Dr. Sarah Wakeman

And so someone named Sinclair actually in Europe did some fascinating experiments of even just using it as needed. So rather than taking it as an everyday medication, if you know that when you go to like a holiday event, you're going to drink way more than you want to drink. You take it like 30 minutes before you go. And then what people find is they have like one drink and they're like, I'm good.

And so someone named Sinclair actually in Europe did some fascinating experiments of even just using it as needed. So rather than taking it as an everyday medication, if you know that when you go to like a holiday event, you're going to drink way more than you want to drink. You take it like 30 minutes before you go. And then what people find is they have like one drink and they're like, I'm good.

I don't have that same urge to want to drink more and more because I didn't get the same sort of tickle of feeling better and feeling relief.

I don't have that same urge to want to drink more and more because I didn't get the same sort of tickle of feeling better and feeling relief.

Yeah, one of the most like groundbreaking trials in the last couple of years for alcohol use disorder was psilocybin. So there's a big study of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol use disorder, which showed really remarkable effects.

Yeah, one of the most like groundbreaking trials in the last couple of years for alcohol use disorder was psilocybin. So there's a big study of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol use disorder, which showed really remarkable effects.

So people took psilocybin, actually compared it, folks came in and they either got a big dose of Benadryl or psilocybin, and then they sat with the therapist for like eight hours for this guided psilocybin journey. And they found that people drank much less after it. So it does seem to have some effect. And the thought is that

So people took psilocybin, actually compared it, folks came in and they either got a big dose of Benadryl or psilocybin, and then they sat with the therapist for like eight hours for this guided psilocybin journey. And they found that people drank much less after it. So it does seem to have some effect. And the thought is that

Part of the way psychedelics work is they increase neuroplasticity, meaning the ability for the brain to form new pathways and kind of retrain itself. And so it does seem to be a potential therapeutic for alcohol use disorder.

Part of the way psychedelics work is they increase neuroplasticity, meaning the ability for the brain to form new pathways and kind of retrain itself. And so it does seem to be a potential therapeutic for alcohol use disorder.

Yes, exactly.

Yes, exactly.

I have, yeah.

I have, yeah.

Yes. People have looked at Ibogaine for opioid use disorder. Those studies have been less promising than psilocybin, although it hasn't been tested in the same kind of rigorous ways recently. Partly for opioid use disorder, we have really effective medications that have been shown to improve recovery and reduce death. And so it's sort of hard to be better than that.

Yes. People have looked at Ibogaine for opioid use disorder. Those studies have been less promising than psilocybin, although it hasn't been tested in the same kind of rigorous ways recently. Partly for opioid use disorder, we have really effective medications that have been shown to improve recovery and reduce death. And so it's sort of hard to be better than that.

One really interesting, like, new whole class of medications for alcohol is medications that are being used for weight loss that people have probably heard of. So, like, Wagovi, Ozempic, that whole class of GLP-1 medication seems to also reduce alcohol use, which is kind of interesting.

One really interesting, like, new whole class of medications for alcohol is medications that are being used for weight loss that people have probably heard of. So, like, Wagovi, Ozempic, that whole class of GLP-1 medication seems to also reduce alcohol use, which is kind of interesting.

Yeah.

Yeah.