How To Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan

The subtext is The New Science of Psychedelics, and it is that, plus a pretty extensive review of the old science of psychedelics as well. The use of psychedelics as a mode of treatment is falling back into favor, after a brief and politically fraught emergence on the scene in the 1950's and 60's. There was some promising data emerging that was quashed, partly for political reasons (the military eliminated it as a tool they could exploit and the mainstream saw it as part of the hippy movement that they wanted to suppress) as well as hampered by the attention seeking nature of the professionals whose advocacy was tarred by the limelight they sought. Fast forward to the present where white upper and middle class opiate users are dying at startling rates, so new and innovative treatments for substance use disorders specifically and mental health in general are popular and sought after. The book explores the range of disorders and conditions that might be treated by psychedelics, which is broad, ranging from end of life anxiety, to substance use disorders, depression, and a myriad of other psychiatric conditions. The author talks to researchers, research subjects, recreational users, and takes psychedelics himself in order to provide a broad range of thoughts and experiences, and then he attempts in the end to explore why they might be uniquely helpful. I found the characterization of psychiatry to be largely derived from the media and movies rather than direct contact with practicing mental health professionals, and therefore irritating, but overall this is very thought provoking and hopefully sways some skeptics to think again about how these agents might effect real change and alleviate suffering.