INSIGHT 2019: Psilocybin-Assisted Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder (Nielson)

PhD Elizabeth Nielson | NYU School of Medicine
https://insight-conference.eu/speaker/elizabeth-nielson/

Psilocybin-Assisted Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder: Historical Context and Current Clinical Research

The use of classic psychedelics in the treatment of alcohol use disorder dates to Hoffer and Osmond’s work with LSD in Saskatchewan starting in 1953. Initially seen as a way to safely induce a delirium tremens-like experience, LSD was tested in clinical trials and used in treatment programs for thousands of patients through the early 1970s, resulting in substantial but inconclusive evidence for its effectiveness. With increasing restriction of access to psychedelics for reach purposes, LSD research ceased in the early 1970’s. 40 years later, research with psilocybin, a chemically similar but shorter acting and naturally occurring compound, has shown that psilocybin-assisted treatment of alcohol use disorder is feasible and potentially effective. This presentation gives an overview of the history of the use of classic psychedelics in treatment of alcohol use disorder and discusses the designs of a completed open-label pilot and ongoing phase II double-blind trial. The psychotherapy model and structure of psilocybin sessions, possible mechanisms of action, and participants’ descriptions of the psilocybin experience are included. Interim findings of 12-week outcomes from phase II trial participants will be presented.

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Elizabeth Nielson is a psychologist with a focus on developing psychedelic medicines as empirically supported treatments for PTSD, substance use problems, and mood disorders. Dr. Nielson is a therapist on FDA approved clinical trials of psilocybin-assisted treatment of alcohol use disorder, MDMA-assisted treatment PTSD, and psilocybin-assisted treatment of treatment resistant depression. Dr. Nielson sees clients in private practice for psychedelic integration and provides continuing education and training programs for therapists who wish to engage in integration of psychedelic experiences in clinical settings. Her program of research includes qualitative and mixed-methods projects designed to further understand of the phenomenology and mechanisms of change in psychedelic medicine, including the experiences of trial participants and of the therapists themselves. She has published and presented on topics of psychedelic therapist training, therapists’ personal experience with psychedelics, and including psychedelic integration in group and individual psychotherapy. Dr. Nielson presently serves as the Director of Education and Training at the Psychedelic Education and Continuing Care program at the Center for Optimal Living in NYC.

Видео INSIGHT 2019: Psilocybin-Assisted Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder (Nielson) канала MIND Foundation