Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) poses an ongoing significant global health burden. AUD is highly prevalent and affects not only the individuals with AUD, but also their communities and society at large. Even though pharmacotherapy is an integral part of AUD treatment, the few available substances show limited efficacy and limited clinical impact. Thus, there is a need for new innovative...
This article provides an intercultural transdisciplinary perspective on the Indigenous roots of the resurging field of psychedelic science in the management of substance use disorders (SUDs). Ritual uses of entheogens (i.e., psychedelics of natural origin) are elaborate technologies for navigating, containing, and therapeutically directing non-ordinary states of consciousness induced by these...
LSD-assisted therapy may reduce anxiety, but a recent study saw adverse effects like paranoia requiring antipsychotics and overnight monitoring in one participant. Psilocybin-assisted therapy showed promise for alcohol use disorder compared to placebo, but the study also involved extensive psychotherapy which likely contributed to improvements. Psychological risks exist and must be considered...
A man with AUD achieves sobriety on treatment with an SSRI and naltrexone, but then stops taking the SSRI to participate in a psilocybin “ceremony.” What factors contributed to his subsequent relapse to alcohol use?
Abstract Background Psilocybin, a serotonin 2A receptor agonist with psychedelic properties, shows promise as a novel treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD). While current studies involve two dosing sessions, the effects a single dose have not been investigated. Aims To investigate the pharmacokinetics, feasibility, safety, and efficacy of single-dose psilocybin therapy in AUD. Methods This...
The opioid crisis emerged in part due to the overprescribing of opioid analgesics for chronic pain. Although not the only source of the current epidemic of opioid use disorder (OUD), the prescription of opioids for chronic pain remains one vector for the development of opioid misuse and OUD. However, opioid tapering is not appropriate for all patients, and some patients may need to remain on...
While effective, 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. This study examined the pre-post effects of the mindfulness-based intervention Mindful Awareness in Body-oriented Therapy (MABT) as an...
Background: Following clinical trials on psilocybin for the treatment of pain, anxiety, and depression in patients with cancer, scientific interest emerged in its use for substance use disorders. Methods: In this review of the literature, we summarize available trials looking at the use of psilocybin in addiction Results: One double-blind, randomized clinical trial looked at the effect of...
In this essay we want to foreground a question: what happens to 'addiction' when we take seriously cultural scripts informing its trajectories? Can this bring us to unthink addiction as problematic notion and move it onto new paradigms that fit better the now acknowledged fluidity and pluralistic episteme of 'addiction' and more broadly of chronic life conditions? Indeed, 'addiction' has become...
This study applied a systematic literature review method to examine studies of mindfulness meditative approaches or interventions for addiction, and to derive implications for the use of meditation for addiction intervention. To this end, until April 2024, a total of six papers were selected and analyzed, including the research foundation registration(candidate) paper among domestic studies,...