7 ms·

i say it again and again whenever i see these threads: psilocybin mushroom kicks down depression so hard it can't get up and bother you again. no SSRIs, no ma

i say it again and again whenever i see these threads: psilocybin mushroom kicks down depression so hard it can't get up and bother you again. no SSRIs, no marijuana after taking it. anxiety and ptsd are still there tho so i think that requires something else. also something about THC that seems to reverse the benefits I got from psilocybin. cessation of THC seems to put me "back" on track if that makes sense. disclaimer: ymmv, please get a sitter, if not, do it outside (best to do it on the grass) where you are safe, comfortable, and calm.

867-5309 4y ago
what is your dosage and frequency?
- radicaldreamer 4y ago
  I've heard this is only effective at "heroic" doses -- most studies also use a high dose (>= 25 mg psilocybin)
  - tomatowurst 4y ago
    going to be honest i really don't buy this microdose, your body will quickly build natural tolerance to psilocybin. this is not like THC or alcohol where you drink tiny amounts, the effects will be felt. it makes sense why the body builds tolerance to psilocybin so rapidly and half life is quite long (at least a month or two) for evolutionary purposes. which to me is interesting because it shows that we've evolved to build tolerance against it but THC takes far longer and in very high doses to build tolerance. all in all, I've read accounts of people seeing positive changes with microdosing but for my case, while I did not take heroic doses (McKenna's 5 grams), I took at best 2 to 3 grams. In higher doses I had a transcendental experience.... while nobody has died from taking psilocybin outright, there had been reported incidents where it had impact on somebody prone to schizophrenia and psychosis. However its extremely rare. This is why I suggest to people to have a sitter and be at a ground level. It's not an issue for the millions of people that take it but if you've never even smoked marijuana before and this is your first try, please get a sitter.
    - Trasmatta 4y ago
      > it makes sense why the body builds tolerance to psilocybin so rapidly and half life is quite long (at least a month or two) for evolutionary purposes The half life of psilocybin is only a couple of hours, not a couple of months. The mental after effects can linger for a long time of course, if that's what you mean.
      - tomatowurst 4y ago
        i mean when you redose, its effect will be significantly diminished. it is not something you can do recreationally, "only on the weekends" type of thing.
    - tayo42 4y ago
      I don't think there's been a real study proving microdosing actually does anything? My experience with trying it was kind of useless. The only times I got anything from it was the times where I dosed a little to much by accident.
- renewiltord 4y ago
  I feel highly motivated when on and for a period after coming down. Dose: 3.5 mg dry fruit. Frequency: Maybe once a month; only recreationally with friends.
  - 867-5309 4y ago
    what is 'dry fruit' in this context?
    - renewiltord 4y ago
      Sorry. Dried Shrooms themselves, I.e. not a psilocybin dose. Of course I goofed the units, confusing you. Grams not milli grams.
      - 867-5309 4y ago
        thank you
radicaldreamer 4y ago
I think THC affects some people by kicking their anxiety into high gear (I know that's the case for me). One day, we'll probably figure out the genetics underlying that effect.
- robbedpeter 4y ago
  For me, the paranoid/anxious/fixated type of high can be a feature, not a bug. I try to meditate when it happens. Marijuana can be a tool to exaggerate the way you're feeling about mistakes, shortcomings, and flaws you perceive in yourself, and when you're not high, you can assess what to do about how you're feeling. It's helped me make peace with my self image, and forced me to confront negative habits and patterns in my life. Drugs can be great to poke and prod your psyche and help with questions like "why do I think or feel like this?" Identifying things in your environment that trigger anxiety or paranoia can also make your home a more comfortable and cozy place. When your perception is altered, it's an opportunity to learn new things. The new perspective can be a valuable tool for becoming a better version of yourself.
- wnolens 4y ago
  This is true for me. But it wasn't always the case. It used to be a release from the grip of boredom and permit my brain to dance about joyfully. Now it flips my anxiety switch and I get stuck in a self conscious loop. Almost the opposite. Wish I could go back.
  - tomatowurst 4y ago
    was why i stopped taking marijuana, if absolutely need be, a low THC + high CBD combination seems to put anxiety at bay but what I dislike is the racing thoughts, the euphoria that kicks you out of boredom but keeps you coming back. some people don't seem to have it as bad but for me I really struggle with the popular belief that marijuana is harmless. We simply don't know, we are guinea pigs with these high thc marijuana. I certainly wasn't my best with it, it magnified emotions and past memories, it exasperated my OCD/ADD. Looking back, I really wish I hadn't used marijuana but at the same time, glad I went through that phase when I was younger.
