The conundrum of therapeutic intoxication

The clinical relevance of acute subjective effects has been central to healthcare's growing fascination with medical hallucinogens2 – drugs that puzzlingly carry both potential for abuse and therapeutic benefit. When considering these agents, it is worth recognising (a) the potential for a ‘the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBritish journal of psychiatry Vol. 221; no. 2; pp. 496 - 497
Main Authors Mathai, David S., Yaden, David B., O'Donnell, Kelley C.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London Cambridge University Press 01.08.2022
Subjects
Drug abuse
Drugs
Hallucinogens
Health care
Intoxication
Morality
Psychiatry
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Summary:The clinical relevance of acute subjective effects has been central to healthcare's growing fascination with medical hallucinogens2 – drugs that puzzlingly carry both potential for abuse and therapeutic benefit. When considering these agents, it is worth recognising (a) the potential for a ‘therapeutic intoxication', in which a short-term, positively experienced drug state mediates clinical effect; and (b) that the associated risks of the acute ‘high’, particularly the risk of misuse or abuse, might be safely contained within an adequately supportive treatment setting. The ongoing study of medical hallucinogens may at times overestimate their benefits and underestimate their risks, and, for this, scientific integrity is essential. [...]not every ‘high’ is therapeutic, and models for hallucinogen use that contribute to experiential avoidance, medication dependence and a diminished sense of agency for patients should be scrutinised.
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ISSN:0007-1250
1472-1465
DOI:10.1192/bjp.2022.58