The significant positive effects of psychedelic substances such as magic mushrooms, truffles, and DMT are increasingly being recognized in the medical community. Now Australia also wants to explore this field further. In fact, within five years, psychedelic therapy using magic mushrooms or MDMA could become a reality for treating mental health conditions in the country. The government of the Australian state of Victoria is now working to ensure that the state takes the lead in research into the medical applications of psychedelic substances.
Breakthrough Therapy
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently referred to such treatments as “breakthrough therapies” following successful clinical trials. International studies are increasingly showing that magic mushroom therapy is effective in treating depression, anxiety, and addiction, while MDMA (methylenedioxy methamphetamine) is reportedly effective in treating patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. The treatment could receive approval from the U.S. government as early as 2021.
St. Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne announced this year that it will soon begin a trial with a psychedelic drug. Thirty palliative care patients are being recruited to be treated with synthetic magic mushrooms, aimed at alleviating the paralyzing anxiety often associated with having a terminal illness. The trial is expected to begin soon. “We urgently need to explore new treatment options, and the promise of psychedelic drugs in terms of alleviating suffering cannot be underestimated,” said David Castle, the psychiatrist at St. Vincent’s.
Mental Health
Mind Medicine Australia—which advocates for psychedelic-assisted mental health treatments—is now trying to persuade the state government to fund a center for psychedelic medicine. The goal is to conduct research and develop best practices and training for therapists. The organization’s executive director, Dr. Paul Liknaitzky, said that the stigma surrounding the therapy has increased globally over the past 15 years and that there was an opportunity to catch up. "Australia has been quite slow to catch up," he said in an interview.
Liknaitzky emphasized that the treatment is more than just administering ecstasy pills or going on a psychedelic trip: it also involves a significant element of talk therapy. “The way participants are prepared and supported matters a great deal,” he said.
1 in 13
And that idea isn’t far-fetched. Follow-up studies from other countries showed that 80% of participants who used magic mushroom therapy to treat smoking addiction successfully quit, and that MDMA therapy for PTSD had a 70% success rate. For the country on the other side of the world, that’s huge: PTSD affects one in 13 Australians. So this could potentially be a giant leap forward!
"We are committed to ensuring that every person suffering from a mental health condition and their families are not held hostage by historical prejudices and that we find the best solutions available to alleviate the growing suffering in our community," said Liknaitzky.
