In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Joshua Woolley discuss his transition from neurology to psychiatry and his current focus on psychedelic drug therapies. He explains the mechanisms and effects of psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD, highlighting their potential to treat depression and other mental health conditions. Dr. Woolley describes controlled clinical trials at the University of California, San Francisco, where patients undergo psychedelic experiences with therapeutic support. He notes the challenges and benefits of these treatments, including long-term positive effects in alleviating depression. He also addresses the regulatory hurdles and the potential for future FDA approval of psychedelic therapies.

Key Takeaways:

• While SSRIs can and have saved a lot of people, they don’t work fully or at all for some people.

• Some diagnoses don’t have any effective pharmacotherapies, such as anorexia, methamphetamine use disorder, and even PTSD.

• Over the years, a lot of people have said that psychedelics have allowed them to have real, transformative experiences. It is a common description.

• To conduct psychedelic research, you have to get permission from multiple organizations, including the FDA and the DEA.

• People do sometimes have frightening experiences when they take psychedelics. This is not likely to happen in a clinical setting with support.

"Almost every psychiatric illness can be thought of as an inability to change something about emotions, thoughts, or behavior. If psychedelics really do reopen these critical periods, or allow people a period of a window of changeability, that would be a real game changer." — Dr. Joshua Woolley

Connect with Dr. Joshua Woolley:

Professional Bio: https://profiles.ucsf.edu/joshua.woolley

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-d-woolley-md-phd-076018110/

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

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