It's Time to Make Therapy Groovy

Australia has now approved the use of psychedelic medicine in therapy, now it's time for New Zealand to make therapy groovy.   

The origin of Psychedelic assisted therapy: 

Psychedelics have been used throughout history. In many cultures, they still use them for spiritual purposes. It wasn't until the mid-1960s that psychedelics were introduced and immersed in Western culture. This was known as the psychedelic era, commonly associated with hippies, Woodstock and the anti-war movement. You couldn't ignore it. From it, we have amazing music, films and art. The psychedelic era also allowed psychedelic-assisted therapy to evolve. 

Psychedelic therapy was established prior to the psychedelic era, after Albert Hofmann discovered the effects of LSD. Hofmann describes his experiences as perceiving, “an uninterrupted stream of fantastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors.” This sparked his lifelong interest in hallucinogens and psychedelics and would spend years dedicated to researching it. 

Hofmann's discovery inspired more chemists and pharmacists to begin researching psychedelics. Shortly after extensive research was done on the psychoactive effects of psychedelics, psychologists began doing their own research. Many psychologists began to see potential in using these psychedelic drugs to help mental illnesses like alcohol and nicotine dependence, depression, anxiety and PTSD.  

How it works: 

Generally, the basic procedure for psychedelic assisted therapy follows like this: 

They prepare you beforehand, talking you through the process and the effects that might occur. On the day, they'll make sure you’re in a comfortable and controlled environment. You'll be given music to help you on your psychedelic journey and they'll have people nearby if unwanted effects occur.  

They'll most likely give you a micro-dose of psychedelics and have a couple of sessions. Mirco-dosing allows the user to enter a mind state that is more open, creative and less anxious. This mind state can allow the user to access part of their consciousness that normally cannot be accessed whilst sober. It paves the way for long-term behavioral changes to help those who struggle with mental illness.  

Sometimes, the typical drugs don't work. They make you feel groggy, drowsy and like you’re a robot. That's why psychologists and pharmacists are trying to create an alternative to this. They want to create a medicine that is a beautiful life-changing experience for people. For some, psychedelic-assisted therapy could be the answer.