In this episode of the Psychedelic Medicine Podcast, Kevin Franciotti, MA joins to discuss the intricacies of psychedelic-assisted therapies for substance use disorder. Kevin Franciotti is a Denver-based writer, therapist, advisor, and thought leader in the fields of psychology, psychedelics, and substance abuse counseling.

In this conversation, Kevin shares his expertise on the existing research on psychedelic medicines for substance use disorder (SUD) and also discusses the limitations of the results of this research. He talks about the difficulties of designing trials and protocols for psychedelic therapies that target SUD, touching on how this disorder can interact with the neuro-physical and psychological effects of psychedelic medicines. He also contrasts emerging psychedelic treatments for SUD with dominant abstinence-based models and shares where he thinks psychedelic therapies may be a healthier alternative. In closing, Kevin reiterates that it is crucial to continue integrating harm reduction perspectives as psychedelic therapy continues to gain more mainstream traction.

In this episode:

Contraindications which can arise during detox periods which may require a person to be fully detoxed prior to pursuing any psychedelic-assisted therapy for SUD
The neuro-physical effects and the psychological effects of psychedelic substances
The role of peer support in psychedelic-assisted therapy for SUD
The stigma around psychedelic therapies within traditional recovery programs and communities
How psychedelic therapy protocols interface with current guidelines from the American Society of Addiction Medicine
The future of insurance coverage for psychedelic therapies
Issues of "psychedelic exceptionalism"

Quotes:

"Ibogaine has somewhat of a miraculous quality of being able to attenuate some of the most painful, acute symptoms of opiate withdrawal—but that is only specific to opiate withdrawal." [11:33]

"What's miraculous about a medicine like ibogaine or even psilocybin… is it's designed to enhance somebody's ability to confront their underlying issues." [16:57]

"The future of addiction treatment embracing psychedelics is really going to hinge on the treatment industry being willing to construct innovative ideas." [30:37]

"Drugs are drugs. Drugs don't have an inherent moral quality around them. [What's important to highlight] is the risk of stratifying people who use drugs as somehow being superior or inferior based on which category of socially accepted drugs that they're doing." [42:39]

Links:

Psychedelics in Recovery

Journey Colab

All Points North (APN)

"Dispelling Lies the Psychedelic Community Believes About Drugs" presentation by Carl Hart, PhD at Horizons 2019

Psychedelic Medicine Association

Porangui

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