6 ms·

Patients with depression are warned not to take psilocybin on their own. With no physical dependency potential, low abuse potential, and an LD50 of above 250mg

by causi 5y ago

Patients with depression are warned not to take psilocybin on their own. With no physical dependency potential, low abuse potential, and an LD50 of above 250mg/kg, the only significant danger from taking mushrooms comes from the police.

system16 5y ago
The possibility of a bad trip in someone who is not prepared for the experience should not be understated. When reality crumbles around you for the first time, you may not make the best decisions and could hurt yourself or others. Novice users should definitely start with a low dose, and be in the company of someone they trust in an environment where they feel safe.
- eldenwrong 5y ago
  Furthermore not everyone can deal with the aftermath of a bad trip. I've seen people get messed up for a long time because they believed the delusions they had.
  - titoasty 5y ago
    Yep. 15 years later, still messed up. Not with delusions, but with the constant fear of being in that state again. The descent (is it the correct translation?) was more than particularly rough. I was kinda anxious before, but after it's been a constant hell of anxiety/depression/stress, avoiding anything that can trigger these feelings (yeah, I'm looking at you, sugar). So be extreeemely careful with this.
- after_care 5y ago
  I agree with everything you said, but would also advise caution for more experienced users as well.
- ne0flex 5y ago
  Definately agree. Two years ago, the death of a close friend lead me to try psilocybin as a means gaining a different perspective / coping with the loss. I don't think my scale was calibrated properly and ended up taking a fairly large dose. I wasn't at all prepared for the come up, where my body felt like it was overheating and I kept drinking chugging water feeling as though I was going to pass out. It scared the hell out of me. Luckily, I was able to call my friend who was experienced with this type of stuff and he guided me through it. If it wasn't for him, I definitely would've freaked out and done something stupid. The experience scared me that I wouldn't touch the stuff outside of micro doses. Seprately to the point above, I eventually noticed that I could get really emotional on a micro-dose and would feel suicidal. I once did a micro-dose before work in the morning that resulted in sending a very emotionally charged email to a coworker. Haven't touched the stuff since then.
renewiltord 5y ago
They're forced to say that. Though any reference to alcohol should come with a similar warning. I agree with the safety. Had an astronomical trip yesterday and I feel great for it. Fascinating journey into the nature of my consciousness and the things I fear for no reason.
- causi 5y ago
  I wish it was decriminalized here. Watching friends struggle and even losing a few despite knowing a potential treatment makes me incredibly angry.
etaioinshrdlu 5y ago
A depressed person has an increased likelihood of an intensely negative experience, I believe.
legrande 5y ago
> the only significant danger from taking mushrooms comes from the police If you have a history of mental illness in your family, it is not advised to experiment with psychedelics as they can waken up latent mental illness you never thought you even had. Psilocybin containing mushrooms & truffles were once legal in Ireland and you could just walk into a headshop and buy them like cigarettes. They were banned after someone jumped from a balcony to their death[0] after taking them, presumably after having an acute psychosis. [0] https://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/how-tragedy-led-family-to-crusade-for-ban-on-magic-mushrooms-26408051.html https://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/how-tragedy-led-...
- pessimizer 5y ago
  The popular association between psychedelics and jumping from a great height originated with another crusade by America's columnist Art Linkletter, and his claim that his daughter jumped from her window to her death because she had taken LSD 6 months before. IMO it's the circulation of this trope that kills. People on psychedelics while having emotional issues and acting out know exactly how they're expected to behave. And apparently, this guy jumped less than an hour after taking a small amount of them. I can't imagine he was feeling much of anything yet, although others' experiences may vary from mine. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/should-the-law-be-based-on-a-one-in-a-million-reaction-1.1025023 https://www.irishtimes.com/news/should-the-law-be-based-on-a...
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
newbamboo 5y ago
False. Dangerously false.
Bellamy 5y ago
Obviously you never had a bad trip. If you had, you'd understand the power and dangers it can have to a person. I've had a few (always learned a lot, so all net positive experiences) but I understand the damage it can do for a person that's not fully mentally stable.
klyrs 5y ago
There are two significant dangers: 1) (set) A bad trip can result in a massive setback in terms of one's mental health -- which can take months or even years to overcome. This risk is significantly mitigated by the presence of an expert (which may be a therapist, and may be a seasoned psychonaut) who can talk through issues as they arise for the tripper. 2) (setting) People on mushrooms occasionally do really stupid shit. A naive user might not expect the trip to last for hours, realize they're "late" for some real-world engagement, and get into a car to drive there. Early into one of my first trips, I noticed that a 20m cliff appeared to be getting shorter... nearly short enough to jump. This can be mitigated by the presence of an expert (or, honestly, almost any sober adult), who should ensure that the immediate environment is effectively baby-proofed.
- 0xJRS 5y ago
  better off just having a few drinks then since it's safer.
  - after_care 5y ago
    Alcohol is not as effective of a treatment for depression as P. Cubensis.
  - engineer_22 5y ago
    Alcohol is a depressant. It exacerbates depression.
    - dogleash 5y ago
      Alcohol's classification as a depressant refers to depression of neurotransmission, not the mental affliction known as depression.
      - fsckboy 5y ago
        alcohol has many effects that affect/interact with mood and mood disorders. TL;DR alcohol is not helpful and can be very disruptive for some. it doesn't https://health.usnews.com/conditions/mental-health/depression/articles/is-alcohol-a-depressant https://health.usnews.com/conditions/mental-health/depressio...
howinteresting 5y ago
The other comments have pointed this out, but I really want to emphasize how bad psychedelic drugs can be for the mental health of some people. Note that amphetamines also carry similar risks: for example, if given to someone with bipolar disorder, they can cause schizoaffective disorder.
wnolens 5y ago
Maybe not exactly the same, but I'm dealing with artifacts of a bad LSD trip even years later. I wish I hadn't done it.
- bruce343434 5y ago
  What kind of artifacts, if you're willing to share?
  - wnolens 5y ago
    I'd call them "intrusive thoughts", like a (silent) voice in my own head that tells me something demeaning about myself (not actually it, but similar to "I'm a racist".) But when faced with the real world manifestation of these ideas, my emotions play out like these thoughts are indeed false. And I'd expect the reinforcement to correct this over time. But it hasn't. Causes great anxiety in quiet moments, and i'm hyper aware of certain social situations. It also comes up in dreams sometimes. The idea about myself came up mid-trip, and from it poured out empathy for others (good) but somehow the anxiety inducing parts never left.

