<unk>  substances which may have therapeutic uses include psilocybin (the main active compound found in magic mushrooms), LSD, and mescaline (the main active compound in the peyote cactus). Although the history behind these substances has hindered research into their potential medicinal value, scientists are now able to conduct studies and renew research that was halted in the 1970s. Some research has shown that these substances have helped people with such mental disorders as obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, depression, and cluster headaches. Some of the well known particular<unk>  substances that have been used to this day are: LSD, DMT, psilocybin, mescaline, 2C-B, 2C-I, 5-MeO-DMT, AMT, ibogaine and DOM. In general, however, the drugs remain poorly understood. Their effects are strongly dependent on the environment in which they are given and on the recipient's state of mind (set and setting). In alcoholism Studies by Humphry Osmond, Betty Eisner, and others examined the possibility that<unk>  could treat alcoholism (or, less commonly, other addictions). A 1998 review of the effectiveness of<unk>  for treating alcoholism concluded that due to methodological difficulties in the research prior to that time, it was not possible to state whether it was effective. A 2012 meta-analysis found that "In a pooled analysis of six randomized controlled clinical trials, a single dose of LSD had a significant beneficial effect on alcohol misuse at the first reported follow-up assessment, which ranged from 1 to 12 months after discharge from each treatment program. This treatment effect from LSD on alcohol misuse was also seen at 2 to 3 months and at 6 months, but was not statistically significant at 12 months post-treatment. Among the three trials that reported total abstinence from alcohol use, there was also a significant beneficial effect of LSD at the first reported follow-up, which ranged from 1 to 3 months after discharge from each treatment program." In terminal illness During the early 1950s and 1960s the National Institute of Mental Health sponsored the study of<unk>  drugs such as psilocybin and LSD to alleviate the debilitating anxiety and depression patients with terminal diagnoses may feel. While these early studies are hard to find, the resurgence of interest in<unk>  drugs to treat humans end of life mindset has led to some small studies in the 21st Century. The more recently published research strengthens the findings from the 1950s and 1960s showing the drug is extremely effective in reducing anxiety and depression in this patient population once carefully screened and has few adverse effects when administered in a psychotherapy setting and under medical supervision. The psychologists leading<unk>  drug therapy trials found that end of life patients often suffer from the emotional turmoil of dying more than the physical aspects. This mindset makes it difficult for patients to find meaning and enjoyment in life during their last few months or years. While all patients have completely different experiences on these mind altering drugs the research subjects interviewed all expressed they had, "heightened clarity and confidence about their personal values and priorities, and a renewed or enhanced recognition of intrinsic meaning and value of life." More recently, researchers have argued that<unk>  is beneficial for these patients because it may specifically reduce their fear of dying. As of 2016, Johns Hopkins University and New York University have conducted large randomized, placebo-controlled studies. These two studies are some of the first large controlled studies measuring the effects of<unk>  on depression and anxiety in cancer patients. Across clinician-ratings and self-ratings, the<unk>  treatment produced statistically significant lowered anxiety and depression, with sustenance for at least 6 months. The studies monitored for adverse effects from the drugs but no serious adverse effects were observed. Both studies also attributed the efficacy in part to patients experiencing a “mystical experience”. A mystical experience is a very personal introspective experience where some sort of unity or transcendence of time and space is described. More research is necessary to expand generalizability of the conclusions. Also, more research is necessary to understand the biological properties of a mystical experience. In post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) The Multidisciplinary Association for<unk>  Studies (MAPS) is conducting studies seeking to understand how MDMA could be helpful in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. The Phase 2 trials of these studies, conducted in the U.S., Canada, and Israel, consisted of 107 participants who had chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD, and had suffered from PTSD for an average of 17.8 years. Out of the 107 participants, 61% no longer qualified for PTSD after three sessions of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy two months after the treatment. At the 12-month follow-up session, 68% no longer had PTSD. Phase 2 trials conducted between 2004 and 2010 reported an overall remission rate of 66.2% and low rates of adverse effects for subjects with chronic PTSD. It is important to note that given the difficulties with appropriate blinding in trials of MDMA- and<unk> -assisted psychotherapy the results are likely overestimated. Furthermore, there are no superiority or non-inferiority clinical trials comparing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy to already existent evidence-based treatments for PTSD, but given the effects reported in clinical trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD there is no reason to believe that this treatment modality is more effective than existent trauma-focused psychological treatments. In depressive and anxiety disorders In 2019, the FDA approved the use of esketamine for intranasal use for major depressive disorder (MDD), and treatment-resistant depression (TRD), in conjunction with an oral antidepressant. Also in 2019, the FDA granted "breakthrough therapy" status to psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder in order to hasten the process for potential regulatory approval. The designation of "breakthrough therapy" fast-tracks the study of drugs where preliminary clinical evidence shows that they could be substantially more effective than therapies that are already available. In cases of major depressive disorder, there is evidence that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy can result in lasting antidepressant effects. A randomized clinical trial showed that of those participants who received the treatment, 71% continued to experience a clinically significant response at the four-week follow-up session. Studies on the clinical effects of ayahuasca have found significant antidepressant and anxiolytic effects, leading to calls for further research to overcome methodological limitations in the existing studies.
Psychedelic therapy
Stuttering therapy
Nicotine replacement therapy
Suicide intervention
Antipsychotic switching
Institutional psychotherapy
Music therapy
Narrative exposure therapy