Alastair Campbell, the former political strategist and mental health advocate recently sat down with Dr. Carol Routledge, the chief medical and scientific officer at Small Pharma, a pioneering UK-based company studying DMT—a naturally occurring psychedelic drug. Early research suggests DMT could directly address the root causes of depression. While Campbell admits to having a “traditional view of drugs,” he is open to exploring this new treatment avenue.
Campbell recognizes the emerging potential of psychedelic treatments as an alternative to traditional pharmaceutical options. The investigation into psychedelics as a treatment for mental health issues dates back to the mid-20th century, but research was stymied by regulatory restrictions in the 1970s. Today, however, psychedelics are re-entering clinical trials, offering new hope for patients like Campbell, whose struggles with depression have been ongoing for decades.
“It’s not necessarily a very nice experience in that it’s meant to try and take you very, very deep into yourself,” Campbell explains. “You have to be careful, and everything has to be properly tested, of course, but given how prevalent depression is and how much the conversation has evolved, it could work. When it comes to medication, we’re still talking about drugs that have been around for a couple of generations. And with depression, we’re talking about drugs that haven’t really advanced since Prozac”.
“Carol Routledge is not someone, like me, you can imagine sitting on a beach with a load of hippies getting stoned. And she was absolutely passionate about what this can do – and they’re talking about treatment which involves a single dose plus therapy. And the signs are very, very encouraging. I think the Government would be wrong to stand in the way [of licensing psychedelic treatments] if the trials prove successful.”
Out in nature is the theme for #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek, so we’ve been in the woods with Alastair Campbell. Watch our film here.
