The world is in the grip of a mental-health crisis. As early as 2005, in an article published in the European Journal of Epidemiology, researchers estimated that 40% of women and 30% of men in the Netherlands and Australia would experience at least one episode of major depression during their lifetime. The US wasn’t far behind, with expected rates of 33% for women and 20% for men.
Then, in March 2022, the World Health Organization announced that COVID-19 triggered a 25% increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide.
The costs of these conditions are high, and if we’re going to turn the tide, we need more information, more resources, and new and better tools.
One of these tools may be psychedelics. Two of the most promising candidates are psilocybin, the primary psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms, and ketamine, a dissociative drug originally used as an anesthetic.
WHAT CAN PSYCHEDELICS DO?
Despite their reputation over the years, psychedelics have great potential for improving the way the brain functions.
Ibogaine, a substance found in the African iboga plant, has been successful in treating cocaine and heroin addiction, often without withdrawal symptoms. MDMA (technically 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, also known as ecstasy or molly) has gained a reputation for healing trauma. Both ketamine and psilocybin are being
