5 ms·

As someone with major depression, it helps temporarily but doesn’t last.

by b34r 6y ago

okareaman 6y ago
No individual therapy lasted to cure my major depression, including mushrooms. It was a combination of therapies.
lrem 6y ago
Does it last long enough that you get a period of normal functioning?
invisiblerobot 6y ago
Works for mine. I need to take a heroic dose (5 gr) and then it lasts about 3 months before I need to again.
- ajkjk 6y ago
  Isn't that what the parent post said? Works temporarily but doesn't last?
  - gopalv 6y ago
    > Works temporarily but doesn't last? I'd have assumed it meant a tolerance would kick in after a few rounds. 1 reset day out of every 100 does sound achievable/possible even with clinical administration, but needing it every 3 days wouldn't be.
  - jack_pp 6y ago
    Considering there's no evidence it's toxic and you can do it every month because that's how long it takes for your tolerance to wear off, 3 months is a lot of time. Consider normal SSRIs where you feel like crap for a month, try N more (which could mean many more months) until you find one that suits you, then have side-effects, then try to get off them so that's another couple of months of misery. That's countless doses, money, time spent in misery vs one day of mushrooms every 3 months. Normal psych meds are to be avoided at all costs and only be used if absolutely necessary, after you have tried everything else; atleast in my opinion.
    - taurath 6y ago
      I think the primary reason for “normal” psych meds is they’ve been tested well for harm reduction first and foremost. That’s why the front line SSRIs are front line, they have less chance of a negative effect. Downside is it’s mild, and there’s plenty of evidence that the “low seratonin” theory of depression doesn’t apply to many. Psilocybin is an intense acute experience. People can have negative effects. I hope we do studies to find how to use it most safely, or isolate the beneficial aspect without the intoxicating effects.
      - cwkoss 6y ago
        The research and anecdotal reports coming out about microdosing is pretty exciting for the field of depression treatment. Though some take greater dosages, many people are finding relief from sub-perceptual doses: indicating that the typical hallucinations and disorientation associated with recreational psilocybe use is likely not necessary for achieving anti-depressive effect. I've also read of some interesting work being done creating "anti-abuse" formulations, where the active ingredients are compounded with Niacin or other drugs that cause unpleasant physical side effects at high doses to discourage overdose/abuse/recreational use. "Stamet's stack" seems to be the most common of these. Definitely needs much more research into these compounds, but seems a very promising frontier for antidepressant pharmacology.
        LocalH 6y ago
        > I've also read of some interesting work being done creating "anti-abuse" formulations, where the active ingredients are compounded with Niacin or other drugs that cause unpleasant physical side effects at high doses to discourage overdose/abuse/recreational use. Of course they can’t just let us use the natural substance that has existed for most, of not all, of human history.
  - deviation 6y ago
    I don't usually log in at work, but I feel this needs to be said since there's a few people in my life struggling with this. Psilocybin works great, and almost everyone I know with depression can attest to that- but without changing the circumstances that cause the depression it will likely always return. Anecdotal example: My sister is in disability care and is routinely abused by patients with severe disabilities (to no fault of their own) and she will slip into a severe depression that usually lasts a long period of time. Tripping helps her substantially deal with this, but psilocybin is for treating the effect and not for fixing the cause... If you kick a dead horse it (probably) won't wake up.
  - invisiblerobot 6y ago
    Doesn't last? 3 months is about as good as it gets. Excercise doesn't last either by that logic but it still is a side effect free cure to the problem.
- el_nahual 6y ago
  Similar for me. No idea of the gram dosage but... a lot. Effect lasted about 6 months, then tapered off slowly. Repeated again roughly yearly. After 4 difficult and unpleasant trips I'm fine. Never reached the sense of utter well-being I have for the few months after a trip but I'm fine. I will say that drinking any alcohol basically negates the positive effects for me for a while. As in, I'll have a cocktail and then won't feel "right" again for a month or so.
thrwn_frthr_awy 6y ago
Have you tried ketamine? I suffered from major depression for years and it was the only thing that helped me. It was like flipping a switch.
- monoideism 6y ago
  Did you find a doctor, or otherwise? I have severe chronic pain, and resulting depression that affects my pain perception, and am interested in trying this route.
  - goldenkey 6y ago
    In Arizona, with a chronic pain doctor, I was able to get pure ketamine liquid infusion via IV for 3-4 hours, while I listened to music. Felt like rebirth. My spinal pain was significantly decreased for the next few weeks, and my mood was ecstatic. Like the mushrooms though, it is short-lived. The doctor liked prescribing it because it is an NMDA agonist and decreased my opioid tolerance quite a bit, also helps with withdrawal symptoms. It is not covered by insurance -- $450 out of pocket. Spravato, the nasal spray, is cheaper but won't be as dramatic an experience [1] [1] https://www.spravato.com https://www.spravato.com
    - monoideism 6y ago
      Thank you. I've had a very bad experience w/anesthesia so am always nervous while dealing with anything of that nature. Wonder if that predisposes me to a bad trip. Not sure that would be worth it for just 2 weeks of relief. Also not sure I'd be able to find any such doctor near me. Probably health care providers are much more open minded out West than it is here.
      - goldenkey 6y ago
        The nice thing about ketamine is that it is a sedative. I've done LSD, Mushrooms, and DMT. Ketamine is the most enjoyable and least risky in my opinion, due to its sedative nature. The doctors usually give an anti-anxiety drug before starting the infusion, a benzodiazepine such as midazolam. As I did more infusions, we increased the ketamine dose and decreased the midazolam. Find a good doctor and work with them. Ketamine is a really wonderful substance for pain and depression.
RIMR 6y ago
This is what we call anecdotal evidence.
- jason0597 6y ago
  In the absence of clinical evidence, anecdotal evidence is all we can go on
dbtc 6y ago
What kind of integration work do you do after a trip?
cwkoss 6y ago
Are there any pharmaceuticals that provide permanent rather than temporary benefits? Maybe vaccines or antibiotics (depending on how you define 'permanent'), but I don't think any psychopharmaceuticals fit this description.

