One former New York City journalist tried everything from Alcoholics Anonymous to rehab in order to curb his alcohol use disorder. He took a chance on a clinical trial using an ingredient from magic mushrooms that ultimately changed his life and calling forever.
Jon Kostas is the CEO and founder of Apollo Pact, the first and only patient-driven nonprofit dedicated to medical research and securing funding for psychedelic-assisted research.
The 33-year-old Manhattan native had suffered from alcoholism since a teen at age 16 with his first drink at age 12. Before starting the advocacy group, Kostas worked in the political spectrum and media industry roles, including as a news anchor.
"I would have maybe a handle of alcohol in a sitting, no problem. It was a vicious cycle because then I would be more depressed, anxious or stressed out, and an immediate release would be drinking more alcohol," said Kostas to NBC New York during an interview at the NYU Center for Psychedelic Medicine.
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Kostas, at age 25, entered an experimental trial at the NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine in 2014. He was one of the first successful participants to come out of a study published last year.
The research was led by Dr. Michael Bogenschutz, the director of the NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine at NYU Langone Health.
The eight-month trial consisted of just over 90 men and women ages 25 to 65 who were struggling with alcohol use disorder. Each person received either two psilocybin doses or a placebo drug paired with psychotherapy sessions.
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Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound from certain types of mushrooms with hallucinogenic properties. It has been long used by indigenous cultures in the Americas for healing purposes.
"Psilocybin and other drugs in this class of psychedelics have a number of interesting properties that give them the potential to have therapeutic effects in the treatment of addictions and a number of other psychiatric disorders," Dr. Michael Bogenschutz told News 4.
According to Bogenschutz, psilocybin is not addictive and does not cause a long-term pattern of compulsive use. Instead, the drug is utilized in the study to alter consciousness in a profound way, changing how people perceive the world. The research team was interested in the effects on patient brain activity.
Bogenschutz warns that people can still misuse psilocybin and similar drugs if not taken in the proper professional setting, especially if the person is undergoing a traumatic psychedelic experience. The cognitive behavioral therapy sessions helped guide patients through their journey.
The study found that over 80% of participants given the psychedelic treatment immensely reduced alcohol consumption eight months after the study began, as to just over 50% in the placebo group, according to results.
Kostas, who noted that he would have never touched these drugs beforehand, was one of the participants who had undergone three psilocybin sessions. Two of his hallucinogenic experiences were extraordinarily vivid and compelling.
"I saw this glass liquor bottle in the middle of the desert. All of a sudden, this glass bottle disintegrated into the sand. Another time, I had a death experience. I saw myself in a bird's eye view with the two doctors sitting there, so I was watching my death in real-time," said Kostas.
To Kostas, this psychedelic-assisted therapy provided him with the mental kickstart to realizing his self-destructive drinking patterns. He explained this wasn't starting "another chapter" but a "new book" in his life.
Kostas left the trial with a new mission to ensure this specialized treatment can be more widely accessible. He got in contact with former Congresswoman Mimi Walters (R-CA) in building the advocacy group Apollo Pact.
Walters created the first-ever Psychedelics Advancing Therapies (PATH) Caucus last year in Congress. In March, Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI) re-launched the bi-partisan initiative for the 118th Congress to address the mental health crisis, particularly facing the U.S. veterans.
"To hear a Navy seal tell you that they are contemplating suicide and that this treatment is the only thing that saved them. To have the spouses tell you the same thing as they teared up is evidence that the treatment is working. For us to wait as a legislative body, for what?" Rep. Correa told NBC 4.
