60 minutes: John Hopkins using psychedelics to treat addiction, depression and anxiety

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Researchers experimenting with psychedelics to treat addiction, depression and anxiety S52 13:23

Volunteers at some of the country’s leading medical research centers are going through intense therapy and six-hour psychedelic journeys deep into their minds to do things like quit Air Date: Oct 13, 2019

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'60 Minutes' segment explores psychedelics research at Johns Hopkins Scientists Roland Griffiths and Matthew Johnson sit down with journalist Anderson Cooper to discuss the promise of psychedelics as a form of treatment for anxiety, depression, addiction, and more

Roland Griffiths and Matthew Johnson Image caption: Scientists Matthew Johnson (left) and Roland Griffiths sit down with journalist Anderson Cooper

ByHub staff report / Published Oct 14

Scientists at Johns Hopkins are exploring a promising new branch of behavioral research: the effect of psychedelics on the brain. Led by Roland Griffiths, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral science, researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that psychedelic drugs—including psilocybin, the active compound in "magic mushrooms"—have been shown to improve the quality of life for patients with life-threatening cancer, help longtime smokers quit, and help patients overcome persistent depression. In a segment that aired Sunday night on 60 Minutes, Griffiths and his colleague Matthew Johnson discussed the nature of their work with CBS correspondent Anderson Cooper, who also interviewed two of their volunteer test subjects. One of those test subjects, Carine McLaughlin, was able to quit smoking after 46 years after she participated in a psilocybin trial at Johns Hopkins for an ongoing study. To achieve her goal, however, she had to endure a harrowing experience inside her own mind.

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