129. Psychedelics and Mental Health Treatment

Is it possible that the same mind-altering drugs you turned down in college because you hated jam bands (or the drugs you gladly accepted because that’s what college is for) could have tremendous potential as treatments for a whole host of mental health issues and challenges?  As it turns out, yes, it is very possible. In this episode, Marcus and Esme discuss psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT), a psychiatric treatment model that combines the use of controlled doses of psychedelic substances with professional psychotherapy. While neither of them has any practical, hands-on experience with the substances in question, they do read an awful lot about the interesting things other people do. In this case, they’ve read quite a bit about the exciting potential of PATs, the relative successes of PAT-related clinical trials, and the extent to which such treatments are available. As always, they are happy to share their findings with you, their beloved listeners. Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com Contact us: https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact Sources for this episode include: Daniel, Jeremy, and Margaret Haberman. “Clinical Potential of Psilocybin as a Treatment for Mental Health Conditions.” Mental Health Clinician, vol. 7, no. 1, 23 Mar. 2018, pp. 24–28. PMC6007659, National Library of Medicine, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6007659/.  Zeifman, Richard, et al. “Psychedelic Therapy, Positive Emotional Experiences, and the Central Role of Self-Compassion.” Research Square, preprint, 22 Aug. 2025, doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-7420529/v1. PubMed Central, PMCID: PMC12393679, <https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12393679>.  Gukasyan, Natalie, et al. “Attenuation of Psilocybin Mushroom Effects During and After SSRI/SNRI Antidepressant Use.” Journal of Psychopharmacology, vol. 37, no. 7, 2023, pp. 707–716. PubMed, doi:10.1177/02698811231179910. Grieco, Steven F., et al. “Psychedelics and Neural Plasticity: Therapeutic Implications.” Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 42, no. 45, 9 Nov. 2022, pp. 8439–49. PubMed Central, PMCID: PMC9665925. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1121-22.2022. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9665925/  Cavarra, Mauro, et al. “Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy—A Systematic Review of Associated Psychological Interventions.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 13, 10 June 2022, article 887255. PubMed Central, PMCID: PMC9226617, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.887255. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9226617/  Townsend, Tracy Kim. Doctor Explains Psilocybin Therapy. YouTube, uploaded by Tracy Townsend MD, 10 months ago, www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGynr1mB2ds  Insider Science. “What Ketamine Actually Does to Your Brain.” YouTube, uploaded by Insider Science, 7 years ago, www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_ey_a_yN6Q  Our theme music Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch:    • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun...   Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp