Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy for OCD
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can be an incredibly challenging thing to deal with. It can be so intense, in fact, that most people who receive brain surgery for a mental illness are doing so in an attempt to treat OCD. Fortunately, research suggests that psychedelic assisted therapy might offer real hope for people suffering from OCD. Significant ground work has been laid for the treatment of OCD with psilocybin and outcomes look promising.
What Is OCD and Why Don't Current Treatments Always Work?
OCD affects up to 3% of people worldwide. It's characterized by unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) that people feel driven to perform. Despite how common OCD is, current treatments often fall short:
Antidepressants (like Prozac or Zoloft) don't work for 30-60% of people with OCD.
Talk therapy requires highly trained specialists who aren't always available.
Many people are left feeling hopeless when nothing seems to help.
Research on Psilocybin and OCD
Scientists have been studying psychedelics for OCD treatment since the 1960s, and the results are encouraging. In the currently available studies on Psilocybin for OCD:
People saw their OCD symptoms drop by 23% to 100% within 24 hours.
8 out of 9 participants experienced at least a 25% reduction in symptoms.
6 people saw their symptoms cut in half.
Some people stayed better for weeks or even months after just one treatment.
The durability of the effect:
The current studies on psilocybin for OCD provide only limited information and suggest that it could take up to four treatments and that the benefits may be short-lived. However, some People appear to experience symptom reduction that is lasting.
In research, one person's OCD symptoms improved by 63% and stayed better for weeks.
Another person went from severe OCD to virtually no symptoms for 24 hours.
These improvements happened in people who had tried multiple other treatments without success.
Interestingly people in this study didn't need to experience strong psychedelic effects (like hallucinations) to see some improvements. Even small doses brought some relief. However, there does seem to be relationship between dose and effect, with stronger doses bringing a stronger effect.
How Does Psychedelic Therapy Work for OCD?
Think of OCD as your brain getting stuck in unhelpful patterns, like a record player that loops the same section. Psychedelic assisted therapy appears to work by providing an opportunity for the brain to jump out of the rut in the record. There are several ways it is thought to help OCD:
Brain Reset: Psilocybin seems to temporarily "reset" overactive brain circuits, allowing healthier patterns to emerge
New Connections: These substances help the brain form new neural pathways, potentially breaking out of rigid thinking patterns
Deep Insights: Many people report profound realizations about their condition and new ways of relating to their thoughts and behaviors
Lasting Changes: Unlike daily medications, the effects can last for weeks or months after a single session.
What to Expect from Treatment
Psychedelic therapy for OCD involves several steps:
Thorough screening to make sure you're a good candidate.
Preparation sessions with a therapist to frame the experience and increase feelings of safety.
Supervised Psilocybin administration sessions in a safe, clinical setting.
Integration therapy to help you process and apply insights from your experience to daily life.
The entire process is designed to maximize benefits while ensuring your safety and comfort.
Is It Safe?
Current research on psilocybin for OCD suggests that it is safe and well-tolerated for most people. While there can be some side effects such as changes in visual perception, dizziness, headaches, and increases in blood pressure they usually resolve quickly.
Why This Matters for People with OCD
Psychedelic assisted therapy offers several advantages over traditional treatments:
Faster results: Improvements can happen within hours or days, not weeks or months.
High success rate: Even people who haven't responded to other treatments often see some improvement.
Lasting effects: Benefits may continue for weeks or months after treatment.
While psychedelic assisted therapy for OCD is not for everybody there is good reason to believe that it could be beneficial. If you’re interested In exploring whether this type of therapy is a good fit for you please reach out to me for an initial consultation where we can discuss your situation individually.
Sources
Moreno, F. A., Wiegand, C. B., Taitano, E. K., & Delgado, P. L. (2006). Safety, tolerability, and efficacy of psilocybin in 9 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 67(11), 1735-1740.
Collins HM. Psychedelics for the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Efficacy and Proposed Mechanisms. (2024) Int J Neuropsychopharmacology. . doi: 10.1093/ijnp/pyae057. PMID: 39611453; PMCID: PMC11635828.