Hey friend,

I do not doubt that nearly every human being on this planet has been impacted by addiction, either directly or indirectly—whether friends, family, partners, community members, or generationally.

According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics and Addiction Group data, nearly 50 million Americans faced a substance use disorder (SUD) last year, with alcohol use disorder (AUD) being the most prevalent, impacting about 30 million (60%). [1]

Shockingly, 70% of those with AUD never receive treatment. [2]

While 24.7% of individuals with substance use disorders have an opioid disorder—encompassing both prescription pain relievers and heroin.

Addiction, whether in plain sight or hidden away, is impacting more people with each passing year…

My Experience with Addiction

I’ve witnessed addiction destroy many friends and have lost some to overdose.

Personally, I struggled with substance abuse in my teenage years, driven by an intense urge to get high on anything I could find. I’d go all out, loading up on as many compounds as I could in a single night.

Even going to school high on benzos, cannabis, and other substances I don't care to name…

Looking back, it felt like I was trying to fill an endless void, but nothing I did made even the slightest dent.

• I felt isolated, despite being surrounded by so many people.
• I felt lost, even with a clear path right in front of me.
• A sudden wave of hopelessness and despair would hit me out of nowhere, even when everything around me seemed fine.

It was destructive behavior, and deep down, I knew it wasn’t okay. I could see—if only from a distance—that I was on a dangerous path.

Fortunately, life circumstances shifted my perspective just as I was entering adulthood. I realized I wanted to take care of myself and become a better person, which helped me clean up my act.

I feel like I narrowly escaped a dark descent similar to those closest to me—I could have easily become just another statistic. Thankfully, I broke free.

But many others are not so fortunate…

As I write this, we’re in the midst of an addiction epidemic and current efforts aren’t cutting it.

It’s time to embrace new—and ancient—therapeutics that are proving far more effective and reliable than standard treatments.

How Psychedelics Are Revolutionizing Addiction Treatment

Today, psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin mushrooms are helping people break free from addiction more effectively than anything we've seen before.

Addiction arises from a complex blend of factors, including genetics, neurobiology, maladaptive neural circuitry, environment, and more.

Increasing evidence supports the trauma perspective, pointing to childhood trauma, isolation, self-medicating mental health issues, and even a deeper lack of purpose, fulfillment, or connection as key contributors (nature vs. nurture).

Carl Jung described the latter as “a thirst for wholeness gone awry”.

This points to the real issue: it's not the substance abuse itself—it's the desperate attempt to escape underlying pain or suffering.

Psychedelics target the root cause and address it by two major factors:

1. Psycho-Spiritual Healing

Psychedelics promote mystical-type experiences [3], creating a powerful sense of connection—to yourself, others, and the universe—filling the void that often drives addiction.

They unlock repressed emotions, offer deep healing, and shift your perspective, revealing insights into destructive behaviors and sparking real change.

2. Neurological resetting & rewiring

Serotonergic psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin, and DMT target specific serotonin receptors (5HT2A). [4]

Activating these receptors reduces activity in the brain's default mode network (DMN), responsible for self-referential thinking, mind-wandering, and rumination. [5]

An overactive DMN is often associated with conditions like addiction, depression, anxiety, OCD, and PTSD.

By disrupting rigid neural pathways and enhancing the brain’s ability to form new connections via neuroplasticity, psychedelics help "reset" and “rewire” the brain, breaking addictive patterns and fostering healthier behaviors.

Clinical Trials

Psychedelics are gaining momentum in addiction treatment, from alcoholism to opiate addiction and even smoking, with several clinical trials completed and many more on the horizon.

Here are some groundbreaking ones:

LSD & Alcoholism

A 2012 study reviewed six clinical trials on LSD for alcohol addiction, involving 325 patients on LSD and 211 on a placebo.

After a single LSD session (210–800 mcg), nearly 60% of LSD patients reported reduced alcohol cravings at a 6-month follow-up. [6]

Psilocybin & Smoking Cessation

A 2014 Johns Hopkins pilot study tested psilocybin for smoking cessation, using doses of 20 or 30 mg per 70 kg of body weight (equivalent to 3.5–5 grams of dried mushrooms).

By the end of the 6-month study, 12 of the 15 participants (nearly 80%) successfully quit smoking. [7]

A 12-month follow-up revealed that 67% of participants remained smoke-free. [8]

Psilocybin & Alcoholism

In the largest double-blind clinical trial published in JAMA Psychiatry in 2022, just 2 doses of psilocybin with psychotherapy cut alcohol use for at least 8 months after their first treatment. [9]

Ninety-three adults, aged 25 to 65, diagnosed with alcohol dependence according to DSM-IV, received either two doses of psilocybin (25–40 mg per 70 kg, equivalent to 3.13–5 grams for someone weighing around 155 lbs) or a placebo (antihistamine), along with 12 psychotherapy sessions.

Before the trial, all participants averaged seven drinks per drinking session.

Within eight months, over 80% of those who received the psilocybin treatment cut their drinking significantly, compared to just 50% in the antihistamine control group.

By the end of the trial, half of the participants who received psilocybin had quit drinking entirely, while only about one-quarter of those who took the antihistamine had stopped.

Another Psilocybin & Alcoholism Trial

A 2015 study on psilocybin for alcoholism involved two sessions with doses of 0.3 or 0.4 mg/kg (around 4–6 grams of dried Psilocybin mushrooms).

Participants showed significant reductions in alcohol consumption and cravings, with these benefits lasting through the 36-week follow-up. [10]

The study also showed significant improvements in drinking-related consequences, reduced cravings, increased self-efficacy, and greater motivation to stay sober.

