WIM VAN DEN BRINK | Psychedelics help reduce compulsive thinking, such as craving in drug addiction

At ICPR 2024, we talked to Wim van den Brink, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Addiction at the Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, about the potential of psychedelics to reduce compulsive thinking and support addiction treatment.

2026. August 28. | István Gábor Takács | Drug Policy Reform, Psychedelic Medicines

WIM VAN DEN BRINK | Psychedelics help reduce compulsive thinking, such as craving in drug addiction

Wim van den Brink, MD, PhD, is emeritus Professor of Psychiatry and Addiction at the Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam. He has been a leading figure in addiction research, publishing more than 600 peer-reviewed papers, directing the Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, and playing major roles in developing Dutch treatment guidelines for substance use disorders. We discussed with him how psychedelics differ from traditional psychiatric treatments, what their neurobiological mechanisms might be, and who could benefit most from them. Our conversation also touched on the promise of psychedelics in treating addiction, the role of harm reduction, and the challenges of ensuring accessibility and responsible regulation as these therapies move closer to mainstream care.

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The questions:

00:00 Intro 00:05 How did you get involved as a researcher in studying psychedelics? 01:24 Some people say that psychedelics are one of the first new major innovations since the 70s in Psychiatry. How do you see that? 03:07 Psychedelic treatment is a hybrid between talking therapy and psychopharmacological treatment. How is it different from traditional forms of treatment? 05:53 What is the neuro biological mechanism that explains why psychedelics are so effective in treatment? 10:16 Psychedelics don’t work for everyone. Do we have any idea for whom they work and for whom they don’t work? 13:45 Do psychedelics have a potential to treat addiction? 16:05 Clinical treatment has very strict rules and limitations. But people have been using psychedelics in other non-medical settings in groups, in the nature. Do you think that we can combine those methods with clinical treatment? 17:53 Some people say that we move too fast. And, there is, risk of, backlash. How do you see that risk? 18:55 You talked about retreats. As far as I know there are many retreats in the Netherlands. How are they regulated? 20:48 What is the situation with MDMA treatment in the Netherlands? 22:06 The costs of psychedelic treatment are very high. How can we make sure that they are accessible to less wealthy people as well? 24:20 How do you see the role of harm reduction in the psychedelic field? 26:09 How do you see the future of psychedelics? Will they be part of the mainstream medical care? And do they have room outside of the medical realm?