Trasmatta 4y ago
> disclaimer: ymmv, please get a sitter, if not, do it outside (best to do it on the grass) where you are safe, comfortable, and calm. I just want to echo how important this disclaimer is. There's no free lunch, and psilocybin can be incredibly challenging. For some people it is massively helpful for depression, but this is not a guarantee. Do your research and have a guide (if at all possible).
- pmoriarty 4y ago
  Something else that's critically important is to make sure you know what you're getting is actually psilocybin and not something else, and that the dosage actually is what you expect. If you're part of a research study at a respected institution, that's easy. Not so easy if you're getting it on the black/gray market or picking mushrooms yourself. So if you have to get it from the black/gray market, educate yourself thoroughly on how to tell if it's real and what the dosage you're getting is. Alan Rockefeller has some great videos on psilocybin mushroom identification: [1] [2] [1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pInqVRRva7M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pInqVRRva7M [2] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcL-7u80kjs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcL-7u80kjs
  - ghostly_s 4y ago
    Psylocibin mushrooms are easy to propagate (as far as mushrooms go) and I’m not aware of any other psychoactive chemicals found in mushrooms that won't kill you, so what is it that you are concerned about? I've never heard of someone buying "counterfeit" magic mushrooms.
    - pmoriarty 4y ago
      "I've never heard of someone buying "counterfeit" magic mushrooms." Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. First, mushrooms can be misidentified, due to carelessness or ignorance. A misidentified mushroom can be poisonous. So that's my primary concern. Second, it's easy to just add whatever chemical you want to non-psychedelic mushrooms, so it's quite possible that you'll get some non-psychedelic mushrooms with some mystery drug added to them. Third, if someone on the street (or even a friend) offers you something they claim is psilocybin, there's no way of knowing if it really is psilocybin unless you test it. Figuring out the substance's purity/dosage is even more difficult, as labs in the US that do commercial drug testing aren't legally allowed to report purity, and reagent testing isn't going to tell you. The amount of psilocybin/psilocyin in mushrooms also varies greatly, so going by gram of mushroom weight (dry or fresh?) isn't very reliable.. especially if you don't know exactly which species each of the mushrooms are and someone's just selling you some mystery "magic mushrooms".
supertofu 4y ago
Ayahuasca "cured" my depression. When I say "cured", I mean that it helped me experience my mind without depression. Because I was able to step out of depression for the first time since prepubescence, I realized it was possible for my mind to exist away from depression. That realization was profound and critical to regaining my mental health. Psychedelics are very powerful. Ayahuasca in particular can and does induce psychotomimetic states, as described in the article. If you are not in ceremony with a trained plant medicine practitioner, this "pseudo psychosis" can become very overwhelming and even damaging.
- tomatowurst 4y ago
  whew, ayahuasca is a whole different beast and frankly is frightens me and I don't think I ever want to be in a position where I do it. psilocybin's come up is frightening/anxiety/panic inducing as it is....I don't think I can ever jump over ayahuasca, that seems like a whole different animal. For me I feel like psilocybin "reset" my brain and there's some long lasting protection mechanism against depressive thinking. Even if I do feel down, something pulls me out of it. Whereas depression once it pulls you in, it likes to keep you there. Do not take psychedelics lightly, especially ayahuasca and heroic doses. Even for the come up on psilocybin, it required considerable self calming and focused willpower to overcome the fear of losing ego. But my god, what comes after, the clarity, the peace, love and lingering positivity....zero chance the pharmaceutical community will be able to replicate it.
  - pmoriarty 4y ago
    Ayahuasca brews vary widely in composition, depending on who brews it. I'd be very wary of some self-styled shaman adding datura or some other nightshade plant to the brew (which is not unheard of), and that's something I definitely want to stay far, far away from. Unless I was brewing it myself I'd want nothing to do with it either, because I couldn't be sure of what I was getting.
    - tomatowurst 4y ago
      heard lot of horror stories of self-proclaimed shamans trying to capitalize financially. datura is scary stuff...
wnolens 4y ago
Any advice on the sitter? I don't have the perfect friend available, not sure there's an option here except to do it alone or not at all