Ibogaine & Opioid Addiction

Ibogaine, a psychoactive compound from the West African plant Tabernanthe iboga, is believed to be the longest-used psychedelic, according to archaeological evidence.

It is quite different than the classic serotonergic psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, and DMT, which primarily work via the 5HT2A serotonin pathway. [11]

Ibogaine interacts with various brain receptors and regions, including NMDA, serotonin, opioid, and nicotinic.

Its broad-spectrum activity is believed to be key to its anti-addiction effects. [12]

In a 2017 study, 30 participants with DSM-IV opioid dependence received a single dose of ibogaine. At the one-month follow-up, 50% had abstained from opioids and maintained that abstinence for 3 to 12 months. [13]

The study concluded that ibogaine significantly alleviated withdrawal symptoms and reduced drug use in individuals who had previously not succeeded with other treatments.

A First of Its Kind Psychedelic Trial

While psychedelic therapies have primarily targeted alcoholism and opioid addiction, a groundbreaking clinical trial is now underway: the Safety and Feasibility of Psilocybin in Adults with Methamphetamine Use Disorder.

This is incredibly exciting due to the distinct pharmacological and pharmacodynamic differences between these compounds and methamphetamine.

But as we've discussed, psychedelics tackle various root causes of addiction, making them a promising option for supporting recovery from all types of substance use disorders.

Challenges Ahead

However, like many taboo topics, the idea of psychedelics aiding addiction recovery is often dismissed by the mainstream.

This largely arises from a misunderstanding of the complex healing mechanisms of psychedelics. It also stems from the propaganda that has long tainted the perception of entheogens.

They often argue, "How can you expect to overcome addiction with just another drug?"

But as we've established, psychedelics aren't just another drug—they're powerful medicine.

Also, a crucial point for skeptics to note is that psychedelics are NOT physiologically addictive. [14]

All of this said, I believe psychedelics are powerful tools in our healing toolbox, and we have the right to harness them for healing on a body, mind, and soul level!

It's only a matter of time before these therapies become mainstream, replacing outdated and ineffective modalities.

Addiction knows no boundaries—it impacts the rich and poor, young and old, and discriminates against neither sex, race, nor faith.

As substance use disorder spirals out of control, its ripple effect touches every corner of society…

We stand at a pivotal moment in history; the health of humanity hinges on our willingness to embrace revolutionary treatments that tackle the root causes of suffering, which ultimately drive addictive behaviors.

Combining psychedelics with psychotherapy, mindfulness, and neural retraining—along with optimizing the body through lifestyle, nutrition, herbs, and supplements—offers a holistic approach to healing the masses.

I know this is getting lengthy, but I want to ensure you have key and actionable takeaways.

In next week's newsletter issue, I'll explore how to harness the healing potential of psychedelics for addiction recovery, providing actionable strategies to facilitate healing from the ground up. So stay tuned!

I’m curious—have you or someone you know struggled with addiction? If so, have you considered psychedelics as a potential treatment option?

Hit reply and let me know.

See you next Saturday,

Onjae

References:

[1] "Drug Abuse Statistics." Drug Abuse Statistics, https://drugabusestatistics.org/. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.

[2] "Addiction Statistics." Addiction Group, https://www.addictiongroup.org/resources/addiction-statistics/. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.

[3] Griffiths, Rr et al. “Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later.” Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) vol. 22,6 (2008): 621-32. doi:10.1177/0269881108094300

[4] Madsen, Martin K et al. “Psychedelic effects of psilocybin correlate with serotonin 2A receptor occupancy and plasma psilocin levels.” Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology vol. 44,7 (2019): 1328-1334. doi:10.1038/s41386-019-0324-9

[5] Gattuso, James J et al. “Default Mode Network Modulation by Psychedelics: A Systematic Review.” The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology vol. 26,3 (2023): 155-188. doi:10.1093/ijnp/pyac074

[6] Ludwig, A et al. “A clinical study of LSD treatment in alcoholism.” The American journal of psychiatry vol. 126,1 (1969): 59-69. doi:10.1176/ajp.126.1.59

[7] Johnson, Matthew W et al. “Pilot study of the 5-HT2AR agonist psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco addiction.” Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) vol. 28,11 (2014): 983-92. doi:10.1177/0269881114548296

[8] Johnson, Matthew W et al. “Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation.” The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse vol. 43,1 (2017): 55-60. doi:10.3109/00952990.2016.1170135

[9] Bogenschutz, Michael P., et al. "Percentage of Heavy Drinking Days Following Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy vs Placebo in the Treatment of Adult Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial." JAMA Psychiatry, vol. 79, no. 10, 2022, pp. 953–962. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.2096.

[10] Bogenschutz, Michael P et al. “Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: a proof-of-concept study.” Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) vol. 29,3 (2015): 289-99. doi:10.1177/0269881114565144

[11] Holze, Friederike et al. “Serotonergic Psychedelics: A Comparative Review of Efficacy, Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Binding Profile.” Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging vol. 9,5 (2024): 472-489. doi:10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.01.007

[12] Köck, Patrick, et al. "A Systematic Literature Review of Clinical Trials and Therapeutic Applications of Ibogaine." Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, vol. 138, 2022, article 108717.

[13] Brown, Thomas Kingsley, and Kenneth Alper. “Treatment of opioid use disorder with ibogaine: detoxification and drug use outcomes.” The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse vol. 44,1 (2018): 24-36. doi:10.1080/00952990.2017.1320802

[14] Johnson, Matthew W., et al. "The Abuse Potential of Medical Psilocybin According to the 8 Factors of the Controlled Substances Act." Neuropharmacology, vol. 142, 2018, pp. 143-166, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.05.012. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.