By Gabriel García February 6, 2023
As of July 1, Australia is preparing for a significant change in the way mental illness will be addressed. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has given its approval to allow drugs containing psychedelic substances such as psilocybin, found in hallucinogenic mushrooms, and MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, to be prescribed by licensed psychiatrists.
The use of MDMA will be allowed to treat post-traumatic stress syndrome, while psilocybin will be allowed for depression if other therapeutic approaches fail to achieve improvement. According to the TGA, these are the only two conditions for which there is sufficient evidence of potential benefits for some patients.
On this topic we can dig deeper in the book “Psychedelics and Mental Health”, where Irene de Caso calls for an understanding of how these substances can be used in the treatment of various mental disorders. The book, available on Amazon, is aimed at both the general public and specialists who wish to learn about the therapeutic uses of classic psychedelic substances and empathogens as revolutionary tools of neuroplasticity and mental health. It is a fundamental book to discover how psilocybin, DMT or MDMA promote profoundly revealing mental states capable of restructuring our internal models of the world, reconsolidating traumatic memories and improving our social relationships.
If you want to know how psychedelics affect the brain and what characteristics make these substances potent catalysts of the psychotherapeutic process, this illustrated guide describes the most recent and significant clinical studies in psychedelic therapies, proving of great interest to all medical and mental health professionals seeking to understand the cutting edge of the clinical applications of these molecules, as well as to people interested in learning more about the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapies and their mechanisms of action.
An ethical committee will assess the case for prescribing the drug.
Before a psychiatrist can prescribe these drugs, they must be cleared by the TGA and evaluated by an ethics committee. The decision to use these substances is due to the paucity of options for patients struggling with these mental illnesses and resistance to most existing treatments. However, the TGA wishes to emphasize that monitoring and control measures are necessary to prevent side effects and that, outside of the two diseases mentioned, these substances remain prohibited.
Currently, the purchase and sale of products containing these substances is not authorized in Australia, but licensed psychiatrists may legally purchase them for therapeutic use. It is important to note that these psychedelic therapies are an innovative approach to the treatment of mental illness and are gaining acceptance worldwide. However, it is also necessary to keep in mind that there is still much uncertainty surrounding their safety and efficacy, and more research will be needed to determine their long-term validity.
In addition, it should be noted that patients receiving these psychedelic therapies will be subject to careful monitoring by healthcare professionals, and will only be prescribed after a thorough assessment of their individual needs and medical history, with the TGA closely monitoring the use of these substances.
If you are interested in learning how these substances can help improve your mental health, you can read more information about psychedelics in the Essential Guide to the Psychedelic Renaissance,as well. We also recommend Your Brain on Psychedelics, by Genís Oña, where you will learn the keys to the effects of psychedelics, capable of producing significant changes in the processes of perception, thought and consciousness. The book also includes a prologue written by one of the greatest eminences in this field, José Carlos Bouso, scientific director of ICEERS.
These books are now available on Amazon in physical and eBook format, as well as Apple Books. In addition, all titles are available in Spanish version on GuiasdelPsiconauta.com
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