Show notes
The Root Cause Medicine Podcast is created by Rupa Health, the best way to order, track & get results from 30+ lab companies in one place.
This episode is sponsored by Athletic Greens. With one delicious scoop of AG1, you get 75 high-quality vitamins, minerals, whole-food sourced ingredients, probiotics, and adaptogens to help support your gut health, nervous system, immune system, energy, recovery… All the things.
In today’s episode, Dr. Carrie Jones is joined by Dr. Erica Zelfand, a Therapeutic Psychedelic Expert and Educator. They discuss the therapeutic use of Ayahuasca, MDMA, Ketamine, and Psilocybin for depression, anxiety, addiction, PTSD, panic, and more.
Key Takeaways from this episode:
1. What makes psychedelic medicine unique? When people hear the word psychedelic, they think of illegal drugs. However, psychedelic substances can be used for therapeutic purposes and help with addiction, PTSD, depression, or anxiety. The problem is that according to the Drug Enforcement Agency, there's no approved use for these substances, so there are no legal premises to use them. There are a few key medical facilities studying psychedelic medicine with their patients including Johns Hopkins and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
2. The science behind psychedelics: Psilocybin, Ayahuasca, MDMA, and Ketamine. Some of the most used psychedelic substances are Psilocybin, Ayahuasca, MDMA, LSD, and Ketamine. Psilocybin is the active constituent in magic mushrooms and is in the spotlight now. It is a constituent found in over 200 different species of fungi, which performed very well in clinical trials for treating things like depression, major depressive disorder, and various addictions. Ayahuasca is a psychedelic medicine that comes to us from the Amazon and is a combination of two different plants brewed together. MDMA has a good chance of being legalized within the next few years because of its healing trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder properties. Ketamine is a versatile psychedelic used in pediatrics, pets, surgeries, or dental procedures. It also can be used to treat addiction, but you have to be careful with it as it is an addictive substance in itself.
3. How can you get started with psychedelics correctly? Never buy and do psychedelics on your own. A safer way to do psychedelics is to go to a trusted professional. With Ketamine (for example), that means finding a licensed Ketamine practitioner or clinic. You can also enroll in a clinical trial supported by organizations like Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. Certain states such as Oregon and Colorado are also moving towards broadening psychedelic therapeutics in a clinical setting.
Dr. Erica Zelfand is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, specializing in integrative and functional family medicine. She is also a medical writer, editor, and speaker. Dr. Erica is a psychedelic expert and educator who helps people understand how the newly evolving world of therapeutic psychedelics such as Psilocybin and Ketamine help with depression, addiction, and more.