Posted by jclint on January 31, 2006, at 13:46:42
Not sure if this has been brought up, but there was an interesting development a few days ago about the renaissance of interest in using psychedelics as a psychiatric tool. Here is an article from the guardian, a broadsheet UK newspaper:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianweekly/story/0,,1694710,00.html
It seems that research into this area was quickly gaining momentum in the 50s and 60s, but was halted when substances such as LSD gained notority as a social menace before the effects could be properly researched. After reading some of the case studies from the 50s/60s, I think it is a huge shame that such potentially beneficial drugs became taboo within the psychiatric community. Their potential to severely damage mental health, which became apparent in the 60s, became widely acknowledged. But the evidence into their theraputic qualities, which were massively significant, appear to have been whitewashed over, perhaps understandably.
There is no denying that these drugs are hugely powerful, and sometimes hugely damage mental health. But it makes sense, that the same power perhaps has the smae potential to be hugely beneficial? I think careful and objective dialogue and research into this new technique can only be a good thing, surely?
It will be interesting to see what implications this research has on the accepted definition of psychiatry... hmmm.
poster:jclint
thread:604844
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060129/msgs/604844.html