A study conducted by scientists at New York University has found that the controlled use of classic psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin may be beneficial for people who stutter.
The qualitative study, published in the *Journal of Fluency Disorders*, analyzed the experiences of people who identify as stutterers. Data was collected from reports posted on various sections of Reddit and organized into an analysis that included the behavioral, emotional, cognitive, belief, and social effects of psychedelics. The results were then categorized as positive, negative, or neutral.
Psilocybin research
“Our sample consisted of 167 posts, of which 14 were excluded for lack of personal narratives (such as when describing other people's experiences) and 39 were excluded for discussing substances other than classic psychedelics (but rather substances such as ketamine or MDMA),” the study explained. “The final sample included 114 posts from 104 different Reddit users, with some users posting multiple posts. Due to the deletion of 12 users' accounts, the exact number of unique participants was estimated to be at least 92.”
The researchers found that 74% of users reported positive short-term effects, such as reduced stuttering and anxiety. 9.6% reported negative effects, 4.8% reported mixed (both positive and negative) effects, and 11.6% reported neutral experiences.
“Given the positive effects of psychedelics on conditions such as anxiety disorders and PTSD, which have similar symptoms to stuttering, we believe that exploring the potential effects of psychedelics on stuttering may be a promising area of research,” said lead study author Eric S. Jackson.
This study claims to be the first of its kind to analyze self-reports of people with stuttering using classical psychedelics. However, the authors emphasize the limitations of the results due to the method of data collection.
“The results suggest the possibility of an effect of psychedelics on stuttering, but their interpretation requires caution given the uncontrolled study conditions and potential health risks associated with psychedelics, as has been shown elsewhere,” Jackson added. “While these results do not call for the use of psychedelics for stuttering, they do indicate the need for further research with controlled clinical trials.”
Conclusion
The study is an interesting approach to exploring the potential effects of psychedelics on stuttering. Despite the positive results for many participants, researchers emphasize the importance of a cautious approach and true clinical trials before drawing conclusions about the therapeutic use of psychedelics.
