Psychedelics, addiction, and mental healthPsychedelics, addiction, and mental health
All In The Mind
Psychedelic drugs were banned in the US in the late 1960s, which ended the flourishing research into their potential for treating mental illness. Now a leading professor from Imperial College London is re-visiting the field. He’s convinced that psychedelic therapy offers a new paradigm for mental health. His other passion is treatment for addiction, and to discover why some of us are more vulnerable than others.
29:05•24 Feb 2019
Psychedelics, Endorphins and Rethinking Addiction
Episode Overview
- Psychedelics like psilocybin can switch off key control regions in the brain, which may relieve depression after only one or two sessions.
- Historical trials suggest LSD had strong effects on alcoholism, yet therapeutic research stopped after the 1960s ban.
- Alcohol is described as the most harmful drug to society in multiple countries, despite its legal status.
- Research points to addiction as an endorphin deficiency state, where certain substances or behaviours become the main source of pleasure.
- Early studies with MDMA show promise for treating PTSD and alcohol use linked to traumatic memories.
“"The banning of psychedelics in 1967 was the worst censorship of medical research in the history of humankind."”
What emotional and inspiring tales of recovery are out there? This conversation from All In The Mind brings together cutting-edge brain science and the very human struggle with addiction. Professor David Nutt, a neuropsychopharmacologist from Imperial College London, talks with host Lynne Malcolm about why he calls the ban on psychedelic research "the worst censorship of medical research ever" and why he thinks these substances could reset how we treat depression and addiction.
You’ll hear how his team used brain imaging with psilocybin from magic mushrooms and were stunned to find that the drug doesn’t switch the brain on, but "just turned off parts of the brain" that act like conductors in an orchestra. For anyone caught between social drinking and serious dependence, Nutt’s questions hit close to home: he points out that many people drink, yet a significant minority are alcoholic, and asks what makes their brains different.
His research suggests that key addictions, including alcohol, may be "endorphin deficiency" conditions, where gambling, heroin or alcohol become the only things that still release pleasure-giving chemicals. The episode also touches on the history of LSD being trialled for alcoholism, the roots of Alcoholics Anonymous in a psychedelic experience, and new work using psilocybin and MDMA for treatment-resistant depression, PTSD and alcohol dependence.
There’s no sugar-coating of risks, especially for people vulnerable to psychosis, but there’s a clear push for honest, evidence-based discussion about illegal drugs and their therapeutic potential. If you’re wondering why some people get hooked while others don’t, or curious about whether psychedelic-assisted therapy might one day sit alongside traditional treatments, this is a thoughtful look at how brain science could reshape recovery. Could rethinking "dangerous" drugs actually offer a lifeline to those struggling most?
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