- DocG 4y ago
  1. You can have friend at your place nearby playing computer games or something else. Just there incase you panic or have issues. They should read up a bit before. Basically they are there to tell you that, example, you get anxiety, that you are fine and what you are feeling is not real and let go. 2. If no one is around stat with super low dose first time. And grow from there over months if you are scared. You'll understand after low dose what's coming and thank yourself later. 2. You can not have any and I mean any plans for that day. Not even I'll have to take the trash out in the evening, seriously. Turn the phone to airplane so no one can call and block messages. You do not want anything that requires functioning human from you. You could do that but it will ruin your time. 4. Outside - no matter how cozy your home is do it in your country house or somewhere where you are alone and feel safe, have a fallback house or place but still in nature. Dunno, rent something.
- pmoriarty 4y ago
  There are actually some online sitters like those at https://tripsit.me https://tripsit.me They're not ideal, but better than nothing. Even better would be to start making friends in the psychedelic community -- which is getting easier to do all the time, and to maybe find an underground guide. Another way to go is to sign up for a research study.
jokowueu 4y ago
For PTSD i recommend taking a look at stellate gangelion block https://youtu.be/nC2fBe6U7lg https://youtu.be/nC2fBe6U7lg
- eurasiantiger 4y ago
  There is no conclusive evidence of long-term benefits and SGB is not currently an established treatment.
  - jokowueu 4y ago
    Two shots in 5 years ago . PTSD free for 5 years U don't have to do it forever. If it comes back take another shot
jstx1 4y ago
Why psilocybin and not LSD?
- pmoriarty 4y ago
  The focus of recent research in to psychedelics has been on psilocybin rather than LSD because, as one researcher joked, politicians don't know how to spell psilocybin. LSD still has some scary connotations towards some of the older generation based on the sensationalism and scare-mongering of the 60's and 70's, while most people didn't know about psilocybin until researchers started reporting positive things about it in the last decade or so. There have been some studies that showed that even experienced psychedelic users can't tell the difference between the major classic psychedelics, so there might be much actual difference between LSD and psilocybin in the last analysis... though more research is definitely needed. Still, if any classic psychedelic is legalized in the US, the first one will probably be psilocybin.. and research will continue to focus mostly on it, for the above mentioned reasons.
- ebb_earl_co 4y ago
  I think that it was Michael Pollan in an interview or in his book "How to Change Your Mind" who said that the principal reason is that a psilocybin trip can fit in the working day of a therapist/guide/researcher, whereas a typical LSD trip can last a dozen hours or more.
ghostly_s 4y ago
People might take your more seriously if you acknowledged that your personal experience is not necessarily universally applicable to the very large group of people who suffer depression.
- tomatowurst 4y ago
  I'm not alone that psilocybin has improved or outright "cured" depression in people, you will find plenty of studies and articles on this.
  - ghostly_s 4y ago
    I’m not suggesting you are - but that gives you no basis to claim it is a guaranteed cure for all sufferers of depression.
- renewiltord 4y ago
  Mate, your life and discussions will go better if you just place “in my experience” wherever necessary. You can assume that most people are not using the literal universal quantifier. Requesting people use “some” and “in my experience” and all that shit is just noise on a discussion board. Just read and comprehend what they’re saying.
in3d 4y ago
Also ketamine. Lots of scientific and anecdotal evidence is accumulating every month. It might also work for other mind-related issues, such as eating disorders.
- GordonS 4y ago
  I've suffered from life-long depression, since I was around 5 years old. I won't go into the details here, but it will suffice to say that it's been a fucking horrible waste of life. A couple of years ago I was prescribed ketamine (multiple times a day, taken orally, a non-psychoactive dose) for an unrelated chronic neuropathic pain condition... and I feel like it's cured my depression! It really is an absolutely incredible drug - I only wish it was more widely available to others in my situation.
yboris 4y ago
PTSD seems to be very responsive to MDMA with as few as just one session (at least with a therapist as a guide). For those not in the know, growing your own mushrooms is super easy with the "Ben Tek" (see /r/UncleBens Reddit). And the items you need to buy are not illegal (since the spores contain no psilocybin they are not illegal to possess, and can be shipped across state lines, so a $10 website purchase is enough for dozens of trips).

