Other Worcester events

Freud and Cannabis

Please note step-free access to the venue is possible at this venue but there is no disabled toilet, apologies.

Past event - 2023
Mon 22 May Doors 7pm
Event 7.30pm to 9.30pm
The Paul Pry, 6 The Butts,
Worcester WR1 3PA
Do we need to think outside the box if treatments are not effective for persistent mental or physical health problems?
Freudian theory and Cannabis may seem far-fetched as viable treatments-both are relatively understudied compared to other mainstream therapies and yet in their madness maybe there is some brilliance…

Cannabis and the brain: current research into potential medical applications

Dr Mathieu Di Miceli (Lecturer in Biomedical Science)
"Cannabis" is found in various plants, which contain two molecules of interest: THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). These molecules can produce either "body highs" or "mind highs". Current research is trying to understand how these molecules act on the brain, in the hope to develop new medicines to treat patients for which current clinical treatments fall short. Here, the origin of "cannabis" will be explored, along data on recreational or medicinal/medical use in different countries. Furthermore, we will also explore how THC and/or CBD could be useful to treat some patients.

Magical Thinking

Dr Tanya Carpenter (Lecturer in Counselling Psychology)
In 1907 Freud had a patient he called ‘The Rat Man’ who feared he could make his intrusive thoughts come true. He called this ‘omnipotence of thought’. Over 100 years later Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) writes about a similar struggle (likelihood thought-action fusion) mostly found in OCD, but also in depression, eating disorders and anxiety disorders. CBT recommends treatment should involve disputing the power of these thoughts, but research has shown this to be ineffective. Psychoanalysis had other ideas about its meaning and treatment. Is it time we brought Freud back into Psychology?
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