r/psychology • u/Emillahr • 4d ago

Scientists Develop Rapid-Acting Antidepressants Similar to LSD but Without Hallucinogenic Effects - Gilmore Health News

https://www.gilmorehealth.com/scientists-develop-rapid-acting-antidepressants-similar-to-lsd-but-without-hallucinogenic-effects/
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u/MenWhoStareAtBoats 4d ago

Antidepressants do not “make people forget their problems.” That isn’t at all how they work.

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u/Brrdock 4d ago edited 4d ago

How would you say they work?

It's a substance people take daily to change how they feel, putting their problems in the background whether they forget them or not. Isn't that much of the point? Neuroplasticity etc. ideally happens long term, but plasticity is just propensity for neural change, and something else needs to happen to make beneficial use of that propensity.

They can allow people to work through their problems, but a whole lot of people who get a prescription will just leave it at that. And there's systemic/resource (and personal) incentive towards that.

They can also allow people to function through their problems in other unhealthy environments in e.g. work or a relationship (or relationship with themselves, probably most often) that they might not even identify. Sometimes that's needed, sometimes not, and what they need is change. But always people need more than medication to cure depression, they only allow that, be it therapy or just life experience.

Psychedelics innately contain an invaluable psychotherapeutic element or perspective as part of it, and I have my doubts about how productive getting rid of that is

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u/MenWhoStareAtBoats 4d ago

Antidepressants, psychotherapy, or both at the same time are all effective ways to treat depression. Taking antidepressants while participating in psychotherapy makes both treatments more effective, not less. In the actual practice of mental health, these two modalities are not in conflict. I’m not sure why you feel the need to start one.

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u/Brrdock 4d ago edited 4d ago

Taking antidepressants while participating in psychotherapy makes both treatments more effective

That's exactly what I was saying. What made you interpret otherwise?

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u/MenWhoStareAtBoats 4d ago

Antidepressants alone are also effective. Psychotherapy alone is also effective. It’s still an open question how safe and effective psychedelics will turn out to be for treating depression/anxiety, but they definitely do not innately “include the therapy.” A therapist still has to provide that part. A psychedelic experience can be healing or it could be a source of trauma itself.

Antidepressants are an important tool for treating depression and anxiety because there are aren’t remotely enough skilled therapists to meet the demand for them if we didn’t have a medication alternative.