Using psychedelics to treat depression and trauma has just become legal in Australia. Offering hope to many, it’s not without risk. While many report life-changing benefits, others do not, and many scientists in the field fear the move is premature.
Dr Paul Liknaitsky from Monash University is running a clinical trial looking at psychedelic assisted psychotherapy, with promising results.
Professor Susan Rossell, Swinburne University of Technology, is running a trial with psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, for treatment resistant depression. They’ve had a mixed outcome.
Some are experimenting and using psychedelics illegally. Writer Tim Baker went to an underground practitioner to use MDMA for end-of-life distress.
Vietnam veteran Roger Priest is hoping to be one of the first to legally use psychedelic assisted psychotherapy for treating PTSD with his psychiatrist Stuart Saker.
Presented by Indira Naidoo

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