From Amazon retreats to clinical research: The rise of psychedelic therapy

ByCollette Howe

North East and Cumbria

From retreats in the Amazon to clinical trials in Newcastle, psychedelic therapy is attracting growing attention as a possible treatment for depression. Could hallucinogenic drugs one day become part of mainstream NHS care?

Claire Torpey had tried traditional forms of mental health support, including counselling. But she says there was still something she could not shake.

"There was a deep sadness. I was living in chronic anxiety," she says.

Claire, from Tynemouth, North Tyneside, spent part of her childhood in care and says the challenges she faced growing up were compounded by the deaths of her father and grandmother in consecutive years.

"There wasn't anything that was really moving the needle from my internal state. I was deeply sad and I didn't want to be here."

Seeking alternatives, Claire travelled to South and Central America to attend retreats where participants legally take psychedelics as part of guided therapeutic programmes.

The retreats involved psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in magic mushrooms, and ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian brew containing the psychedelic compound DMT.

Psychedelic tourism has grown in popularity, but experts warn that unethical and unregulated practices can pose serious risks. There have been reports of participants dying after attending retreats and ceremonies abroad.

For Claire, however, she says the experience was transformative.

"It wasn't until I started taking these medicines that it started to lift," she says.

"I started to find a place of peace and happiness. It took me on a journey of forgiveness.

"I don't believe that normal talk therapies would have got me there."

In the UK, psilocybin and DMT are Class A drugs and are classified as Schedule 1 substances, meaning they are considered to have no recognised medicinal use.

Yet interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy is growing.

At Newcastle's Care Pathway Enhancement (CaPE) Clinic, run by Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, researchers are investigating whether psilocybin could help treat conditions including depression.

The theory is that, when used in a controlled setting, psychedelics can help people process difficult thoughts and emotions. Some researchers liken the mind to a snow globe: the drugs temporarily disrupt established thought patterns, allowing thoughts and feelings to settle differently and providing new perspectives on past experiences.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Mourad Wahba, who leads the research, says participants often report significant shifts in how they view themselves and their experiences.

"The idea is that through having this experience, people can change their behaviours and patterns of thinking," he says.

The treatment involves extensive preparation and support before and after dosing sessions.

Clinical psychologist Tom Sharp helps facilitate the trials. Participants receive psilocybin in capsule form before spending up to eight hours in a specially designed dosing room under the supervision of therapists.

"People can develop a sense of what might have caused their depression," he says.

Researchers are keen to temper expectations.

"This type of work isn't some silver bullet," says Sharp. "It doesn't turn off depression."

Wahba agrees. While early findings are encouraging, he says larger studies are still needed to establish how effective the treatments are and whether any benefits can be sustained in the longer term.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has backed further research into psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Dr David Cousins, chair of its psychopharmacology committee, said: "The College supports further research into psychedelics such as psilocybin, which have the potential to help in the treatment of people with conditions such as depression, including those who are less responsive to other forms of care."

Some researchers believe psychedelic-assisted therapy may offer longer-lasting benefits for certain patients by helping them address underlying thoughts, emotions and behaviours rather than simply managing symptoms.

However, Cousins cautioned against seeking treatment outside regulated settings.

"We strongly advise against people self-medicating or seeking access to unregulated treatments as there are risks in doing so."

Supporters stress that psychedelic therapy is very different from recreational drug use. In clinical settings, participants are screened, monitored and supported before, during and after treatment.

Some UK charities and organisations are also helping people access psychedelic therapy overseas.

Keith John Abraham, founder of Heroic Hearts Project UK, helps former military personnel attend retreats involving ayahuasca to support conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

"Most people come out of this and feel like they've got a renewed sense of energy and purpose," he says.

Abraham, an army veteran, turned to psychedelic therapy after struggling with the effects of military service.

"Afghanistan came at a great personal cost to me.

"I went down the traditional avenues and I found they didn't work for me and became quite desperate."

Abraham says psychedelic therapy helped him make significant progress, but warns against portraying it as a miracle cure.

"We shouldn't come into this assuming that all of our problems will be resolved. But life can be very much improved."

Abraham describes psychedelic therapy as the "future of mental health care".

Robin Daly, founder of the cancer charity Yes to Life, believes psychedelic-assisted therapy could also help some people cope with the emotional impact of serious illness.

He says a cancer diagnosis can leave people confronting questions about mortality, purpose and the future, and that psilocybin may help some patients come to terms with that reality.

"It's not about going off into la-la land," he says.

"It's about being able to accommodate the fact, 'OK, I'm in this situation, I have cancer', but to put it in a much bigger context."

While stressing that psilocybin is not a cure for cancer, he describes its potential impact on some patients as "revolutionary".

He believes access should not be limited to people who can afford to travel overseas for treatment.

Researchers argue progress is being slowed by regulation.

Wahba says obtaining licences to work with Schedule 1 substances can significantly delay studies.

"Let's say I start talking about a study in June. We apply for the licence in June or July. We might not get the licence until January," he says.

"So far, the risks aren't as pronounced as we would see with a lot of other medications. It just seems quite prohibitive at this point."

Looking ahead, he hopes psychedelic-assisted therapy could one day sit alongside existing NHS treatments.

"Giving patients choice is number one. So, it being part of our menu would be the ideal scenario for me."

The Home Office says it is considering advice on reducing barriers to research involving controlled drugs while ensuring safeguards remain in place.

The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency says it facilitates clinical research, but it is still too early to know whether psychedelic treatments might one day become routinely available.

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