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Mind Medicine Australia
1.16 - Prof David Nutt: The Neuroscience Of Psychedelics, Addiction, And How Drugs Help Us Understand The Brain
Season 1, Ep. 16
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Prof David Nutt is Neuropsychopharmacologist specialising in the research of drugs that affect the brain and conditions such as addiction, anxiety, and sleep.
David is the chairman of Drug Science, a non-profit which he founded in 2010 to provide independent, evidence-based information on drugs. Nutt is the deputy head of the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London. He and his team have published research into psilocybin for TRD, as well as neuroimaging studies investigating psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, and DMT.
In this episode:
- How drugs help our understanding of the brain
- Impact of prohibition on investigation and research
- Key terms - decriminalisation, depenalisation, legalisation
- Drug harm profiles - alcohol, lsd, mdma, psilocybin
- Physiology and psychology of addiction
- Brain-mind interplay
- The psychedelic experience and its phenomena
- The default mode network
- Functional connectivity
- Neuroplasticity
- Why profound alterations in consciousness permit long-term changes
- Serotonin's role in depression
- Psilocybin vs SSRIs and the 5HT2a receptor
- Psychedelics vs Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies
Links:
Recent paper exploring Psilocybin vs SSRIs:
Serotonin and brain function: a tale of two receptors
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31. 2.31: Dr Mario Alam
56:08||Season 2, Ep. 31Dr. Mario Alam and Deb explore the profound intersections of personal growth, mental health, and societal transformation. They discuss the healing potential of psychedelics, their integration into cultural shifts, and navigating somatic trauma. From leveraging AI-powered mental health tools to creating safe spaces and fostering perseverance, this conversation delves into the transformative power of radical leadership and collective consciousness. Discover how innovative approaches, like the Reset Program, are shaping the future of healing and cultural change.Your HostDr Deb Roberts, PhD is the Mind Medicine Australia Podcast host for Season 2 and has been a MMA volunteer, guides the weekly staff meditation, on the MMA Lived Experience Panel and has a life-long relationship with mental (ill) health yet been able to navigate a fulfilling existence through various means.She is deeply passionate about conversations related to wellbeing. She uses her own lived experience as well as the reality of having two family members who ended their life seeing no treatment pathway forward. One was her older sister who tried countless medicine combinations, therapies and facilities over 30 years.--Mind Medicine Australia exists to help alleviate the suffering and suicides caused by mental illness in Australia through expanding the treatment options available to medical practitioners and their patients. We will establish safe and effective psychedelic-assisted treatments to treat a range of mental illnesses.In furtherance of this mission, The Mind Medicine Australia Podcast ‘Season 2’ aims to connect, listen and share the power of lived experience stories of mental health challenges and altered states that cultivate wellbeing and utilise the collective voices to inform research directions, policy and system change. This podcast will explore modalities including but not limited to altered states from the use of psychedelics, breath work, yoga, mindfulness, meditation, nutrition, sleep and exercise.--Thank you for listening to the Mind Medicine Australia Podcast.You can support Mind Medicine’s work by making a tax-deductible donation to us and more specifically you can support the Patient Support Fund. Your donation will support research, access and affordability for psychedelic medicine.The information provided in this podcast is for general information purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services including the giving of medical advice.The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional and medical recommendation, diagnosis or treatment. The use of information in this podcast is at one’s own discretion and is not an endorsement of use given the complexity inherent in this medicine under the current viable widespread illegality of their usage.30. 2.30: Dr Ian Gawler OAM
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01:07:25||Season 2, Ep. 28TW: SuicideThis episode is a deep dive into the intersection of family, connection, and community within the context of psychedelic therapy. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Sara Reed, shares her personal journey with psychedelics and the role they’ve played in her therapeutic practice. The conversation explores the importance of language and communication in understanding client experiences, the role of nature in psychedelic integration, and the need for culturally sensitive training. They also discuss diverse models of psychedelic care, inclusivity within the global psychedelic movement, and fostering trust and safety in diverse environments.Your HostDr Deb Roberts, PhD is the Mind Medicine Australia Podcast host for Season 2 and has been a MMA volunteer, guides the weekly staff meditation, on the MMA Lived Experience Panel and has a life-long relationship with mental (ill) health yet been able to navigate a fulfilling existence through various means.She is deeply passionate about conversations related to wellbeing. She uses her own lived experience as well as the reality of having two family members who ended their life seeing no treatment pathway forward. One was her older sister who tried countless medicine combinations, therapies and facilities over 30 years.