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Psychedelics could heal brain cells in people suffering from depression: study

independent.co.uk

11–20 of 240 posts

Re: Psychedelics could heal brain cells in people suffering from depression: study

#11

But how can a drug company patent that?

It's pretty easy. You just get a specific version you patent through the FDA and that will be the only one doctors are allowed to proscribe because it's FDA approved.

http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/06/15/fish-now-by-prescriptio...

Re: Psychedelics could heal brain cells in people suffering from depression: study

#12
post #8

An interesting point is that since taking SSRIs LSD and mushrooms have a much more diminished effect on me which anecdotally seems to be common.

That's brain-chemistry-related, with psychedelics competing with the SSRI for your serotonin receptors.

Re: Psychedelics could heal brain cells in people suffering from depression: study

#13
post #2

Or one could lift weights, which is even safer and has many positive ancillary effects. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abst...

It also takes a lot of commitment and time that not everyone has, and requires you to by physically capable of lifting weights which not everyone is.

On a more nuanced note, different things work for different people, and gyms aren't the optimal mental healing environment for everyone.

If you're gonna arrange everyone on a hypothetical comfort spectrum between gym and library, it seems reasonable that some people would be more likely to seek mental help if it came in the form of taking a tab under supervision from a qualified professional in a private room than they would if they have to go lift in the company of a bunch of loudly moaning middle-aged men hell bent on proving to the room at large that they are the highest quality specimen of humanity in the room. Lets not be elitist about the paths to mental health, options are good.

Re: Psychedelics could heal brain cells in people suffering from depression: study

#14
post #2

Or one could lift weights, which is even safer and has many positive ancillary effects. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abst...

A lot of people just want a no-effort cure-all. Things like exercise, meditation, healthy eating--all of which can help with mental health problems--require concentrated effort over a long period of time, and thus are unlikely to be preferred over a pill.

Before anyone gets upset, I'm not saying that pills are bad, I'm just saying that many rely on them without making an effort to make other positive changes to their life.

Re: Psychedelics could heal brain cells in people suffering from depression: study

#15
I’m really worried about the subset of the population with preexisting mental disorders such as manic depressive disorder, schizophrenia, and depression who will suffer a psychotic break from the use of these substances. Maybe I’m wrong, but from what I’ve heard and read it seems like there’s no way to know what will happen until you try it. A certain percentage of the population goes to hell in the most literal sense of the word possible. Anecdotally, the people I personally know who have tried psychedelics (maybe 6 or 7 people, all who did no know one another) seem to have a weird mental frailty to them, where because their ego disappeared(?) briefly and psychedelics were allowing mental connections that wouldn’t have arisen without psychedelics, they begin to question everything, almost like a rebuilding of their fundamental axioms from scratch. There’s also a strange fervor for others to try it, even from people who have had bad trips.

Joe Rogan had Michael Pollan on recently[0], who wrote The Omnivores Dilemma and a new book How To Change Your Mind[1] which talks about the benefits of hallucinogens. They also briefly talk about the psychotic breaks some people will experience as a result of widespread use and shrug it off like it’ll be fine. Aldous Huxley wrote a book about his use of mescaline called Doors of Perception[2] which felt almost unintelligible and very strange to me as a person who has not (and will not, as my mental health is great but I’m certain I’m at risk of a psychotic break from hallucinogens due to family history) done psychedelics.

[0] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tz4CrWE_P0g

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Mind-Consciousness-Transc...

[2] https://www.amazon.com/Doors-Perception-Heaven-Hell/dp/00617...

Re: Psychedelics could heal brain cells in people suffering from depression: study

#16
post #9

I've had great experiences with LSD, experiences that may have even changed my trajectory in life. That being said I would never recommend LSD to someone undergoing serious mental health issues. IMO not safe at all, you can really end up in a bad place.

A clinical setting is far different than giving someone some tabs and letting them loose at a concert or house party.

Re: Psychedelics could heal brain cells in people suffering from depression: study

#17
post #2

Or one could lift weights, which is even safer and has many positive ancillary effects. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abst...

It also takes a lot of commitment and time that not everyone has, and requires you to by physically capable of lifting weights which not everyone is. On a more nuanced note, different things work for different people, and gyms aren't the optimal mental healing environment for everyone. If you're gonna arrange everyone on a hypothetical comfort spectrum between gym and library, it seems reasonable that some people wou…

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Re: Psychedelics could heal brain cells in people suffering from depression: study

#18
post #14
post #2

Or one could lift weights, which is even safer and has many positive ancillary effects. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abst...

A lot of people just want a no-effort cure-all. Things like exercise, meditation, healthy eating--all of which can help with mental health problems--require concentrated effort over a long period of time, and thus are unlikely to be preferred over a pill. Before anyone gets upset, I'm not saying that pills are bad, I'm just saying that many rely on them without making an effort to make other positive changes to their…

"Mental health" and "making an effort" are two dangerous terms to combine in the same argument. Just getting out of bed every morning can already be a big effort for many people with mental health problems, much bigger effort than exercise is for many sane folks; it should be appreciated as such.

Re: Psychedelics could heal brain cells in people suffering from depression: study

#19

But how can a drug company patent that?

It's pretty easy. You just get a specific version you patent through the FDA and that will be the only one doctors are allowed to proscribe because it's FDA approved. http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/06/15/fish-now-by-prescriptio...

[deleted]

Re: Psychedelics could heal brain cells in people suffering from depression: study

#20
post #14
post #2

Or one could lift weights, which is even safer and has many positive ancillary effects. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abst...

A lot of people just want a no-effort cure-all. Things like exercise, meditation, healthy eating--all of which can help with mental health problems--require concentrated effort over a long period of time, and thus are unlikely to be preferred over a pill. Before anyone gets upset, I'm not saying that pills are bad, I'm just saying that many rely on them without making an effort to make other positive changes to their…

[deleted]
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