by causi 5y ago

system16 5y ago

The possibility of a bad trip in someone who is not prepared for the experience should not be understated. When reality crumbles around you for the first time, you may not make the best decisions and could hurt yourself or others. Novice users should definitely start with a low dose, and be in the company of someone they trust in an environment where they feel safe.

eldenwrong 5y ago
Furthermore not everyone can deal with the aftermath of a bad trip. I've seen people get messed up for a long time because they believed the delusions they had.
- titoasty 5y ago
  Yep. 15 years later, still messed up. Not with delusions, but with the constant fear of being in that state again. The descent (is it the correct translation?) was more than particularly rough. I was kinda anxious before, but after it's been a constant hell of anxiety/depression/stress, avoiding anything that can trigger these feelings (yeah, I'm looking at you, sugar). So be extreeemely careful with this.
after_care 5y ago
I agree with everything you said, but would also advise caution for more experienced users as well.
ne0flex 5y ago
Definately agree. Two years ago, the death of a close friend lead me to try psilocybin as a means gaining a different perspective / coping with the loss. I don't think my scale was calibrated properly and ended up taking a fairly large dose. I wasn't at all prepared for the come up, where my body felt like it was overheating and I kept drinking chugging water feeling as though I was going to pass out. It scared the hell out of me. Luckily, I was able to call my friend who was experienced with this type of stuff and he guided me through it. If it wasn't for him, I definitely would've freaked out and done something stupid. The experience scared me that I wouldn't touch the stuff outside of micro doses. Seprately to the point above, I eventually noticed that I could get really emotional on a micro-dose and would feel suicidal. I once did a micro-dose before work in the morning that resulted in sending a very emotionally charged email to a coworker. Haven't touched the stuff since then.

renewiltord 5y ago

They're forced to say that. Though any reference to alcohol should come with a similar warning. I agree with the safety. Had an astronomical trip yesterday and I feel great for it. Fascinating journey into the nature of my consciousness and the things I fear for no reason.

