3 ms·

Ok, so you have some control over quality. I'll also be generous and assume you have good estimate of dosages and/or some way to maintain consistency of dosages

Ok, so you have some control over quality. I'll also be generous and assume you have good estimate of dosages and/or some way to maintain consistency of dosages (anyone else reading this, the standard advice is to take less than you think you want and wait 45 min or so, then take more if needed to reach planned cruising altitude. This works if you have enough prior experience to calibrate by, otherwise is very difficult). How do you know which dosage is best for treating depression? Assuming the best treatment is a series of sessions, how do you know the optimal spacing of sessions, and the optimal dosing per session? You are correct that the trips should be intentional. Who sets these intentions, which intentions are the most helpful, how do you guide the session along the lines of the intentions (recalling that the session might include full ego death and conviction that both your mind and reality are distinct and permanently broken) and most importantly how do you structure the post-session therapy to integrate the learnings and actually get some personal growth out of this? Are there age-related differences in this? What is the protocol for a early 20s vs a mid-50s vs 70s/80? Also, to look at your own advice ("if you have anything else than extreme depression and no other mental health conditions") how do you actively screen for this? These are concerns which are well addressed within shamanic circles-- so I'm not speaking with the voice of pharma here. Psychedelics are powerful tools. Like any other power tool, they can be a great help and also fairly risky if not used carefully. Insert your own woodshop analogies here. And if you are going to use them anyway, without working with someone who knows what they are doing, please please please: 1) start with small doses 2) do some reading BEFORE. Minimal list: Hudson Smith, "Cleansing the Doors of Perception" and James Fadiman The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys

ornornor 4y ago
Yes I kinda assumed that if someone was considering giving this a shot, they’d research the subject very thoroughly before to get a good understanding of the effects, preparation, effects, doses, etc. The genera consensus seems to be that mushrooms (psilocybin) can’t kill you. You can’t OD on them. There is no known LD50 (that’s “practical” to achieve anyway), they dont cause addiction, and if you take them too often they actually stop having an effect until you take a break and use again. There are risks if you have other mental health conditions like schizophrenia etc, but (according to my research), the only risk if you’re otherwise healthy is to have a “bad trip” where you’re basically experiencing negative feelings. By reading about the experience, you also learn that if you resist the bad trip it gets worse but if you look at it with curiosity (what is my brain trying to tell me?) then you’ll have an easier time. About assessing te severity of your depression, there is a standard test (of which I forget the name) that is also used in the studies submitted to the FDA for approval of antidepressants that ask questions, you then add the points up, and anything above a certain number is severe depression. Although this is yet another flaw of the studies, the people running the studies don’t even agree on the score that give you mild vs severe depression. Again, I have no medical training so this is just a random stranger’s opinion on the internet. To anyone reading: educate yourself about the whole thing, see if you’re willing to try, and make your own decisions.
- bowsamic 4y ago
  There are four main risks for most people: - PTSD caused by bad trip. Bad trips are not uncommon, and it's not easy to let go. Part of the reason why psychedelics are so effective is that they basically force you to let go, otherwise you will have a bad trip. But some people can't do that, I couldn't, and you can end up causing long lasting psychological damage due to this. I had an existential crisis and became pretty suicidal for a few months after I had a couple of trips. I actually had to take up a religion to cope with it. The therapy services in the UK had no idea what to do to help me and made me feel alienated - DP/DR (depersonalisation/derealisation). Can be short lasting, can be long lasting, can be flashbacks, can be constant - HPPD (Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder). Described as anywhere between "visual snow" and "you never came down from the trip". No one knows why this happens or who it happens to, if it occurs differently with different psychs. Many people commit suicide over this one, since it can basically cause psychosis as some people never stop having intense hallucinatory effects for months or even years. If they can't come to terms with it it can be extremely disorientating and alienating. Andrew Callaghan of Channel 5 news / All Gas No Brakes has this. Kind of frightening since it's most trippers' worst nightmare to never come down from the trip, but that's actually a thing that happens to some people - Flashbacks, which I would say are different to the other three, in that they are a sudden return to the tripping state of mind randomly, but not necessarily visual or DP/DR. I think this one is the least explored and least well known about

ornornor 4y ago

Yes I kinda assumed that if someone was considering giving this a shot, they’d research the subject very thoroughly before to get a good understanding of the effects, preparation, effects, doses, etc. The genera consensus seems to be that mushrooms (psilocybin) can’t kill you. You can’t OD on them. There is no known LD50 (that’s “practical” to achieve anyway), they dont cause addiction, and if you take them too often they actually stop having an effect until you take a break and use again. There are risks if you have other mental health conditions like schizophrenia etc, but (according to my research), the only risk if you’re otherwise healthy is to have a “bad trip” where you’re basically experiencing negative feelings. By reading about the experience, you also learn that if you resist the bad trip it gets worse but if you look at it with curiosity (what is my brain trying to tell me?) then you’ll have an easier time. About assessing te severity of your depression, there is a standard test (of which I forget the name) that is also used in the studies submitted to the FDA for approval of antidepressants that ask questions, you then add the points up, and anything above a certain number is severe depression. Although this is yet another flaw of the studies, the people running the studies don’t even agree on the score that give you mild vs severe depression. Again, I have no medical training so this is just a random stranger’s opinion on the internet. To anyone reading: educate yourself about the whole thing, see if you’re willing to try, and make your own decisions.

bowsamic 4y ago
There are four main risks for most people: - PTSD caused by bad trip. Bad trips are not uncommon, and it's not easy to let go. Part of the reason why psychedelics are so effective is that they basically force you to let go, otherwise you will have a bad trip. But some people can't do that, I couldn't, and you can end up causing long lasting psychological damage due to this. I had an existential crisis and became pretty suicidal for a few months after I had a couple of trips. I actually had to take up a religion to cope with it. The therapy services in the UK had no idea what to do to help me and made me feel alienated - DP/DR (depersonalisation/derealisation). Can be short lasting, can be long lasting, can be flashbacks, can be constant - HPPD (Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder). Described as anywhere between "visual snow" and "you never came down from the trip". No one knows why this happens or who it happens to, if it occurs differently with different psychs. Many people commit suicide over this one, since it can basically cause psychosis as some people never stop having intense hallucinatory effects for months or even years. If they can't come to terms with it it can be extremely disorientating and alienating. Andrew Callaghan of Channel 5 news / All Gas No Brakes has this. Kind of frightening since it's most trippers' worst nightmare to never come down from the trip, but that's actually a thing that happens to some people - Flashbacks, which I would say are different to the other three, in that they are a sudden return to the tripping state of mind randomly, but not necessarily visual or DP/DR. I think this one is the least explored and least well known about