MHM Magazine

Issue 5 | 2022 | MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS | 35 MHM Public awareness and enthusiasm about the potential effects of psychedelics on psychiatric symptoms and “self-exploration” have increased substantially, fueled partly by mainstreammedia coverage and best- selling books such as Michael Pollan’s How to change your mind . A common question asked in psychiatry and GP practices are: “Doctor, do you think psychedelics will cure my symptoms and are they safe to use with my medication?” The aim of this article is to provide information for clinicians confronted with this question about psychedelic substances and how a “psychedelic harm-reduction and integration” approach may be an ethically and legally acceptable framework to guide clinicians. The psychedelic substances that feature most prominently in current clinical trials are psilocybin (the psychedelic substance in “Magic Mushrooms”), LSD, MDMA (also known as Ecstasy), DMT (the psychedelic substance in Ayahuasca), Ketamine, and Ibogaine. It’s important to note that clinical trials combine the supervised use of these substances with a rigorous programme of psychotherapeutic interventions, referred to as “psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy” within a highly regulated clinical trial setting Dr Kobus van der Walt General Psychiatrist Somerset West drkobusvanderwalt@gmail.com www.drkobusvanderwalt.co.za PSYCHEDELICS AND PSYCHIATRY: NAVIGATING THE RISKS WHILE MAXIMISING POTENTIAL BENEFITS