What do you wish we knew about psychedelics?

Magic mushrooms. LSD. Ketamine. These types of drugs have recently entered a more mainstream spotlight, so we talk about the facts in our episode Psychedelics: Helpful, healing or harmful?. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Episode summary

It seems like psychedelics have never been more popular, buoyed by clinical trials, popular media and international psychedelic retreats. They’re sometimes marketed as a fast-acting panacea for mental health struggles, but the truth is far more complicated — and mysterious. New York Times national correspondent and author Ernesto Londoño and psychiatrist Dr. Eric Noble join us to talk about the potential uses, risks and benefits of psychedelics.

In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discussed:

• The mystery. How exactly do psychedelics work? We don’t know! Psychiatry can be approached from a biological, social, spiritual and psychological standpoint, and it’s often hard to tease apart these aspects — especially with psychedelics. Do they primarily affect certain brain molecules? Give you a new psychological perspective? Offer a connection to a spiritual experience? It could be none or all of the above, Dr. Noble says.
• Powerful — and potentially perilous. Psychedelics often draw vulnerable populations looking for help, and they can produce a vulnerable state. This can make them susceptible to bad actors. Always be skeptical of grandiose claims of a miracle cure or “10 years of therapy in one night.” Real, lasting change and healing takes a lot of work and commitment.

More resources. For more on medication and drugs, check out these Read. Talk. Grow. episodes:

• We need everyone’s help to end the opioid crisis with author Beth Macy and Dr. Holly Geyer
• Escaping the grip of benzodiazepines with author Melissa Bond and Dr. Michael Campbell

Questions for discussion:

• How have you seen psychedelics represented in popular culture? Do you think those representations are accurate?
• Science and medicine still have a lot to learn about psychedelics. What do you wish would be researched further?

Share your thoughts, questions and opinions below!