According to one study, two doses of psilocybin, a compound found in psychedelic mushrooms, reduced alcohol consumption by an average of 83% in heavy drinkers when combined with psychotherapy.
- Psilocybin is a central nervous system disruptor found in 40 species of mushrooms belonging to the families Psilocybes (the best known), Conocybes, Stropharia and Panaeolus.
- France remains among the most alcohol-consuming countries in the world, ranking sixth among the 34 OECD countries.
American scientists have found a promising way to treat alcohol dependence, a complex disease that represents a major public health issue in France, where it is the cause of 49,000 deaths per year.
Psychotropic effects
In their study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatryresearchers at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York explored the effect of psilocybin, a natural compound derived from mushrooms, whose psychotropic effects are similar to those of LSD and mescaline, out of 93 men and women suffering from alcohol dependence. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either two doses of psilocybin or an antihistamine placebo. Neither the researchers nor the study participants knew which drug they were receiving.
The results are more than encouraging. Over an eight-month period from the start of their treatment, those who received psilocybin reduced their excessive alcohol consumption by 83% compared to their consumption before the start of the study.
One in two has stopped drinking
The study also showed that eight months after their first dose, almost half (48%) of people who received psilocybin stopped drinking altogether, compared to 24% in the placebo group. It should be noted that at the same time, all of them carried out up to 12 psychotherapy sessions.
“As research into psychedelic treatments expands, we are finding more and more possible applications for mental health disorders.“, says lead study author and psychiatrist Michael Bogenschutz, MD, director of the NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine.”Beyond alcohol use disorder, this approach may prove useful in treating other addictions, such as smoking, cocaine and opioid abuse..”
Previous research had already identified psilocybin treatment as an effective way to relieve anxiety and depression, but scientists recommend that it should only be used under medical supervision due to the undesirable side effects that this drug can cause.