867-5309 4y ago

what is your dosage and frequency?

radicaldreamer 4y ago
I've heard this is only effective at "heroic" doses -- most studies also use a high dose (>= 25 mg psilocybin)
- tomatowurst 4y ago
  going to be honest i really don't buy this microdose, your body will quickly build natural tolerance to psilocybin. this is not like THC or alcohol where you drink tiny amounts, the effects will be felt. it makes sense why the body builds tolerance to psilocybin so rapidly and half life is quite long (at least a month or two) for evolutionary purposes. which to me is interesting because it shows that we've evolved to build tolerance against it but THC takes far longer and in very high doses to build tolerance. all in all, I've read accounts of people seeing positive changes with microdosing but for my case, while I did not take heroic doses (McKenna's 5 grams), I took at best 2 to 3 grams. In higher doses I had a transcendental experience.... while nobody has died from taking psilocybin outright, there had been reported incidents where it had impact on somebody prone to schizophrenia and psychosis. However its extremely rare. This is why I suggest to people to have a sitter and be at a ground level. It's not an issue for the millions of people that take it but if you've never even smoked marijuana before and this is your first try, please get a sitter.
  - Trasmatta 4y ago
    > it makes sense why the body builds tolerance to psilocybin so rapidly and half life is quite long (at least a month or two) for evolutionary purposes The half life of psilocybin is only a couple of hours, not a couple of months. The mental after effects can linger for a long time of course, if that's what you mean.
    - tomatowurst 4y ago
      i mean when you redose, its effect will be significantly diminished. it is not something you can do recreationally, "only on the weekends" type of thing.
  - tayo42 4y ago
    I don't think there's been a real study proving microdosing actually does anything? My experience with trying it was kind of useless. The only times I got anything from it was the times where I dosed a little to much by accident.
renewiltord 4y ago
I feel highly motivated when on and for a period after coming down. Dose: 3.5 mg dry fruit. Frequency: Maybe once a month; only recreationally with friends.
- 867-5309 4y ago
  what is 'dry fruit' in this context?
  - renewiltord 4y ago
    Sorry. Dried Shrooms themselves, I.e. not a psilocybin dose. Of course I goofed the units, confusing you. Grams not milli grams.
    - 867-5309 4y ago
      thank you

radicaldreamer 4y ago

I think THC affects some people by kicking their anxiety into high gear (I know that's the case for me). One day, we'll probably figure out the genetics underlying that effect.

robbedpeter 4y ago
For me, the paranoid/anxious/fixated type of high can be a feature, not a bug. I try to meditate when it happens. Marijuana can be a tool to exaggerate the way you're feeling about mistakes, shortcomings, and flaws you perceive in yourself, and when you're not high, you can assess what to do about how you're feeling. It's helped me make peace with my self image, and forced me to confront negative habits and patterns in my life. Drugs can be great to poke and prod your psyche and help with questions like "why do I think or feel like this?" Identifying things in your environment that trigger anxiety or paranoia can also make your home a more comfortable and cozy place. When your perception is altered, it's an opportunity to learn new things. The new perspective can be a valuable tool for becoming a better version of yourself.
wnolens 4y ago
This is true for me. But it wasn't always the case. It used to be a release from the grip of boredom and permit my brain to dance about joyfully. Now it flips my anxiety switch and I get stuck in a self conscious loop. Almost the opposite. Wish I could go back.
- tomatowurst 4y ago
  was why i stopped taking marijuana, if absolutely need be, a low THC + high CBD combination seems to put anxiety at bay but what I dislike is the racing thoughts, the euphoria that kicks you out of boredom but keeps you coming back. some people don't seem to have it as bad but for me I really struggle with the popular belief that marijuana is harmless. We simply don't know, we are guinea pigs with these high thc marijuana. I certainly wasn't my best with it, it magnified emotions and past memories, it exasperated my OCD/ADD. Looking back, I really wish I hadn't used marijuana but at the same time, glad I went through that phase when I was younger.

