Well, Now: Psychedelics' Long Strange Trip to the Doctor's Office

Published: June 26, 2024, 7 a.m.

For years, psychiatrists have been researching new methods to help people with treatment-resistant mental illness. These include severe cases of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other debilitating diagnoses.\nOne type of drug has seen some positive results in clinical trials: psychedelics like psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine, and LSD.\nIn professional medical settings, they\u2019re used as a part of a multifaceted approach to mental health treatment, including supervised therapy sessions while a patient is on a drug.\nRecently the pharmaceutical manufacturer Lykos petitioned the FDA to approve the psychedelic MDMA as a part of caring for treatment-resistant PTSD.\nEarlier this month, an advisory committee to the FDA released their vote of rejecting to approve the drug.\xa0\nNow it\u2019s up to the FDA to make the final call, but the odds are not in the favor of Lykos and many psychiatrists and patients who\u2019ve seen positive outcomes as a result of these MDMA-assisted trials.\nPsychiatrist and entrepreneur Dave Rabin is one of the doctors pushing to approve psychedelic-assisted therapy.\xa0\nOn this week\u2019s episode of Well, Now we ask him about the results of his trials using psychedelics in therapy as well as what he thinks the future holds for this field as we wait for the FDA\u2019s final verdict.\nIf you liked this episode, check out: \u201cAs Little Regulation As Guns\u201d: How Social Media Hurts Youth Mental Health\nWell, Now is hosted by Dr. Kavita Patel and registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller.\nEditing and podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry, with support this week from Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola.\nEditorial oversight from Alicia Montgomery, Vice President of Slate Audio.\nSend your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices