These psychedelics singled out by society owe their bad reputation as hippie drugs to prohibition in the 70s.The first research into their therapeutic use was very promising even then. But these substances leaked into the population at a very turbulent time in the United States which decided to declare war on drugs. That put an end to the search.”explains Olivier Taymans. “Since recently, there has been a new wave of research that shows quite promising results with much stricter protocols than before.”
“Medical trip”
Psychedelics include all chemical substances that modify the perception of things in the brain. Each substance has its own “medical trip”: psilocybin would help with depression, anxiety, existential distress in the face of death, while MDMA would be a great support for people suffering from post-traumatic disorder in inhibiting fear and allowing the event to be re-experienced without the traumatic burden.
Therapy assisted by psychedelics is always carried out accompanied. “The person is first prepared for the experience with the therapist. The latter creates a therapeutic relationship because the experience is quite intense. Then, there are several sessions afterwards to analyze and monitor the treatment.“, explains Olivier Taymans.
In Belgium, research is still in its early stages and these drugs cannot be used without experimental pretexts. “The only exception is ketamine which is an anesthetic substance that can be used off-label for depression. But the experience is not very supported”specifies the member of the PSBE. “Research must face enormous constraints and a protected framework.”
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“Low risk of dependence”
Contrary to popular belief, using certain psychotropic drugs does not plunge the patient into a spiral of addiction. “Medications such as antidepressants and anxiolytics very often prescribed by doctors present a risk of addiction. This is not the case with psychedelics. In addition, it is not chronic use. The risk of MDMA and LSD does not come from the potential addiction aspect”assures Stéphane Leclercq, director of the Brussels Federation of Drugs and Addiction (Feda) and who pleads for continued research into the therapeutic uses of psychedelics.
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The danger of these drugs lies in uncontrolled use. “Psychedelics are a revolution. This is the first advance in psychopharmacological terms since the 1980s. We can speak of new advances and a new generation of products. We use them in a different way: unlike current treatments which administer pills to treat symptoms for years until they disappear, we prepare the person and they do not need further integration because we treat the cause rather than the symptoms. We also have much fewer serious side effects. But it must be accompanied. It’s a revolution in mental health care.”underlines Olivier Taymans
The PSBE is organizing a day of conferences on the theme on Saturday November 9 in Brussels and the event is sold out! The association hopes to inform people about the possibilities offered by drugs and create the conditions to enable a legislative framework on the therapeutic use of these substances.
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