What if addiction isn’t a disease to treat, but a wound to heal? Psilocybin could be the key to lasting recovery, helping the brain reset and the mind reframe the pain that started it all.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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How does psilocybin work for addiction?
Psilocybin promotes neuroplasticity and disrupts the brain's default mode network, helping rewire reward systems and break addictive patterns.
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What does the research say about psilocybin for addiction treatment?
Clinical trials show psilocybin significantly reduces alcohol and tobacco use, with long-term abstinence rates as high as 80% after just a few sessions.
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Why is the psychedelic experience important in psilocybin addiction therapy?
The emotional and psychological insights gained during a psilocybin journey are key to healing trauma and creating lasting behavioural change.
Canada’s addiction crisis is only getting worse.
It’s estimated that around 15% of Canadians drink a “risky” amount of alcohol. In 2016, more people in Canada were hospitalized for alcohol use than for heart attacks.
Around 13% of the population smokes tobacco.
Scariest of all?
Canada is in the middle of an opioid crisis; between January 2016 and September 2022, there were more than 34,000 deaths attributable to opioid toxicity, many of which also involved stimulants or other substances.
It’s not a lack of treatment options. It’s that most don’t work long-term.
The revolving door of relapse, withdrawal, and recovery is exhausting and tragically common. Abstinence rates after rehab can be as low as 25%.
Talk therapy requires commitment and consistency many people can’t maintain or afford.
Pharmaceuticals often carry side effects or addictive potential of their own.
And what we’re starting to learn is that addiction might not be a disease to treat—but a wound to heal.
Many addictions begin with trauma. Others with anxiety, depression, or grief.
Either way, we know that addiction lives both in the body and the brain. It changes your neurochemistry, rewires your reward systems, and disrupts your ability to regulate emotion, motivation, and impulse control.
So what if, instead of numbing the pain or suppressing the symptoms, we went deeper? What if we gave the brain a chance to reset itself? And what if we gave the mind an experience powerful enough to reframe the pain that started it all?
That’s where psilocybin comes in.
This article covers:
- Why addiction is more complex than just chemical dependency
- How psilocybin changes the brain, and why that matters for addiction
- Clinical studies on psilocybin and addiction to alcohol, tobacco, and opioids
- Why the subjective psychedelic experience may be the key to lasting recovery
EDITORIAL STANDARDS
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Understanding addiction: more than a chemical hook.
Addiction is characterised by repetitive consumption of a substance or drug or activity (such as gambling, sex, or shopping), without being able to stop even if you want to. And even if that activity is causing you a great deal of harm.
But addiction isn’t just about the substance or activity. It’s about why we reach for it, and what happens in our brains when we do.
On a biological level, substances like alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, and opioids trigger spikes in dopamine, glutamate, or GABA—chemicals that regulate pleasure, reward, and stress. Over time, your brain adapts by downregulating its own production or responsiveness, leading to tolerance, cravings, and withdrawal symptoms.
But not everyone who drinks or smokes becomes addicted. That’s because addiction is also deeply psychological. Studies show high comorbidity between addiction and conditions like PTSD, depression, and anxiety. One study found that up to 75% of people who experience severe violent, traumatic events report drinking problems, and about 60–80% of Vietnam Veterans seeking PTSD intervention have reported alcohol use problems.
There’s also a historical and cultural layer. We’ve spent centuries refining natural substances into hyper-potent chemicals—from coca leaf to cocaine, poppies to heroin, fermentation to high-proof spirits. These faster, stronger substances hit harder and wear off faster, creating cycles of binge and crash that our ancient brains never evolved to handle.
This is a world away from the psychedelic mushroom-eating apes that we might’ve been, according to Terrence McKenna. And now we find ourselves in an addiction crisis that’s worthy of epidemic status, touching nearly every corner of the world.
So addiction isn’t just a bad habit. It’s a coping mechanism for an overwhelmed nervous system in a hyperstimulating world.
The neuroscience of psilocybin and addiction.
Psilocybin, the active compound in psilocybin mushrooms, primarily binds to serotonin 2A receptors in the brain. These receptors play a major role in mood, perception, and cognition—but they’re also involved in learning, memory, and behavioural flexibility.
That’s where it gets interesting for addiction.
In fMRI studies, psilocybin has been shown to reduce activity in the default mode network (DMN)—the part of the brain associated with rumination, self-referential thinking, and ego identity. In people with depression, anxiety, or addiction, the DMN tends to be overactive. Psilocybin helps quiet that loop, making room for new thoughts and patterns to emerge.
This temporary neuroplastic window—sometimes called a "reset" effect—may explain why one or two psilocybin sessions can lead to long-lasting behavioural change.
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Clinical studies: promising results for alcohol, tobacco, and more.
From alcohol dependence to tobacco addiction, psilocybin mushrooms have consistently shown positive and long-lasting results for addiction.
In a 2014 open-label pilot study at Johns Hopkins, researchers combined psilocybin with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to treat nicotine addiction. At the six-month follow-up, 80% of participants were still abstinent.
A follow-up study found that those who experienced a strong, meaningful psychedelic experience were more likely to remain smoke-free years later. The quality of the experience—described as mystical, emotional, or insightful—was a stronger predictor of success than dose or session length.
Similar results have been found for alcohol addiction. A 2018 qualitative study interviewed participants the day after their psilocybin sessions. They reported:
- A shift in their relationship to alcohol
- Increased motivation to change
- Deep emotional insight into their patterns and pain
Even challenging or uncomfortable experiences were associated with long-term benefits—especially when supported by a safe setting and post-session integration.
Lastly, a 2023 systematic review of four clinical trials found that psilocybin effectively promoted abstinence from both alcohol and tobacco use disorders. In one RCT for alcohol use disorder, participants had 13.9% fewer heavy drinking days than those on placebo. In a tobacco cessation study, abstinence rates at 6 and 12 months were 80% and 67%, respectively.
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– Gabrielle, Nova Scotia
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Why the experience itself matters.
Most medicines work despite the way they make us feel. Psilocybin may work because of it.
The psychedelic experience is not always easy. It can be intense, disorienting, or even painful. But in a safe and supportive environment, it can also be deeply meaningful, allowing people to confront buried emotions, access self-compassion, and envision a new path forward.
This is what sets psilocybin apart. It’s not just another pill to suppress cravings. It’s an experience that can restore agency, rewrite narratives, and rebuild one’s relationship with self.
As research continues, psilocybin may prove to be not only a treatment for addiction—but a tool for transformation.
Want to learn more? Explore how psilocybin helps with trauma, depression, and more in our Journal.
Or discover our microdose capsules and macrodose blends for guided, intentional experiences that support deeper healing.