--Mind Medicine Australia exists to help alleviate the suffering and suicides caused by mental illness in Australia through expanding the treatment options available to medical practitioners and their patients. We will establish safe and effective psychedelic-assisted treatments to treat a range of mental illnesses.In furtherance of this mission, The Mind Medicine Australia Podcast ‘Season 2’ aims to connect, listen and share the power of lived experience stories of mental health challenges and altered states that cultivate wellbeing and utilise the collective voices to inform research directions, policy and system change. This podcast will explore modalities including but not limited to altered states from the use of psychedelics, breath work, yoga, mindfulness, meditation, nutrition, sleep and exercise.--Thank you for listening to the Mind Medicine Australia Podcast.You can support Mind Medicine’s work by making a tax-deductible donation to us and more specifically you can support the Patient Support Fund. Your donation will support research, access and affordability for psychedelic medicine.The information provided in this podcast is for general information purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services including the giving of medical advice.The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional and medical recommendation, diagnosis or treatment. The use of information in this podcast is at one’s own discretion and is not an endorsement of use given the complexity inherent in this medicine under the current viable widespread illegality of their usage.27. 2.27: Dr Kim Hutchison
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01:08:56||Season 2, Ep. 25TW: SuicideReid Robison, MD MBA, is a Psychiatrist, Researcher & Chief Medical Officer at Novamind. He has led over 100 clinical trials in neuropsychiatry and co-directed the molecular genetics laboratory at the University of Utah Department of Psychiatry. Reid is co-founder at Cedar Psychiatry, and serves as Medical Director of Center for Change, a top Eating Disorder treatment program. He was the coordinating investigator for the MAPS MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy study of Eating Disorders. He was one of the first clinicians to use Ketamine off label for depression in Utah and obtained his first grant to study Ketamine in 2011. He also led the Utah site for the pivotal IV Ketamine study for treatment-resistant depression by Janssen, leading up to the company’s recent FDA-approval of Spravato (esketamine) via breakthrough therapy designation in 2019.Your HostDr Deb Roberts, PhD is the Mind Medicine Australia Podcast host for Season 2 and has been a MMA volunteer, guides the weekly staff meditation, on the MMA Lived Experience Panel and has a life-long relationship with mental (ill) health yet been able to navigate a fulfilling existence through various means.She is deeply passionate about conversations related to wellbeing. She uses her own lived experience as well as the reality of having two family members who ended their life seeing no treatment pathway forward. One was her older sister who tried countless medicine combinations, therapies and facilities over 30 years.--Mind Medicine Australia exists to help alleviate the suffering and suicides caused by mental illness in Australia through expanding the treatment options available to medical practitioners and their patients. We will establish safe and effective psychedelic-assisted treatments to treat a range of mental illnesses.In furtherance of this mission, The Mind Medicine Australia Podcast ‘Season 2’ aims to connect, listen and share the power of lived experience stories of mental health challenges and altered states that cultivate wellbeing and utilise the collective voices to inform research directions, policy and system change. This podcast will explore modalities including but not limited to altered states from the use of psychedelics, breath work, yoga, mindfulness, meditation, nutrition, sleep and exercise.--Thank you for listening to the Mind Medicine Australia Podcast.You can support Mind Medicine’s work by making a tax-deductible donation to us and more specifically you can support the Patient Support Fund. Your donation will support research, access and affordability for psychedelic medicine.The information provided in this podcast is for general information purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services including the giving of medical advice.The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional and medical recommendation, diagnosis or treatment. The use of information in this podcast is at one’s own discretion and is not an endorsement of use given the complexity inherent in this medicine under the current viable widespread illegality of their usage.24. 2.24: David Heilpern
