In his «Spare» memoir, Prince Harry reveals that he was taking psychedelics to cope with the ongoing pain over the death of his mother, Princess Diana. He describes both traditional and alternative treatments of prolonged grief, and emphasizes the remarkable effectiveness of psychedelics. "They let me redefine reality," he wrote.
In the new story by the NY Times, scientists and researchers answer the question: what do we know about treating extreme grief with psychedelics?
Clinical studies over the past decade show the high effectiveness of psychedelic-assisted therapy in treating post-traumatic disorders. Psychedelics increase neuroplasticity and change the way the brain processes information. So it allows the patient to get closer to the traumatic experience to relive and overcome fixation and obsession.
There is strong evidence that psilocybin can be useful in treating depression, including in trials comparing the drugs' efficacy to standard antidepressant medications. Similarly, MDMA has been shown to be effective at treating PTSD. Some researchers think that because prolonged grief is similar to depression and PTSD, psychedelics could also be useful for treating it.
It is important to emphasize that psychedelic therapy is still illegal in most countries, including Ukraine, and is mainly conducted in "underground" sessions or abroad during clinical trials. UPRA advances the legal therapeutic use and research of psychedelics in Ukraine.
Psychedelic coming out is the act of publicly speaking about one's experience with psychedelics, particularly in the context of therapy or personal growth. In Ukraine, this term became widespread after the stories of designer Sasha Astron and special forces officer Hitman. Each such story challenges societal stigma and conservative perceptions of psychedelics.