The Return of Psychedelics: A Measured Approach

This article, published in the The American Psychiatric Association's "Psychiatric News" journal, explores the benefits and potential risks involved in the upcoming return of psychedelics.

ARTICLE EXTRACT

"The field of psychedelic studies holds much promise, both to further our understanding of neurobiology and the development of more effective treatment models for people suffering from conditions poorly responsive to conventional treatments. In our enthusiasm, however, we must not neglect the very real risks of potential adverse effects. They can occur, and on occasion they can be serious. But with careful screening of subjects and establishing optimal set and setting, from the dawn of psychedelic research into our modern era, the consensus of investigators has been that deleterious outcomes can be minimized.

Many of today’s frequently administered psychopharmacological treatments have a range of potentially dangerous side effects. By taking necessary precautionary measures, however, clinical experience has demonstrated that such medications possess favorable risk-to-benefit ratios and are therefore considered valuable. While we should be fully cognizant of the potential for negative outcomes with psychedelics, it is important to avoid the temptation to inflate the degree of genuine risk and (once again) deny responsible researchers and clinicians the opportunity to establish effective parameters for this novel and potentially valuable treatment model."

For more updates on the latest psychedelic news and research, visit the psychedelic health professional network homepage.