There is a lot of stigma surrounding psychedelic drugs. The idea implemented by society is that these drugs only contain harmful properties or produce harmful long-term effects on individuals. These negative ideas are conjured from society based on the stories they have heard from other individuals taking psychedelic drugs like LSD in an unsafe environment, administering an unsafe dosage, that resulted in hazardous effects or situations. Now that there is known potential for positive results, professionals can now start researching their use in the mental health field. I hope that the audience can become educated on how these psychedelic drugs could have a beneficial effect that could help people with mental health issues. Most of the veterans being analyzed throughout this study were on active duty after 9/11 which helped produce issues including diagnoses like PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, disabilities, and traumatic brain injuries to help reduce their symptoms. With the rise in suicide rates especially for veterans, we need to try and find a solution to help prevent this crisis, and these psychedelics might just be the answer. 

The Process of how these Drugs are Specifically Attacking Mental Health Problems 

The first time this study was conducted was in 2019. The results of this study showed that the psychedelic drug called “5‐MeO‐DMT” helped reduce depression, anxiety, and stress. The psychedelics even increased the participant’s mindfulness, satisfaction, and enjoyment of life. Reports show that after 24 hours post consumption of the toad venom containing “5‐MeO‐DMT”, it helped improve their enjoyment of living, and the satisfaction of this result was recorded to last 4 weeks. It was later found that after taking the toad venom participants who had a large ego found that they were not as egocentric and experienced more positive feelings and emotions. The drug Ibogaine targets specific neurotransmitters and receptors within the brain that affect an individual’s ego or personality. Due to this, studies have presented information supporting neurogenesis (creation of new neurons). This process is essentially re-wiring or training the brain to react differently. 

Certain Doses and Specific Medications 

The medications used in the study are called Ibogaine and 5‐MeO‐DMT. The Ibogaine was administered by mouth and the dosage was measured to be 10mg/kg. The 5‐MeO‐DMT, otherwise known as “toad venom”, was inhaled by the participants in three separate increments (5mg, 15mg, 30mg). This resulted in participants consuming 50 mg altogether. A fourth 30 mg and a fifth 45 mg dose were offered to participants if the desired effects had not been reached by the initial three doses. 

What mental health condition is helped the most 

Data was collected from a drug clinical treatment program from a collection of participants with a history of trauma exposure. The results showed that there were significant and very large improvements in self-reported PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms (Davis Results). From this data, the audience can identify a higher rate of self-reported satisfaction in life from the veterans. The veterans from the study also reported an increase in cognitive functioning and a reduction in suicidal thoughts and ideations. After being administered psychedelics their relationships, thoughts, and behaviors were reported to be more meaningful and positive after their follow-up reports for 1, 3, and 6 months post starting the psychedelics. 

Pre-existing Treatment Methods

Aside from the psychedelics, there have been other methods to try and assist with these veteran's mental health concerns. These methods include different types of psychotherapies which include “Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing” (Davis Intro). Though for some veterans these forms of treatment are ineffective and have a high dropout rate. Another form that is used is medication, these medications are SSRIs and SNRIs. Examples of these medications include antidepressants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers. However, this form of treatment has a high probability of producing unwanted side effects, addiction issues, and a high rate of stopping usage mid-treatment. This is why this new treatment of psychedelics is important to try. Not every treatment plan is effective for every participant. We need to have newly developed and researched ideas so the mental health field can have multiple different routes of care for our affected veterans. 

References

Alan Kooi Davis, Yitong Xin, Nathan Sepeda & Lynnette A. Averill (2023) Open-label study of consecutive ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT assisted-therapy for trauma-exposed male Special Operations Forces Veterans: prospective data from a clinical program in Mexico, The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2023.2220874 

Carrera, Ignacio. “How the Psychedelic Ibogaine May Heal, Repair & Protect the Brain.” Chacruna.Net, 13 Apr. 2017. 

Ohio State University. "Psychedelics improve mental health, cognition in special ops veterans." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 October 2023. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/10/231005110741.htm>. 

Reckweg, Johannes T et al. “The clinical pharmacology and potential therapeutic applications of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT).” Journal of neurochemistry vol. 162,1 (2022): 128-146. doi:10.1111/jnc.15587