Irish Doctors for Psychedelic Assisted Therapy is born!

IDPAT has emerged to fill a void. While psychedelic science has taken the rest of the world by storm, conversations around this topic are still largely taboo in Irish hospitals. It can feel isolating for healthcare workers that have been keeping abreast of the latest research and feeling excited by the promising prospects afforded by psychedelic assisted therapy. We wish to act as a network for all those interested in the future of these therapies so we can support one another in the pursuit of realising a nationwide public programme for the delivery of psychedelic assisted therapy.

The Research

Psychedelic compounds were classified Schedule 1 drugs by the FDA in USA in 1970. This meant that they were believed to have no medicinal properties and nobody should be allowed access to them. Over a decade of research on these medicines was forced to grind to a halt. Fortunately, the FDA have since realised the huge potential of these drugs in tackling the global mental health crisis and have allowed research to continue once more. MDMA is now currently in Phase 3 trials and Psilocybin in Phase 2b. Each phase of clinical trial often takes several years but, because these medicines have performed so well in early studies, the FDA has granted MDMA and psilocybin Breakthrough Therapy status which allows them to be fast tracked through clinical trials. They are expected to be medically licensed by 2025.

Most doctors don't get too excited about drugs until they have completed phase 3 trials as the number of research participants is limited in earlier trial phases and the studies are thus underpowered. Psychedelic medicines are different to other drugs, however. And that difference is evident when you read the qualitative research that has been published, showing us what the study participants experienced. The participants were patients with treatment resistant depression who had tried multiple approved medications with no improvement.

Quotes from: Patients’ Accounts of Increased “Connectedness” and “Acceptance” After Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression. Journal of Humanistic Psychology 2017.

Rosalind Watts, Robin Carhart-Harris

'It was like a holiday away from the prison of my brain, I was a ball of energy bouncing around the planet, I felt free, carefree, re-energised. It was like this great shroud had been lifted. You’re not immersed in thought patterns, the concrete coat had come off. I felt spatial, not depressed. A feeling of space and openness. '

'The reset switch had been pressed so everything could run properly, thoughts could run more freely, all these networks could work again. It unlocked certain parts which were restricted before. I felt my brain was rebooted, I had the mental agility to overcome problems. It was like when you defrag the hard drive on your computer, I experienced blocks going into place, things being rearranged in my mind, I visualized as it was all put into order, a beautiful experience with these gold blocks going into black drawers that would illuminate and I thought: ‘My brain is bring defragged, how brilliant is that!'

'It flicked on a switch, clarity from the inside out. It was like the light switch being turned on in a dark house. I had a clear mind, it lifted the fog of depression. I could see my life, like a light in the tunnel. I was lucid and alert, the depression had evaporated. It puts your head above the fog. My mind felt sharper and clearer and less foggy.'

'A veil dropped from my eyes, things were suddenly clear, glowing, bright. I looked at plants and felt their beauty. I can still look at my orchids and experience that: that is the one thing that has really lasted.'

The Road Ahead

Despite these promising results, there remains a stigma around psychedelic drugs, a hangover from the 1960's and 70's when these drugs were villified in the media. Those of us working in mental health are used to dealing with stigma. By organising together, we can challenge this prejudice, promote evidence based medicines, and advocate for our patients. We will connect patients, healthcare workers, and policy makers to usher in these therapies that can finally help tackle our mental health crisis.