2019-10-01 Cosmopolitan UK

84 ·^ COSMOPOLITAN

drug on the body are still not fully

known. There were also participants

in previous trials who withdrew, citing

a lack of benefit, suggesting ketamine

may only be effective for a minority

of patients. Liver damage is listed as a

rare physical side-effect, with patients

advised to undergo a blood test to

check for issues if they are receiving

ongoing ketamine treatment. High

doses of psilocybin, meanwhile, could

lead to extended trips, and long-term

use could disturb the neural networks,

potentially leading to flashbacks.

Yet, as Britain continues to buckle

under the weight of a growing mental

health crisis, time is something we just

don’t have. Many, growing frustrated

by the long waiting lists for treatments

in the UK, are taking their mental

health problems into their own hands.

THE RIGHT SETTING

Nadia,* a 30-year-old tech manager

from London, heard about the benefits

of psychedelics and went on an

organised retreat to the Netherlands

• where she took magic mushrooms *NAMES

HAVE

BEEN

CHANGED.

†BMJ.COM.

‡NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV.

**RESEARCH

BY

BDS

ANALYTICS AND ARCVIEW MARKET

RESEARCH. ††BBC.CO.UK

Canyon, Samantha woke up and
felt calmer almost immediately. She
returned for the rest of the sessions her
doctor recommended, and finished
treatment a year ago. “I feel like the
fog of negativity has disappeared. I
haven’t thought about hurting myself
or had depressive symptoms since
[finishing my treatment].”

A NEW SOLUTION?
Every day on mint-green paper doctors
are scribbling out prescriptions for
antidepressants – last year, 70.9 million
were given out in the UK alone.† But,
while effective for many, they don’t
work for everyone. It’s estimated that
there are 12 to 20% of depression
patients for whom every medication
has failed.‡ These patients are often
some of the most at risk of suicide.
Many scientific circles think that
ketamine could help them – and that
this is just the beginning. Psilocybin
treatment is also being looked at for
treatment-resistant depression; a 2016
study at Imperial College London
saw 19 participants’ symptoms reduce
one week after having two treatments.
Each participant had suffered from
depression for more than 18 years –
and the results largely held for three
months afterwards. This year the
trial launched its second stage, on
a larger group, that will compare the
drug’s performance to a common
antidepressant. The current research
into MDMA, meanwhile, suggests it
might help treat post-traumatic stress
disorder. “Psychedelic-assisted therapy
seems to have much higher rates
of success than current treatments
[antidepressants],” says Amanda
Feilding, who runs The Beckley
Foundation, a think-tank into science-
backed research regarding psychedelics.
“I think we urgently need to allow
this medication – and it is medication

• to get out to people. That means we
  need a lot more clinical trials, fast.”
  But trials take time. The studies into
  ketamine have been ongoing for 15
  years – and the long-term effects of the