Can psilocybin help people stop drinking or reduce heavy alcohol use?

There is promising controlled evidence for reducing heavy drinking. In Bogenschutz and colleagues’ 2022 trial, 95 adults with alcohol use disorder were randomized to psilocybin or diphenhydramine, an active comparison drug, alongside a structured psychotherapy program. During the 32-week comparison period, heavy-drinking days averaged 9.7% in the psilocybin group and 23.6% in the comparison group. That is a meaningful difference in drinking behavior. It is not the percentage of people cured, and it does not mean every participant became abstinent.[1]

The treatment package matters: participants received screening, preparation, supported drug sessions and psychotherapy. Most could identify their assignment, which makes expectation an important limitation despite randomization. The trial therefore supports further development of psilocybin-assisted treatment, while leaving uncertainty about how much each component contributed and how well the result generalizes beyond selected participants. It does not establish equivalent benefits for every substance-use disorder or show that taking mushrooms independently reliably changes drinking. The appropriate interpretation is a promising alcohol-treatment study, not a one-session cure for addiction.[1]