The Mind: Psychedelic Treatment of Mental Health in Aotearoa
January 16, 2023 Daisy Lutyens 1 citation
People in New Zealand who self-medicate with LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA report long-lasting improvements in mental health with few adverse effects, according to interviews with participants. A robust underground community provides support and knowledge about safe use. Participants turned to psychedelics because legal mental health treatment was hard to access, and they crafted their own safe treatment methods by carefully managing set and setting. They advocated for legalisation, arguing that prohibition does not stop use but instead perpetuates stigma and silence. The study concludes that psychedelics should be rescheduled and enabled in New Zealand drug laws, both for self-medication and as an adjunct to psychotherapy, while cautioning against cultural appropriation of indigenous plant-based psychedelic use.