As someone with major depression, it helps temporarily but doesn’t last.

by b34r 6y ago

As someone with major depression, it helps temporarily but doesn’t last.

okareaman 6y ago

No individual therapy lasted to cure my major depression, including mushrooms. It was a combination of therapies.

lrem 6y ago

Does it last long enough that you get a period of normal functioning?

invisiblerobot 6y ago

Works for mine. I need to take a heroic dose (5 gr) and then it lasts about 3 months before I need to again.

ajkjk 6y ago
Isn't that what the parent post said? Works temporarily but doesn't last?
- gopalv 6y ago
  > Works temporarily but doesn't last? I'd have assumed it meant a tolerance would kick in after a few rounds. 1 reset day out of every 100 does sound achievable/possible even with clinical administration, but needing it every 3 days wouldn't be.
- jack_pp 6y ago
  Considering there's no evidence it's toxic and you can do it every month because that's how long it takes for your tolerance to wear off, 3 months is a lot of time. Consider normal SSRIs where you feel like crap for a month, try N more (which could mean many more months) until you find one that suits you, then have side-effects, then try to get off them so that's another couple of months of misery. That's countless doses, money, time spent in misery vs one day of mushrooms every 3 months. Normal psych meds are to be avoided at all costs and only be used if absolutely necessary, after you have tried everything else; atleast in my opinion.
  - taurath 6y ago
    I think the primary reason for “normal” psych meds is they’ve been tested well for harm reduction first and foremost. That’s why the front line SSRIs are front line, they have less chance of a negative effect. Downside is it’s mild, and there’s plenty of evidence that the “low seratonin” theory of depression doesn’t apply to many. Psilocybin is an intense acute experience. People can have negative effects. I hope we do studies to find how to use it most safely, or isolate the beneficial aspect without the intoxicating effects.
    - cwkoss 6y ago
      The research and anecdotal reports coming out about microdosing is pretty exciting for the field of depression treatment. Though some take greater dosages, many people are finding relief from sub-perceptual doses: indicating that the typical hallucinations and disorientation associated with recreational psilocybe use is likely not necessary for achieving anti-depressive effect. I've also read of some interesting work being done creating "anti-abuse" formulations, where the active ingredients are compounded with Niacin or other drugs that cause unpleasant physical side effects at high doses to discourage overdose/abuse/recreational use. "Stamet's stack" seems to be the most common of these. Definitely needs much more research into these compounds, but seems a very promising frontier for antidepressant pharmacology.
      - LocalH 6y ago
        > I've also read of some interesting work being done creating "anti-abuse" formulations, where the active ingredients are compounded with Niacin or other drugs that cause unpleasant physical side effects at high doses to discourage overdose/abuse/recreational use. Of course they can’t just let us use the natural substance that has existed for most, of not all, of human history.
- deviation 6y ago
  I don't usually log in at work, but I feel this needs to be said since there's a few people in my life struggling with this. Psilocybin works great, and almost everyone I know with depression can attest to that- but without changing the circumstances that cause the depression it will likely always return. Anecdotal example: My sister is in disability care and is routinely abused by patients with severe disabilities (to no fault of their own) and she will slip into a severe depression that usually lasts a long period of time. Tripping helps her substantially deal with this, but psilocybin is for treating the effect and not for fixing the cause... If you kick a dead horse it (probably) won't wake up.
- invisiblerobot 6y ago
  Doesn't last? 3 months is about as good as it gets. Excercise doesn't last either by that logic but it still is a side effect free cure to the problem.
el_nahual 6y ago
Similar for me. No idea of the gram dosage but... a lot. Effect lasted about 6 months, then tapered off slowly. Repeated again roughly yearly. After 4 difficult and unpleasant trips I'm fine. Never reached the sense of utter well-being I have for the few months after a trip but I'm fine. I will say that drinking any alcohol basically negates the positive effects for me for a while. As in, I'll have a cocktail and then won't feel "right" again for a month or so.

thrwn_frthr_awy 6y ago

Have you tried ketamine? I suffered from major depression for years and it was the only thing that helped me. It was like flipping a switch.

monoideism 6y ago
Did you find a doctor, or otherwise? I have severe chronic pain, and resulting depression that affects my pain perception, and am interested in trying this route.
- goldenkey 6y ago
  In Arizona, with a chronic pain doctor, I was able to get pure ketamine liquid infusion via IV for 3-4 hours, while I listened to music. Felt like rebirth. My spinal pain was significantly decreased for the next few weeks, and my mood was ecstatic. Like the mushrooms though, it is short-lived. The doctor liked prescribing it because it is an NMDA agonist and decreased my opioid tolerance quite a bit, also helps with withdrawal symptoms. It is not covered by insurance -- $450 out of pocket. Spravato, the nasal spray, is cheaper but won't be as dramatic an experience [1] [1] https://www.spravato.com https://www.spravato.com
  - monoideism 6y ago
    Thank you. I've had a very bad experience w/anesthesia so am always nervous while dealing with anything of that nature. Wonder if that predisposes me to a bad trip. Not sure that would be worth it for just 2 weeks of relief. Also not sure I'd be able to find any such doctor near me. Probably health care providers are much more open minded out West than it is here.
    - goldenkey 6y ago
      The nice thing about ketamine is that it is a sedative. I've done LSD, Mushrooms, and DMT. Ketamine is the most enjoyable and least risky in my opinion, due to its sedative nature. The doctors usually give an anti-anxiety drug before starting the infusion, a benzodiazepine such as midazolam. As I did more infusions, we increased the ketamine dose and decreased the midazolam. Find a good doctor and work with them. Ketamine is a really wonderful substance for pain and depression.

RIMR 6y ago

This is what we call anecdotal evidence.

jason0597 6y ago
In the absence of clinical evidence, anecdotal evidence is all we can go on

dbtc 6y ago

What kind of integration work do you do after a trip?

cwkoss 6y ago

Are there any pharmaceuticals that provide permanent rather than temporary benefits? Maybe vaccines or antibiotics (depending on how you define 'permanent'), but I don't think any psychopharmaceuticals fit this description.