Our next study will compare the effects of psilocybin with traditional antidepressants, but we have to allocate our limited budget to this new research, which restricts our ability to offer additional sessions to previous participants.

The clinical study I was involved in was the first of its kind in the UK, examining psilocybin's effects on 20 people with treatment-resistant depression.

It's incredibly challenging to tell participants that we can't provide them with follow-up sessions due to funding constraints, especially when they've experienced such profound relief from their depression.

For some participants, the effects of psilocybin lasted for about two to three months before their depression began to return, highlighting the need for integration after the experience.

Despite taking anti-depressants, many individuals still experience depression because they focus on what is missing in their lives rather than what they have.

Participants often report that the psilocybin sessions felt more human and connected compared to traditional treatments, emphasizing the importance of the therapeutic relationship. Seventeen out of twenty participants experienced significant improvements in their depression after a single psilocybin session, feeling better for months, but many saw their symptoms return after three months.

Depression often stems from a prolonged period of negative self-reflection, leading to a sense of hopelessness and a mountain of responsibilities that feels insurmountable.

Psychedelics may help patients with depression by increasing the flow of activity through brain circuitry, allowing for new possibilities and hope.

Low levels of dopamine and serotonin can lead to anhedonia, making it difficult to experience pleasure, which is why treatments like antidepressants aim to raise these baseline levels.