LSD, Ketamine, and Psilocybin can be cures for depression and other mental illness

Rave party staples LSD and ketamine (better known as Special K or just K) can be used to treat depression and other psychiatric disorders. Scientists are also finding promising medicinal benefits of psilocybin, including its use as an anti-inflammatory.

An article by a pair of Swiss doctors in the September issue of Nature has this to say:

Psychedelics, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin [found in magic mushrooms], and ketamine have led to renewed interest in the clinical potential of psychedelics in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders. Recent behavioral and neuroimaging data show that psychedelics modulate neural circuits that have been implicated in mood and affective disorders, and can reduce the clinical symptoms of these disorders. These findings raise the possibility that research into psychedelics might identify novel therapeutic mechanisms.

Another team of scientists is studying ketamine at Yale and they came up with similar results. Neuroscientist Ron Duman told Scientific American, “Ketamine…can oppose or reverse the effects of depression,” for up to seven days per dose.

Read more: Psychedelic Drugs Show Promise as Anti-Depressants
The secret history of psychedelic psychiatry
Serotonin, Psychedelics and Depression
Ketamine for Depression: Yay or Neigh?