01:04:01||Season 2, Ep. 24TW: SuicideDavid Heilpern was appointed as a Magistrate in 1998, and was at the time the youngest magistrate in Australia. He ‘retired’ in May 2020. He sat in the criminal, mining, family, industrial, coronial and children’s jurisdictions of the Local Court, and was the Senior Civil Magistrate for five years. During his time on the bench, David was the principal educator for new magistrates throughout Australia and the Pacific and made several important reported decisions on criminal, environmental and evidence law.Prior to his appointment, David was a litigation lawyer on the North Coast where he co-founded the law school at Southern Cross University, rising to becoming the Acting Dean in 1996. He maintained a litigation practice throughout this time, representing a wide range of defendants including high profile clients North East Forrest Alliance and Nimbin Hemp. During this time David graduated with a Masters in Law and was pronounced the Alumni of the Decade for the University in 2005. David has written four published books, three of which have now had multiple editions, dozens of refereed journal articles, and is a prize-winning short story writer and poet.Your HostDr Deb Roberts, PhD is the Mind Medicine Australia Podcast host for Season 2 and has been a MMA volunteer, guides the weekly staff meditation, on the MMA Lived Experience Panel and has a life-long relationship with mental (ill) health yet been able to navigate a fulfilling existence through various means.She is deeply passionate about conversations related to wellbeing. She uses her own lived experience as well as the reality of having two family members who ended their life seeing no treatment pathway forward. One was her older sister who tried countless medicine combinations, therapies and facilities over 30 years.--Mind Medicine Australia exists to help alleviate the suffering and suicides caused by mental illness in Australia through expanding the treatment options available to medical practitioners and their patients. We will establish safe and effective psychedelic-assisted treatments to treat a range of mental illnesses.In furtherance of this mission, The Mind Medicine Australia Podcast ‘Season 2’ aims to connect, listen and share the power of lived experience stories of mental health challenges and altered states that cultivate wellbeing and utilise the collective voices to inform research directions, policy and system change. This podcast will explore modalities including but not limited to altered states from the use of psychedelics, breath work, yoga, mindfulness, meditation, nutrition, sleep and exercise.--Thank you for listening to the Mind Medicine Australia Podcast. You can support Mind Medicine’s work by making a tax deductible donation to us and more specifically you can support the Patient Support Fund. Your donation will support research, access and affordability for psychedelic medicine.The information provided in this podcast is for general information purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services including the giving of medical advice. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional and medical recommendation, diagnosis or treatment. The use of information in this podcast is at one’s own discretion and is not an endorsement of use given the complexity inherent in this medicine under the current viable widespread illegality of their usage.23. 2.23: Sabrina Santa Clara
01:20:01||Season 2, Ep. 23TW: SuicideSabrina Santa ClaraIn this episode, Sabrina Santa Clara speaks on mindfulness, connection and cultural identity, drawing on her own history of trauma and pathways of healing. She has worn many hats in the past, with a background spanning roles such as yoga instructor, massage therapist, and somatic psychedelic therapist, among others. Her focus has since shifted toward training and educating others in the healing professions. Sabrina has developed a refined version of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model, which she calls the Neoshamanic Internal Family Systems (NIFS). While IFS excels at addressing and healing the inner life of individuals, it falls short in acknowledging the profound healing potential of community, nature, and the Spirit world. In this approach, healing transcends traditional psychotherapy; it involves calling upon guides and community as essential agents of healing.--Mind Medicine Australia exists to help alleviate the suffering and suicides caused by mental illness in Australia through expanding the treatment options available to medical practitioners and their patients. We will establish safe and effective psychedelic-assisted treatments to treat a range of mental illnesses.In furtherance of this mission, The Mind Medicine Australia Podcast ‘Season 2’ aims to connect, listen and share the power of lived experience stories of mental health challenges and altered states that cultivate wellbeing and utilise the collective voices to inform research directions, policy and system change. This podcast will explore modalities including but not limited to altered states from the use of psychedelics, breath work, yoga, mindfulness, meditation, nutrition, sleep and exercise.--Thank you for listening to the Mind Medicine Australia Podcast. You can support Mind Medicine’s work by making a tax deductible donation to us and more specifically you can support the Patient Support Fund. Your donation will support research, access and affordability for psychedelic medicine.The information provided in this podcast is for general information purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services including the giving of medical advice. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional and medical recommendation, diagnosis or treatment. The use of information in this podcast is at one’s own discretion and is not an endorsement of use given the complexity inherent in this medicine under the current viable widespread illegality of their usage.