Could Psychedelics Help Us Cope With COVID-19?
Fear, uncertainty, loneliness — increased psychological problems are a clear consequence of this pandemic. Could mind-expanding drugs be a possible treatment?
Psymposia’s recent article highlighted “changing society is much more complicated than changing our minds”.The extraordinary impact of COVID-19 across all facets of society requires interdisciplinary action as we are likely experiencing the greatest mental health obstacle of our time. Unpredictability, uncertainty, misinformation and social isolation are adding to the melting pot of this global mental health crisis.
In particular, COVID-19 has disproportionately affected vulnerable individuals, highlighting existing health inequalities and leading to various maladaptive psychological responses. Due to this, vulnerable populations need to be supported in order to reduce the adverse psychological impact.
Could psychedelics be a plausible solution to the consequences of COVID-19?
Growing psychiatric evidence shows LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are effective therapeutic tools for various disorders including treatment-resistant depression, addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
What is it about psychedelics that makes them effective?
They essentially rewire the brain, leading to transient changes in neural networks. This is extremely important to re-conceptualise maladaptive cognitive and behavioural patterns. When tripping, the brain is liberated of its usual habitual processes that contribute to depression and anxiety. Rewiring opens the mind to a change in thinking patterns.
Given the current state-of-affairs, this has promising mental health implications.
Let’s talk about this specifically in terms of COVID-19.
This pandemic has induced a collective liminal state. Naturally, this has induced high levels of anxiety due to disruptions to our normal routine and we don’t enjoy uncertainty.
Although COVID-19 has undermined our usual expectations of normality, this might be a beneficial place for psychedelics to reset the brain in a time of uncertainty. This could have an instrumental impact on relieving us of negative thought processes, allowing us to think in novel and more flexible ways.
The psychedelic experience is deeply linked to absorption, the opposite of rumination. A clinical trial found patients felt more connected and accepting after psilocybin treatment, feeling more deeply bonded to those around them. This has implications for making individuals to re-establish connection post-lockdown and accept the uncertainty of COVID-19.
This pandemic has undoubtedly disrupted routines and life as we know it. Psychedelics might be able to help us deal with this foreign situation.
Mind Medicine Australia board member, Andrew Robb has stated psychedelic drugs may be the most significant innovation in mental health that we have seen.
Though, we must remain cautious with implicating this. The real-world application of psychedelics is limited with current trials being tested in highly controlled environments. We can’t just prescribe these drugs as efficacy and safety need to be established.
Despite the irrefutable potential, we must remember these are powerful, mind-expanding drugs which are not appropriate for everyone. Adverse experiences from taking psychedelics with transient distress is real and must be taken into account. However, with the correct psychological preparation in a safe and supportive setting, these risks are reduced massively. To ensure this, protocol guidelines such as the PSI model should be followed — preparation for the experience, session guidance and integration of the experience.
What’s stopping us from carrying out this cutting-edge research and introducing it in therapy?
Current drug policy. The legal classification of psychedelics makes it extremely difficult to conduct research. LSD and magic mushrooms are currently Schedule 1 Drugs in the UK. This means they are deemed having no medicinal use, which is a problem given there are clear therapeutic benefits.
Although the approval of psychedelics is overdue, it is still a while away. The stigma surrounding these drugs as a result of government legislation is a significant barrier.
Nevertheless, the anti-addictive nature and long-lasting therapeutic impact of psychedelic drugs mean the root to mental health problems can be tackled and handled at its core. These drugs could be a hopeful means of treating trauma-induced from the COVID-19 pandemic.
