Initially published 6/1/2023
The man at the forefront of artificial intelligence and Chief Executive Officer of ChatGPT, Sam Altman, and colleagues want to transform mental health care and addiction treatment with psychedelic drugs. He plans to do this through his start-up company, Journey Colab.
Psychedelic drugs have shown some positive result in clinical trials; and this they hope to take advantage of, and to make them available to people who suffer from a variety of mental challenges and drug use-disorder.
To Jeeshan Chowdhury, the Chief Executive Officer of Journey Colab, having such interventions are powerful tools, and likens them to performing complex surgeries. . “Surgery is done in a safe environment in specialized facilities by highly experienced teams,” he said, adding. “We aim to demonstrate that rehab centers are the safest place for these interventions.”
This journey into psychedelic drugs has raised so much hope in the treatment of drug addiction and mental health disorder. The hope is so high that venture capitalists in US are already betting millions of dollars in the promise of the therapy.
Research has shown that brain activities can be realigned by psychedelic drugs, such as MMDA, psilocybin (street names “ecstasy” “magic”), mescaline, LSD..through activating chemical receptors for serotonin, that is highly beneficial in mood regulation. This would make the brain receptive to various views and perspectives.
The potential benefits of psychedelics as a means of addressing some health challenges were recognized several decades past, but due to its abuse their use was controlled and criminalized.
Speaking on the renewed interest in psychedelics, Brian Barnett, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Cleveland Clinic, has this to say “There’s been a sober reappraisal of what our current treatments are capable of,” adding that lack of research and innovation in psychiatry and the shortcomings of the available drugs is primarily responsible for the current recourse, “that’s what’s led to giving psychedelics another look.”
Psychedelic drugs can also be referred to as hallucinogens; because when taken it can give rise to hallucinations.
“Hallucinations are sensory experiences that cause a person to see, hear, smell, taste, or feel things that are not really there. Someone who takes psychedelics may experience changes in their awareness of their thoughts and surroundings”
Psychedelics can be synthetic, in other words, formulated and manufactured by man, or derived from plants, such as mushrooms.
ResearchersTrusted Source have found a range of possible medical benefits of psychedelics, including chronic, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorder, cluster headache, psychological distress linked to life threatening illness, pain…
However, people using psychedelics without consulting appropriate and qualified medical doctor may be exposed to some side effects, which range from moderate to severe. Along with the altered perception of reality that comes with hallucinations, which may be frightening to experience.Short-term side effects of psychedelics can include paranoia and psychosis.
Psychedelic-induced psychosis can also persist in some people. These individuals can experience ongoing mental health issues, such as paranoia, altered mood, and visual disturbances
Other people may experience a type of flashback known as Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD). The flashbacks can happen between a few days to over a year after the person took the psychedelics. People have sometimes mistaken the associated symptoms for a stroke or brain tumor
In the most serious of cases, the long-term effects of using dissociative drugs, in particular, may include suicidal thoughts
Articles sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/04/22/sam-altman-psychedelics-mental-health/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/psychedelics#medical-benefits
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