By Alan Mozes, HealthDay Reporter
In a carefully controlled setting, psychedelic drugs such as LSD or “magic mushrooms” may benefit patients with hard-to-treat anxiety, addiction or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), new research suggests.
The finding comes from a review of small-scale and preliminary studies conducted recently in the United States, Canada and Europe, all of which await follow-up.
These preliminary results show that “in the right context, these drugs can help people a lot, especially people who have disorders that we generally treat poorly, such as end-of-life distress, PTSD, and addiction issues involving tobacco or alcohol,” said study co-author Matthew Johnson. Johnson is an associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
Read moreStudy: Psychedelic Drugs May Treat Anxiety, Addiction and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder