anxiety reduction – mycolab.ai

Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Ketamine and Psilocybin in Comparison to Current Treatment Regimens for Treatment-Resistant Depression, Mood Disorders, and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in the Pediatric Population: A Narrative Review

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This review examines two emerging psychiatric treatments—ketamine and psilocybin—for treating hard-to-treat mental health conditions in children and teenagers. Both work by affecting brain chemicals differently than traditional medications and can provide rapid symptom relief, sometimes within hours or days rather than weeks. The study found promising results for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar disorder, though researchers emphasize that more studies are needed to ensure these treatments are safe for developing brains and that careful ethical guidelines must be established.

Naturalistic psychedelic therapy: The role of relaxation and subjective drug effects in antidepressant response

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Researchers studied how LSD and psilocybin work in real-world therapy settings in Switzerland. They found that these compounds effectively reduced depression symptoms in patients who hadn’t responded to other treatments. Surprisingly, the feeling of relaxation during the session was more important for improvement than having intense mystical experiences. The therapy was generally safe, with side effects that resolved quickly.

Psychedelics for the Treatment of Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder: Efficacy and Proposed Mechanisms

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Psilocybin mushrooms show promise as a treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a condition where people experience unwanted intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. Current standard treatments with antidepressants don’t work for many patients and take weeks to show effects. Early research suggests psilocybin may reduce OCD symptoms quickly and works in treatment-resistant cases, though more rigorous studies are needed to confirm its effectiveness and understand how it works in the brain.

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: Potential Benefits and Challenges in Mental Health Treatment

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This review examines how psychedelic substances like psilocybin and MDMA, when combined with professional psychotherapy, show promise in treating difficult-to-treat mental health conditions including depression, PTSD, and anxiety. While early research suggests these substances could help in cases where conventional treatments have failed, the evidence is still preliminary and limited by small study sizes. Psychedelics appear to work by changing how the brain processes information and memories, though much more rigorous research is needed before they can be considered standard treatments.

Palliative care patients’ attitudes and openness towards psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for existential distress

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A study asked 31 palliative care patients about their views on using psilocybin (a compound from magic mushrooms) as a treatment for existential distress—the emotional and spiritual suffering that comes with terminal illness. Over half the patients were interested in trying this therapy, especially if they believed it could help with anxiety and stress. However, patients were concerned about risks like psychosis, the lack of trained therapists, and the potential for doctors to take advantage of them during treatment. The researchers concluded that while psilocybin-assisted therapy shows promise, there needs to be better education and strict safeguards to protect vulnerable patients.

Therapeutic emergence of dissociated traumatic memories during psilocybin treatment for anorexia nervosa

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Two patients with severe anorexia nervosa received psilocybin-assisted therapy and unexpectedly recovered memories of sexual assault that had been unconsciously suppressed. Processing these traumatic memories with professional support led both patients to achieve remission from their eating disorders within three months. This case report suggests that psilocybin may help unlock and heal deeply buried trauma underlying eating disorders, though more research is needed to understand how this works and ensure patient safety.

A comprehensive overview of the effects of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics on the gut-brain axis

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This comprehensive review examines how probiotics (beneficial live bacteria), prebiotics (food for beneficial bacteria), and synbiotics (combinations of both) can influence communication between the gut and brain. These interventions can produce beneficial compounds like GABA and serotonin, strengthen the gut barrier, and reduce inflammation, potentially helping with mood, anxiety, cognition, and various digestive disorders. However, effects vary greatly depending on the specific strain used, dosage, and individual differences in gut bacteria, and more large-scale studies are needed to confirm long-term clinical benefits.

Hype or hope? Ketamine for the treatment of depression: results from the application of deep learning to Twitter posts from 2010 to 2023

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Researchers analyzed over 18,000 Twitter posts from 2010 to 2023 to understand what the public thinks about using ketamine to treat depression. They found that public opinion became much more positive after the FDA approved ketamine as a depression treatment in 2019. Most discussions consisted of personal stories from people who found ketamine helpful, especially those whose depression didn’t respond to other medications. While some people expressed caution and concerns, overall the public seems hopeful about ketamine’s potential.

Implementing psychedelic-assisted therapy: History and characteristics of the Swiss limited medical use program

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Switzerland operates a unique program allowing controlled use of psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin) and MDMA to help patients with serious mental health conditions that haven’t responded to standard treatments. Since 2014, about 100 doctors have treated 700+ patients with these substances as part of therapy sessions. The program requires careful patient screening, informed consent, and outcome reporting, with patients typically receiving 2-4 treatments over 12 months. Most patients showed significant improvement in their conditions, though some experienced side effects like nausea or headaches.

The Afterglow Inventory (AGI): Validation of a new instrument for measuring subacute effects of classic serotonergic psychedelics

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Researchers created a new questionnaire called the Afterglow Inventory to measure the positive effects people experience in the days and weeks after using psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD. These ‘afterglow’ effects include improved mood, feelings of spiritual connection, increased creativity, and better relationships. The study with over 1,300 participants showed the questionnaire works well at measuring these effects, which could help researchers better understand how psychedelics might help treat depression and other conditions.

therapeutic action: anxiety reduction