Trasmatta 4y ago

> disclaimer: ymmv, please get a sitter, if not, do it outside (best to do it on the grass) where you are safe, comfortable, and calm. I just want to echo how important this disclaimer is. There's no free lunch, and psilocybin can be incredibly challenging. For some people it is massively helpful for depression, but this is not a guarantee. Do your research and have a guide (if at all possible).

pmoriarty 4y ago
Something else that's critically important is to make sure you know what you're getting is actually psilocybin and not something else, and that the dosage actually is what you expect. If you're part of a research study at a respected institution, that's easy. Not so easy if you're getting it on the black/gray market or picking mushrooms yourself. So if you have to get it from the black/gray market, educate yourself thoroughly on how to tell if it's real and what the dosage you're getting is. Alan Rockefeller has some great videos on psilocybin mushroom identification: [1] [2] [1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pInqVRRva7M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pInqVRRva7M [2] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcL-7u80kjs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcL-7u80kjs
- ghostly_s 4y ago
  Psylocibin mushrooms are easy to propagate (as far as mushrooms go) and I’m not aware of any other psychoactive chemicals found in mushrooms that won't kill you, so what is it that you are concerned about? I've never heard of someone buying "counterfeit" magic mushrooms.
  - pmoriarty 4y ago
    "I've never heard of someone buying "counterfeit" magic mushrooms." Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. First, mushrooms can be misidentified, due to carelessness or ignorance. A misidentified mushroom can be poisonous. So that's my primary concern. Second, it's easy to just add whatever chemical you want to non-psychedelic mushrooms, so it's quite possible that you'll get some non-psychedelic mushrooms with some mystery drug added to them. Third, if someone on the street (or even a friend) offers you something they claim is psilocybin, there's no way of knowing if it really is psilocybin unless you test it. Figuring out the substance's purity/dosage is even more difficult, as labs in the US that do commercial drug testing aren't legally allowed to report purity, and reagent testing isn't going to tell you. The amount of psilocybin/psilocyin in mushrooms also varies greatly, so going by gram of mushroom weight (dry or fresh?) isn't very reliable.. especially if you don't know exactly which species each of the mushrooms are and someone's just selling you some mystery "magic mushrooms".

supertofu 4y ago

Ayahuasca "cured" my depression. When I say "cured", I mean that it helped me experience my mind without depression. Because I was able to step out of depression for the first time since prepubescence, I realized it was possible for my mind to exist away from depression. That realization was profound and critical to regaining my mental health. Psychedelics are very powerful. Ayahuasca in particular can and does induce psychotomimetic states, as described in the article. If you are not in ceremony with a trained plant medicine practitioner, this "pseudo psychosis" can become very overwhelming and even damaging.

tomatowurst 4y ago
whew, ayahuasca is a whole different beast and frankly is frightens me and I don't think I ever want to be in a position where I do it. psilocybin's come up is frightening/anxiety/panic inducing as it is....I don't think I can ever jump over ayahuasca, that seems like a whole different animal. For me I feel like psilocybin "reset" my brain and there's some long lasting protection mechanism against depressive thinking. Even if I do feel down, something pulls me out of it. Whereas depression once it pulls you in, it likes to keep you there. Do not take psychedelics lightly, especially ayahuasca and heroic doses. Even for the come up on psilocybin, it required considerable self calming and focused willpower to overcome the fear of losing ego. But my god, what comes after, the clarity, the peace, love and lingering positivity....zero chance the pharmaceutical community will be able to replicate it.
- pmoriarty 4y ago
  Ayahuasca brews vary widely in composition, depending on who brews it. I'd be very wary of some self-styled shaman adding datura or some other nightshade plant to the brew (which is not unheard of), and that's something I definitely want to stay far, far away from. Unless I was brewing it myself I'd want nothing to do with it either, because I couldn't be sure of what I was getting.
  - tomatowurst 4y ago
    heard lot of horror stories of self-proclaimed shamans trying to capitalize financially. datura is scary stuff...

wnolens 4y ago

Any advice on the sitter? I don't have the perfect friend available, not sure there's an option here except to do it alone or not at all

