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Cited by 126Psychedelics and Drug StudiesSubstance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesAlkaloids: synthesis and pharmacology

Psychedelics as Medicines for Substance Abuse Rehabilitation: Evaluating Treatments with LSD, Peyote, Ibogaine and Ayahuasca

Winkelman, Michael·2015·Current Drug Abuse Reviews
DOI 10.2174/1874473708666150107120011
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Abstract

Substances known as psychedelics, hallucinogens and entheogens have been employed in ethnomedical traditions for thousands of years, but after promising uses in the 1950's and 1960's they were largely prohibited in medical treatment and human research starting in the 1970's as part of the fallout from the war on drugs. Nonetheless, there are a number of studies which suggest that these substances have potential applications in the treatment of addictions. While these substances are generally classified as Schedule I, alleging no established medical uses and a high drug abuse potential, there is nonetheless evidence indicating they might be safe and effective tools for short term interventions in addictions treatment. Evidence suggests that the psychedelics have a much greater safety profile than the major addictive drugs, having extremely low levels of mortality, and producing little if any physical dependence. This paper reviews studies evaluating the use of LSD, peyote, ibogaine and ayahuasca in the treatment of dependencies and the possible mechanisms underlying the indications of effectiveness. Evidence suggests that these substances help assist recovery from drug dependency through a variety of therapeutic mechanisms, including a notable "after-glow" effect that in part reflects their action on the serotonin neurotransmitter system. Serotonin has been long recognized as central to the psychedelics' well-known phenomenological, physical, emotional and cognitive dynamics. These serotonin-based dynamics are directly relevant to treatment of addiction because of depressed serotonin levels found in addict populations, as well as the role of serotonin as a neuromodulators affecting many other neurotransmitter systems.

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43 of 43 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Very few studies have reported long-term adverse effects as a result of psychedelic administration, and in almost all cases where adverse reactions were reported, they were attributed to the unsupportive context in which they were administered.

    “Although considerable stigma is associated with this class of drugs, very few studies have reported long-term adverse effects as a result of psychedelic administration, and in almost all cases where adverse reactions were reported, they were attributed to the unsupportive context in which they were administered (34, 41, 160).”

    From Examining the Potential Synergistic Effects Between Mindfulness Training and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (2021) · cites this paper as [160]

  • Psychedelics are considered safe substances, when administered in a supportive environment by clinicians, with a high potential for therapeutic benefits.

    “Psychedelics are considered safe substances, when administered in a supportive environment by clinicians, with a high potential for therapeutic benefits (50, 160).”

    From Examining the Potential Synergistic Effects Between Mindfulness Training and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (2021) · cites this paper as [160]

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Authors
Winkelman, M.
Affiliations
Arizona State University (US)
Corresponding author
Winkelman, Michael
ORCID
Winkelman, Michael
Venue
Current Drug Abuse Reviews
Publisher
Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.
Published
2015-01-27
Volume
7
Issue
2
Pages
101-116
ISSN
1874-4737 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.2174/1874473708666150107120011
OpenAlex
W1992059353
Cited by
126
References
44
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 8
FWCI
13.66
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Current Drug Abuse Reviews (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychedelics and Drug Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
  • Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmacology › Alkaloids: synthesis and pharmacology
Keywords
psychedelics, addiction treatment, addiction, LSD, peyote, ibogaine, ayahuasca, Schedule I drugs, drug safety, serotonin, therapeutic mechanisms, war on drugs, ethnomedicine
MeSH terms
Animals, Hallucinogens, Humans, Ibogaine, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, Medicine, Traditional, Mescaline, Serotonin, Substance-Related Disorders, Banisteriopsis

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