The global renaissance of psychedelic drugs in the treatment of mental health gains further legitimacy in Australia as psychologists sign up for clinical trials
The psychologists signing up for psychedelic therapy training: ‘Amazing things can happen’ Jenny Valentish
When growing up in Yea, in rural Victoria, Campbell Townsend took a dim view of drugs.
“My parents were born in the shadow of Nixon’s war on drugs, and I was a very simple country boy,” the psychologist says, sitting in his cottage outside Castlemaine. “I grew up with stories from my parents about friends of theirs at university going crazy just from one choof of a bong.”
Townsend’s fears persisted until he read journalist Michael Pollan’s 2018 book, How to Change Your Mind: The New Science of Psychedelic
BBC News
By Rachel Schraer
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MDMA - most commonly known as a party drug - could be more effective than therapy alone at treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The results of a keenly-awaited trial suggest two-thirds of people no longer qualified for a PTSD diagnosis after treatment.
The study represents a significant step towards approval of the drug in the US.
But UK experts warn against overhyping MDMA s potential, saying more research is needed to understand its effects.
PTSD can be the result of a very distressing or frightening event, or longer-term series of experiences. That might include accidents, abuse, rape, combat or illness.