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If by "anecdotal," you mean personal stories, not medical studies, that's no longer true. There are many studies comparing psychedelics with conventional treatm

If by "anecdotal," you mean personal stories, not medical studies, that's no longer true. There are many studies comparing psychedelics with conventional treatments for depression and PTSD (eg below). Psychedelics have been repeatedly shown to work faster, 'better,' and provide longer-lasting relief than conventional treatments. Indeed, some studies selected treatment-resistant cases, so results apply to cases in which mainstream treatments have already failed. Additional monitoring and analysis are always needed, as with any medical treatment. Depression can be a fatal illness, so avoiding effective treatment until the field is more "mature" may cost lives. 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans, firefighters, and police officers: a randomised, double-blind, dose-response, phase 2 clinical trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29728331/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29728331/ Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29119217/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29119217/ Here's a counter-example to my claim, FYI. Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2032994 https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2032994

mindwok 5y ago
Thanks for the links. I remember reading some of these kinds of studies were approved, but hadn't realised there were some already concluded. The results are certainly promising! The last psilocybin one is interesting. I listened to a podcast with a psychiatrist who was doing a study of treating depression with psilocybin and he believed the effectiveness was in a handful of therapy sessions with large doses, rather than a series of smaller ones. Perhaps that could explain the last paper you shared.

mindwok 5y ago

Thanks for the links. I remember reading some of these kinds of studies were approved, but hadn't realised there were some already concluded. The results are certainly promising! The last psilocybin one is interesting. I listened to a podcast with a psychiatrist who was doing a study of treating depression with psilocybin and he believed the effectiveness was in a handful of therapy sessions with large doses, rather than a series of smaller ones. Perhaps that could explain the last paper you shared.