Search results for ""author david nutt""

A stimulating account of interest to all students of neuroscience, psychiatry, psychology or biology — and of immense value to ‘first timers’ including undergraduates and A-level students. Written by one of the UK’s leading brain science experts, it traces the relationship between the ions, membranes and pumps of the brain and our thoughts, senses, feelings, impulses and consciousness. The book deals with such tantalising questions as: What are the ‘locks and keys’ of the brain? How does memory work and why do we forget? Why do we sleep, dream, and hopefully wake-up ready to go? How do fears, threats and nightmares penetrate our mental defences, or drugs, alcohol, psychedelics and medicines improve or hinder our thoughts, actions or behaviour? Are our eyes connected to the brain and why do we sometimes see things that aren’t there? Or hear ‘voices’? The book also explains how we can ‘see inside’ the brain, why we sometimes make a fool of ourselves, may have near death experiences and whether epilepsy is an ‘affliction of the Gods.’ Similarly what scientists know about the differences between delusion and schizophrenia; or the links between worry, anxiety, depression, mania and euphoria. It also covers obsession, stress and repetitive behaviour — just some of many topics dealt with within its revealing pages. An expert, scientific but simple guide.

Read more less

There is substantial contemporary interest in psychedelic agents as medicines for maladies of the mind. This follows research in the 1950s and 1960s exploring the use of LSD and other psychedelics to treat a range of psychiatric illnesses as well as addictions. This research was shut down after prohibition of these drugs, however the last decade has seen a major renewal of interest in the therapeutic use of psychedelics and related drugs in psychiatry. Psilocybin (found in 'magic mushrooms') has been used effectively for amelioration of distress in people with depression/anxiety in the context of potentially life-ending cancers, as well as for treatment-resistant depression and also addictions. MDMA ('ecstasy') has shown efficacy for severe post-traumatic stress disorder, with enduring benefit. Other psychedelics, both plant-derived (e.g., ayahuasca) and synthetically produced (e.g., LSD) are also being investigated for their potential therapeutic value. These agents not only herald a new neurobiology but also allow an integration of psychotherapy with biological compounds that is truly novel and that challenges established psychiatric practice. Furthermore, the action of these agents on the brain allows an exploration of how the brain works to 'open up' to psychotherapeutic healing. Published as part of the Oxford Psychiatry Library series, the book provides an overview of this hugely exciting field, covering the history of psychedelics, clinical aspects, risks and side effects, precautions and processes.

Read more less

The dangers of illegal drugs are well known and rarely disputed, but how harmful are alcohol and tobacco by comparison? The issue of what a drug is and how we should live with them affects us all: parents, teachers, users – anyone who has taken a painkiller or drunk a glass of wine. Written by renowned psychiatrist, Professor David Nutt, Drugs without the hot air casts a refreshingly honest light on drugs and answers crucial questions that are rarely ever disputed. What are we missing by banning medical research into magic mushrooms, LSD and cannabis? Can they be sources of valuable treatments? How can psychedelics treat depression? Drugs without the hot air covers a wide range of topics, from addiction and whether addictive personalities exist to the role of cannabis in treating epilepsy, an overview on the opioid crisis, and an assessment of how harmful vaping is. This new expanded and revised second edition includes even more details on international policies, particularly in the US. David's research has won international support, reducing drug-related harm by introducing policies that are founded on scientific evidence. But there is still a lot to be done. Accessibly written, this much-awaited second edition is an important book for everyone that brings us all up to date with the 'war of drugs'.

Read more less

For half a century the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 has dominated ill-conceived approaches to the prohibition of drugs and the criminalisation of many offenders. Wilful blindness to scientific facts has distorted the dispensation of justice, prevented lifesaving investigation, sidelined critics and thwarted advocates of politically inconvenient drugs law reform. This once in an epoch review by experts from a range of disciplines shows how lawmakers and the media have ignored the scientific evidence to sustain badly founded rhetoric in favour of blanket bans, punishment and the marginalisation of opponents. Countless individuals (including the vulnerable, deprived, addicted and mentally ill) have therefore suffered unnecessarily. This, the most comprehensive critique of the 1971 Act yet, rests on the combined learning of leading medical, scientific, psychiatric, academic, legal, drug safety and other specialists to provide sound reasons to re-think half a century of bad law.

Read more less

David Nutt regularly hit the headlines as the UK's forthright Drugs Czar (Chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs), not least when fired by the Home Secretary in 2009 for his 'inconvenient' views. In Nutt Uncut he explains how he survived ill-judged political and media vilification to establish the respected charity Drug Science, with the aim of telling the truth about drugs. The book describes his life, distinguished career and scientific achievements, including his research into the human brain and the effects that both lawful and criminally illegal substances (including psychedelics) have on the brain and behaviour. It also catalogues with expert precision the risks of harm to drug users and others of a range of well-known drugs. Surveying the state of medical knowledge around various currently prohibited substances - from hard drugs to LSD, cannabis, ecstasy, magic mushrooms and poppers - Professor Nutt ranks their potential harms and benefits (e.g. in treating anxiety, depression or pain) leading him to challenge the distorted logic of a blanket ban on anything psychoactive except alcohol, tobacco and caffeine. Nutt Uncut contains far, far more about the usually hidden world of drugs, their use, abuse and role as a political bargaining counter - making it of interest not just to the many experts and others who already support the author's campaign for a frank, evidence-based approach to drugs but also anyone who wishes to learn about what he describes in Chapter 11 as 'policy madness.'

Read more less