Psilocybin, found in magic mushrooms, may aid in the treatment of alcoholism.
Researchers paired psilocybin, the hallucinogenic ingredient found in magic mushrooms, with psychotherapy to treat alcohol addiction in a new study.
The study included 93 patients with alcohol addiction who had no severe psychiatric illnesses and had not used psychedelics in the previous year. These individuals were placed into two groups: one received two doses of psilocybin, while the other received two doses of antihistamine placebo. In addition to medicine, all individuals had 12 weeks of psychotherapy; four sessions before the first medication dose, four between the first and second doses, and four during the month following treatment.
Both groups decreased their drinking from the start of the trial to week 32, although the psilocybin group improved more significantly. Heavy dri...