causi 5y ago
I wish it was decriminalized here. Watching friends struggle and even losing a few despite knowing a potential treatment makes me incredibly angry.

etaioinshrdlu 5y ago

A depressed person has an increased likelihood of an intensely negative experience, I believe.

legrande 5y ago

> the only significant danger from taking mushrooms comes from the police If you have a history of mental illness in your family, it is not advised to experiment with psychedelics as they can waken up latent mental illness you never thought you even had. Psilocybin containing mushrooms & truffles were once legal in Ireland and you could just walk into a headshop and buy them like cigarettes. They were banned after someone jumped from a balcony to their death[0] after taking them, presumably after having an acute psychosis. [0] https://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/how-tragedy-led-family-to-crusade-for-ban-on-magic-mushrooms-26408051.html https://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/how-tragedy-led-...

pessimizer 5y ago
The popular association between psychedelics and jumping from a great height originated with another crusade by America's columnist Art Linkletter, and his claim that his daughter jumped from her window to her death because she had taken LSD 6 months before. IMO it's the circulation of this trope that kills. People on psychedelics while having emotional issues and acting out know exactly how they're expected to behave. And apparently, this guy jumped less than an hour after taking a small amount of them. I can't imagine he was feeling much of anything yet, although others' experiences may vary from mine. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/should-the-law-be-based-on-a-one-in-a-million-reaction-1.1025023 https://www.irishtimes.com/news/should-the-law-be-based-on-a...
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]

newbamboo 5y ago

False. Dangerously false.

Bellamy 5y ago

Obviously you never had a bad trip. If you had, you'd understand the power and dangers it can have to a person. I've had a few (always learned a lot, so all net positive experiences) but I understand the damage it can do for a person that's not fully mentally stable.

klyrs 5y ago

There are two significant dangers: 1) (set) A bad trip can result in a massive setback in terms of one's mental health -- which can take months or even years to overcome. This risk is significantly mitigated by the presence of an expert (which may be a therapist, and may be a seasoned psychonaut) who can talk through issues as they arise for the tripper. 2) (setting) People on mushrooms occasionally do really stupid shit. A naive user might not expect the trip to last for hours, realize they're "late" for some real-world engagement, and get into a car to drive there. Early into one of my first trips, I noticed that a 20m cliff appeared to be getting shorter... nearly short enough to jump. This can be mitigated by the presence of an expert (or, honestly, almost any sober adult), who should ensure that the immediate environment is effectively baby-proofed.

0xJRS 5y ago
better off just having a few drinks then since it's safer.
- after_care 5y ago
  Alcohol is not as effective of a treatment for depression as P. Cubensis.
- engineer_22 5y ago
  Alcohol is a depressant. It exacerbates depression.
  - dogleash 5y ago
    Alcohol's classification as a depressant refers to depression of neurotransmission, not the mental affliction known as depression.
    - fsckboy 5y ago
      alcohol has many effects that affect/interact with mood and mood disorders. TL;DR alcohol is not helpful and can be very disruptive for some. it doesn't https://health.usnews.com/conditions/mental-health/depression/articles/is-alcohol-a-depressant https://health.usnews.com/conditions/mental-health/depressio...

howinteresting 5y ago

The other comments have pointed this out, but I really want to emphasize how bad psychedelic drugs can be for the mental health of some people. Note that amphetamines also carry similar risks: for example, if given to someone with bipolar disorder, they can cause schizoaffective disorder.

wnolens 5y ago

Maybe not exactly the same, but I'm dealing with artifacts of a bad LSD trip even years later. I wish I hadn't done it.

bruce343434 5y ago
What kind of artifacts, if you're willing to share?
- wnolens 5y ago
  I'd call them "intrusive thoughts", like a (silent) voice in my own head that tells me something demeaning about myself (not actually it, but similar to "I'm a racist".) But when faced with the real world manifestation of these ideas, my emotions play out like these thoughts are indeed false. And I'd expect the reinforcement to correct this over time. But it hasn't. Causes great anxiety in quiet moments, and i'm hyper aware of certain social situations. It also comes up in dreams sometimes. The idea about myself came up mid-trip, and from it poured out empathy for others (good) but somehow the anxiety inducing parts never left.