4 ms·

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 ef

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

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