Australian Story: May 22

Australian Story was granted access to patients at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital as it conducted Australia’s first psychedelic-assisted therapy trial.

Medical research into psychedelic drugs is undergoing a renaissance but what does the treatment actually look like?

Over six months, Australian Story was granted extraordinary access to Australia’s first psychedelic-assisted therapy trial, led by doctors Margaret Ross and Justin Dwyer from Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital.

The trial looks at how psychotherapy combined with psilocybin, the compound found in magic mushrooms, might alleviate the mental anguish of the terminally ill.

Australian Story followed one of the trial’s 35 participants, Lindy Bok, as Ross and Dwyer led her through the therapy experience.

“It was the most intense emotional thing I’ve ever done in my life,” says Lindy, who has stage four breast cancer.

In a surprise move, the Therapeutic Goods Administration recently approved the therapeutic use of psilocybin and MDMA for certain mental health conditions from July 1.

While Ross and Dwyer believe that decision is premature, they have been profoundly impacted by what they have witnessed.

“What we’ve seen has surpassed all of our expectations,” Ross says.

“I am not the same psychiatrist I was before,” says Dwyer. “I can’t go back to doing what I was doing before the trial started.”

For Lindy, too, the therapy has been transformative.

“It’s changed everything. It’s changed my whole outlook on life,” she tells Australian Story.

“I can’t fix dying but at least I feel more emotionally peaceful with it.”

8pm Monday on ABC.