Can Psychedelics Help Heal Childhood Trauma?
A recent study has investigated how the therapeutic use of psychedelics may reduce symptoms of trauma from childhood abuse.
Psychedelics are leading a paradigm shift in the fight against poor mental health. To add to the long list of disorders that these powerful compounds have the potential to treat, a recent study has shown that psychedelics may alleviate symptoms of childhood trauma and shame spurred by abuse and neglect.
Childhood abuse and neglect is extremely common worldwide, leading to a battery of psychological issues in later life. Common treatments of the consequences of childhood abuse, such as antidepressants, are, however, unlikely to address the trauma itself. The research at hand may represent how psychedelics can fill the gap, and address the root causes of childhood abuse.
How Psychedelics Can Treat Trauma
The article, published in Chronic Stress, surveyed 166 participants who had suffered from child maltreatment. The participants were asked to detail the extent of the abuse they had suffered as a child, and to document their current symptoms of trauma. Many of the participants had serious symptoms of trauma, with 61% meeting the criteria for PTSD.
