The purpose of this study is to qualitatively confirm the experience of participating in a temple stay-based smoking cessation meditation program. The research questions of this study are as follows. First, what motivated you to participate in the temple stay-based smoking cessation meditation program? Second, what helped this temple (Guryongsa) in quitting smoking? Third, how did meditation...
Alcohol is a harmful drug, and reducing its consumption is a significant challenge for users. Furthermore, alcohol dependence is often treatment-resistant, and no completely effective treatment model is available for chemical dependence. Classic psychedelics, such as LSD, psilocybin, and ayahuasca have been used in different clinical and pre-clinical trials, demonstrating promising...
Background: Ketamine has demonstrated both rapid and sustained efficacy in treating depression, especially in treatment-resistant cases. However, concerns regarding the addictive potential of ketamine during long-term depression treatment persist among clinicians. Aim: This review aimed to summarise the evidence on addiction phenomena associated with ketamine treatment of depression. Methods: A...
Fatigue is a multidimensional condition that may overlap with depression. Initial studies found that fatigue responds in only a limited way to standard monoaminergic antidepressants and mood stabilizers but does respond positively to intravenous (IV) racemic (R,S)-ketamine (ketamine). However, IV ketamine's use is limited by cost and access barriers. To date, no study has evaluated intranasal...
Methamphetamine (MA) dependence leads to severe physical and psychological issues. Current treatments, including psychosocial therapies and residential rehabilitation, face limitations such as high relapse rates, cost, and accessibility issues. As a result, there is an urgent need for novel approaches to treat MA dependence that are effective, affordable, and accessible to patients. Psilocybin,...
Patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) who seek treatment show highly variable outcomes. A precision medicine approach with biomarkers responsive to new treatments is warranted to overcome this limitation. Promising biomarkers relate to prefrontal control mechanisms that are severely disturbed in AUD. This results in reduced inhibitory control of compulsive behavior and, eventually, relapse....
This paper addresses the need to evaluate and update the evidence surrounding MBRP's effectiveness in treating substance use disorders (SUDs).Previous systematic reviews have assessed MBRP's efficacy, but with emerging research, there's a demand for a comprehensive overview of recent findings.Here, we aim to provide an updated synthesis of MBRP research, shedding light on its role in SUD...
Dextromethorphan (DXM) is an over-the-counter drug that is commonly abused by teenagers. Its main pharmacological property is a low-affinity N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist. We report acute psychotic dissociation induced by DXM and alcohol in a patient with alcohol dependence, which made it difficult to distinguish alcohol withdrawal symptoms with limited information. The...
Women experiencing homelessness (WEH) report exceedingly high rates of trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorder (SUD). Mindfulness-based interventions including Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) may help lower traumatic stress-related symptoms and reduce SUD, but have been underexplored in community-based settings serving WEH with symptoms of...
The rise of psychedelics in contemporary medicine has sparked interest in their potential therapeutic applications. While traditionally associated with countercultural movements and recreational use, recent research has shed light on the potential benefits of psychedelics in various mental health conditions. In this review, we explore the possible role of psychedelics in the management of...
In this narrative review, we discuss evidence for psilocybin- and LSD-assisted treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). We describe limitations of psychedelic research and posit methodological considerations when designing a trial in patients with both disorders. In AUD, a growing evidence base for psilocybin treatment shows a promising beneficial and...
The revival of psilocybin in psychopharmacological research heralds a potential paradigm shift for treating mood and anxiety disorders, and other psychiatric conditions beyond the psychotic spectrum. This critical review evaluates current evidence on psilocybin's efficacy, juxtaposing potential benefits with the practical aspects of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) and the...
Background: There has been a growing interest in the use of psychedelics for therapeutic purposes. However, there is a lack of research on peer recovery coaches' attitudes toward the use of psychedelics for SUD treatment. Therefore, we conducted a survey of peer recovery coaches in Massachusetts to gain insight into their attitudes toward the use of psychedelics to treat SUDs. Methods: Peer...
Background: Psilocybin can produce long-term changes in personality, personal values, and behavior. Although psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) is being actively studied for various psychiatric conditions, its effects on personal values in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) remain unexplored. This study examined the effects of PAT on personal values in patients with AUD and assessed...
The use of ketamine and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) for treatment of depression has grown dramatically, though much of these data are short term. The clinical profile of maintenance treatment remains poorly characterized. We assessed maintenance KAP for efficacy, tolerability, and reasons for dropout. This observational study retrospectively analyzed electronic health records from an...
Abstract Ayahuasca is a psychedelic beverage from the Amazon rainforest, used in spiritual and religious settings for medical purposes. Since the 1990s onwards, several religious and neo‐shamanic groups have been using it in Uruguay within the psychospiritual networks. Some participants go to rituals of ayahuasca looking for therapeutic alternatives to certain ailments, such as substance use...
BMJ Case ReportsNovember 7, 2024Yesh Chandra Singh, Shalini Singh, Roshan Bhad et al.
Various factors limit the acceptability of methadone as an opioid agonist treatment (OAT), in which case, buprenorphine becomes the preferred alternative. The classical approach is to gradually taper methadone to a low dose and buprenorphine is initiated after some opioid-free period, which generally takes weeks. A novel approach known as 'microdosing' or the 'Bernese method' might serve as a...
Psychedelics have recently (re)emerged as therapeutics of high potential for multiple mental health conditions, including substance use disorders (SUDs). Despite early mid-20th century anecdotal reports and pilot studies demonstrating the possibility of these substances in efficaciously treating conditions such as alcohol and opioid use disorders, legal restrictions and social stigma have...
MedicineNovember 1, 2024Fangfei Xie, Bo Liu, Liqiu Yang et al.
Zolpidem, a non-benzodiazepine sedative-hypnotic, is considered safer for the treatment of insomnia compared to benzodiazepines. However, in recent years, there have been growing reports of Zolpidem dependence, addiction, and withdrawal symptoms. We reported a case of Zolpidem addiction and successful detoxification, reviewed similar cases in the literature, and proposed a potential mechanism...
The need for improve medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment outcomes can be limited by co-occurring polysubstance use, mental health, and chronic pain conditions. Interoceptive training may facilitate well-being and support medication treatment for MOUD. While effective, medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) treatment outcomes can be limited by co-occurring polysubstance use,...