From getting high to getting healthy: Recent research on psychoactive drugs

People use psychoactive drugs for two broad purposes: Recreational, to enhance enjoyment or achieve novel and pleasant states, and therapeutic, to relieve discomfort or improve impaired function. Can the same behavioral actions of the drugs serve both of these functions? In this presentation I will examine acute behavioral effects of two drugs, MDMA and low doses of LSD, to examine commonalities and differences in the drugs’ actions in producing pleasure or relieving discomfort. MDMA is used to facilitate social interactions, and it is also under investigation as a treatment for PTSD. Low doses of LSD are widely used to improve quality of life in relatively healthy individuals, but may also relieve symptoms in patients with depression. While recognizing there are marked differences in the social and cognitive contexts in which people use drugs for recreational vs therapeutic purposes, controlled laboratory studies can reveal how some of the same actions of these drugs could serve both functions.