Largest study ever shows the consistent value of psychedelics as a way to break addiction

Studies continue to confirm what scientists have pondered for a long time.  Psychedelic drugs do seem to help people break addiction.

One of the newest studies, backing up an influx of information, is in the journal Current Opinion in Behavioural Sciences.

The study referenced material dating back as far as the 1950's and accumulates six major psychedelic studies done in the 20th century.  It found that, of the 536 participants, throughout all the studies, 59 percent of them showed "reliable improvements" in their drinking up to six months after testing.  This, compared to a 38 percent success rate among those who did not use LSD.

Both LSD and psilocyben work by activating the brain's serotonin receptors and stimulating a sense of positive feeling within the individual.  They also are continuously found to increase the success rate for those attempting to get off booze or cigarettes.

One plant, called iboga, is known to go even farther, almost completely eradicated addictive urges in the individual after a multi-day cleanse on the substance.

In addition to this, studies have come in showing the value of ketamine and ayahuasca, with the former helping 66 percent of those trying it to kick alcohol.  This, as opposed to the 24 percent success rate of those using non-psychedelic means.

As marijuana continues to be legalized and people continue to wake up to the value of so many plant-based (and even synthetic) chemicals, we continue to advance and explore our knowledge of them as medicines.

So much is still to be learned, but one theory is that the psychedelic medicine increases synaptic plasticity in the brain, meaning that it makes brain connections easier to be reshaped.  This let's people break from, formerly, rigid throught.