Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of addictions: Present and future of the most promising therapy

For the last few years, the interest of the scientific community in the therapeutic use of psychedelic substances as part of the treatment of addictions has been growing exponentially, pushed by the encouraging results of its efficacy and safety. Now a days, numerous researchers are exploring the numerous treatment possibilities offered by substances like psilocybin, LSD, DMT ('ayahuasca'), MDMA, Ketamine or ibogaine, in the clinical settings, using a new treatment model known as 'psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy' that is achieving impressive results in AUD, tobacco, heroin, cocaine and might become the standard treatment in a near future

Following the latest published literature on the topic of psychedelics for the treatment of addictions and the neuropsychopharmacological mechanisms they trigger in the brain, this new treatment model and some of its clinical results and current lines of research are briefly presented along with future developments in the field of behavioural addictions.

The very promising results of these clinical trials and the new treatment model used, along with the possible mechanism of action, point out to a new possible model for addiction treatment that could be applicable to difficult addictions like AUD, tobacco or behavioural, and public resources are becoming increasingly important in supporting this very effective lines of research.

The results of these novel treatment model are promising enough to grant further research and a great interest in the field of mental health and addiction treatments, and might become the standard treatment in a future, with several lines already getting encouraging results. It also offers a new paradigm in mental health treatments as a whole.