Psychedelic Therapy for Addiction
Substance use disorders — including alcohol, opioid, tobacco, and cocaine addiction — are a major research focus for psychedelic medicine. Ibogaine shows dramatic results for opioid use disorder, with Texas allocating $50M for university research programs. Psilocybin trials for alcohol use disorder at Johns Hopkins and NYU have produced significant abstinence rates, and ketamine is being studied for multiple addiction types.
What makes psychedelics promising for addiction is their ability to disrupt habitual patterns, reduce craving-related brain activity, and facilitate the psychological insight needed for lasting behavioral change — often in a single or small number of sessions rather than ongoing medication.
Clinical Trials
23 trials currently recruiting
Observational Pilot Study to Explore the Social and Health Impacts of a New Model of Care in Oregon: Psilocybin Services on Alcoholism
Healing Advocacy Fund
Psilocybin-Assisted vs Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy for Alcohol Use Disorder
Peggy C Nopoulos
Psilocybin Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder With Co-occurring Alcohol Use Disorder
Johns Hopkins University
Pilot Trial of Visual Healing® in Psilocybin-assisted Therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder
Keith Heinzerling
Psilocybin-assisted Therapy for Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder
Anders Fink-Jensen, MD, DMSci
Clinical and Mechanistic Effects of Psilocybin in Alcohol Addicted Patients
University of Zurich