Fast-Acting DMT Shows Promise for Depression in Trial

Imagine a depression treatment that works in a week and lets you leave the hospital the same day you receive it. Scientists in London just proved it's possible.

A team of researchers tested DMT, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound, on 94 people struggling with clinical depression. The results stunned them. Nearly half of those who received DMT reported feeling significantly better just one week later, compared to only 6 percent in the control group.

What makes DMT special is how quickly your body processes it. The drug has a half-life of only five minutes, meaning patients experience its effects for a much shorter time than other psychedelics like psilocybin or LSD. This could be a game changer for practical treatment.

Traditional psychedelics can leave patients hallucinating for hours, requiring extended medical supervision. DMT's brief duration means people could potentially receive treatment and return home the same day. That's huge for making this therapy accessible and affordable.

The London trial paired DMT with counseling for depression. Patients received careful medical monitoring during treatment. Two weeks after their first dose, participants continued showing improvements, though the effects started to fade slightly by the 14-week mark.

Side effects were minimal and short-lived. Some patients felt brief pain at the injection site or experienced temporary increases in heart rate and blood pressure. Nothing serious emerged in the safety data.

Why This Inspires

For millions of people, traditional antidepressants simply don't work. This trial offers real hope for those who've been left behind by conventional treatments.

The research suggests something profound: even a brief psychedelic experience can create lasting changes in how our brains process emotions and form connections. Patients who reported more intense mystical experiences during treatment showed better outcomes, suggesting the profound nature of the experience matters.

Scientists still have questions about exactly how DMT rewires the brain to fight depression. But they don't need every answer before helping people who desperately need new options.

The team plans larger trials with longer follow-up periods to confirm these early results. If DMT continues showing promise, it could join a growing toolkit of psychedelic therapies moving from fringe idea to mainstream medicine.

Depression doesn't affect everyone the same way, and no single treatment works for everyone. But every new option that proves safe and effective means another chance for someone to feel hope again.

For the 47 people in this trial who felt relief after years of struggling, that possibility became reality in just one week.