DocG 4y ago
1. You can have friend at your place nearby playing computer games or something else. Just there incase you panic or have issues. They should read up a bit before. Basically they are there to tell you that, example, you get anxiety, that you are fine and what you are feeling is not real and let go. 2. If no one is around stat with super low dose first time. And grow from there over months if you are scared. You'll understand after low dose what's coming and thank yourself later. 2. You can not have any and I mean any plans for that day. Not even I'll have to take the trash out in the evening, seriously. Turn the phone to airplane so no one can call and block messages. You do not want anything that requires functioning human from you. You could do that but it will ruin your time. 4. Outside - no matter how cozy your home is do it in your country house or somewhere where you are alone and feel safe, have a fallback house or place but still in nature. Dunno, rent something.
pmoriarty 4y ago
There are actually some online sitters like those at https://tripsit.me https://tripsit.me They're not ideal, but better than nothing. Even better would be to start making friends in the psychedelic community -- which is getting easier to do all the time, and to maybe find an underground guide. Another way to go is to sign up for a research study.

jokowueu 4y ago

For PTSD i recommend taking a look at stellate gangelion block https://youtu.be/nC2fBe6U7lg https://youtu.be/nC2fBe6U7lg

eurasiantiger 4y ago
There is no conclusive evidence of long-term benefits and SGB is not currently an established treatment.
- jokowueu 4y ago
  Two shots in 5 years ago . PTSD free for 5 years U don't have to do it forever. If it comes back take another shot

jstx1 4y ago

Why psilocybin and not LSD?

pmoriarty 4y ago
The focus of recent research in to psychedelics has been on psilocybin rather than LSD because, as one researcher joked, politicians don't know how to spell psilocybin. LSD still has some scary connotations towards some of the older generation based on the sensationalism and scare-mongering of the 60's and 70's, while most people didn't know about psilocybin until researchers started reporting positive things about it in the last decade or so. There have been some studies that showed that even experienced psychedelic users can't tell the difference between the major classic psychedelics, so there might be much actual difference between LSD and psilocybin in the last analysis... though more research is definitely needed. Still, if any classic psychedelic is legalized in the US, the first one will probably be psilocybin.. and research will continue to focus mostly on it, for the above mentioned reasons.
ebb_earl_co 4y ago
I think that it was Michael Pollan in an interview or in his book "How to Change Your Mind" who said that the principal reason is that a psilocybin trip can fit in the working day of a therapist/guide/researcher, whereas a typical LSD trip can last a dozen hours or more.

ghostly_s 4y ago

People might take your more seriously if you acknowledged that your personal experience is not necessarily universally applicable to the very large group of people who suffer depression.

tomatowurst 4y ago
I'm not alone that psilocybin has improved or outright "cured" depression in people, you will find plenty of studies and articles on this.
- ghostly_s 4y ago
  I’m not suggesting you are - but that gives you no basis to claim it is a guaranteed cure for all sufferers of depression.
renewiltord 4y ago
Mate, your life and discussions will go better if you just place “in my experience” wherever necessary. You can assume that most people are not using the literal universal quantifier. Requesting people use “some” and “in my experience” and all that shit is just noise on a discussion board. Just read and comprehend what they’re saying.

in3d 4y ago

Also ketamine. Lots of scientific and anecdotal evidence is accumulating every month. It might also work for other mind-related issues, such as eating disorders.

GordonS 4y ago
I've suffered from life-long depression, since I was around 5 years old. I won't go into the details here, but it will suffice to say that it's been a fucking horrible waste of life. A couple of years ago I was prescribed ketamine (multiple times a day, taken orally, a non-psychoactive dose) for an unrelated chronic neuropathic pain condition... and I feel like it's cured my depression! It really is an absolutely incredible drug - I only wish it was more widely available to others in my situation.

yboris 4y ago

PTSD seems to be very responsive to MDMA with as few as just one session (at least with a therapist as a guide). For those not in the know, growing your own mushrooms is super easy with the "Ben Tek" (see /r/UncleBens Reddit). And the items you need to buy are not illegal (since the spores contain no psilocybin they are not illegal to possess, and can be shipped across state lines, so a $10 website purchase is enough for dozens of trips).