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Magic mushrooms found to lift severe depression in clinical trial

theguardian.com

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Re: Magic mushrooms found to lift severe depression in clinical trial

#141

Post by oxryly1 »

zimbu668 wrote: post #17
exelius wrote: post #2

From personal experience in my youth, I can definitely say that psychedelics (mushrooms in particular) can help you think in different ways that make your problems seem trivial and imminently solvable. Those changed patterns of thought seem like a revelation at the time -- like the clouds opened and an answer came down from the sky. So I'm not at all surprised with this. That said, this study had only 12 participants…

Roland Griffiths at John's Hopkins is trying to do proper research on psilocybin, i.e. with control groups. Although it's kind of hard since the effects of psilocybin are rather noticeable. http://www.tedmed.com/speakers/show?id=526372 Just in case anyone here hasn't already seen this: https://xkcd.com/1462/

Can't they just lower the dosage drastically?

Re: Magic mushrooms found to lift severe depression in clinical trial

#142

Post by hosh »

faramarz wrote: post #28
humbleMouse wrote: post #7

When I am finishing a mushroom experience I usually have overwhelming feelings of love and am excited to start the next day. My brain is racing with all the possibilities of life and ways I can make things better for myself. People should be coached in how to have a good mushroom experience and what to expect. Nature + fresh fruit + good music + comfy place to sleep has always been a winning combination for me.

I recommend a shaman to guide you through the journey. Someone who has been there before. Otherwise, you'll spend way too much time looping around one topic or idea. let them give you the hints to jump loops and go beyond. <3

Our civilization is slowly getting to the point where that advice will get taken seriously.

Re: Magic mushrooms found to lift severe depression in clinical trial

#143

Post by darreld »

pasbesoin wrote: post #124

More anecdote leaning towards truth that my friends were self-medicating and not simply "doing something bad." I am now, well into middle age, firmly in the camp that I missed out, due to fear, propaganda, and mis-information. And that my life might have been much better if I had not bought so heavily into that message and instead had "experimented". Trust your observations; not blind authority. Anyway... I'm current…

I agree with you completely. When I was young I smoked a lot of weed but was afraid of LSD and mushrooms. Now that I'm nearing 60 I feel that I definitely missed out. Since dealing with pretty bad anxiety from, I assume, extreme stress at work for decades, I'm ready to try mushrooms and, in the right setting, LSD.

My problem is availability.

Re: Magic mushrooms found to lift severe depression in clinical trial

#144

Post by primitivesuave »

fucking_tragedy wrote: post #138
alva wrote: post #136

Lots of people with positive experiences with psilocybin in this thread. I have also had many incredible experiences and advocate its use, with conditions. But. And this is a very important thing to know before anyone reading decides to try it for the first time. Psilocybin experiences can be truly traumatic. If you have existing mental health issues, please be very, very careful before you decide to take it. Do all…

> I have one friend who went completely over the edge, reached the point of no return. It triggered a predisposition to a horrible mental illness. It has destroyed his life and his family. Have any details you're comfortable sharing? Particularly the mental illness, what happened when they were triggered and how often they dosed?

Wanted to add my own story to this - freshman year in college, guy in my dorm takes LSD with friends. He goes completely berserk, starts breaking anything he can get his hands on, causes thousands of dollars of property damage. At some point his friends could no longer handle him, and locked him out of their room. He starts wandering through the hallways and begins urinating/defecating everywhere (even on himself). He was taken to the hospital by the police (which is a truly horrible place to come down from a trip).

He developed schizophrenia and had to drop out of college (a very good one). Never found out what became of him. His parents were extremely embarrassed and apologetic, having to pay for all of the destroyed property. Most of the monetary restitution went toward replacing textbooks that were ripped to shreds.

Re: Magic mushrooms found to lift severe depression in clinical trial

#145

Post by Voltage »

joslin01 wrote: post #67
maxxxxx wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd definitely recommend doing this only with someone who has experience and is reasonable. On one of my last camping trips I saw two girls doing mushrooms which ended with one of them running around naked for hours screaming for help and attacking people she thought were demons. This only ended when a park ranger arrested her after a chase through the bushes. Her friend was just watching and smiling. I am not oppose…

It's true. I tell all my friends / family if you're going to do mushrooms for the first time, do them with me. I've seen the worst of trips and only my experience in knowing "I'm just high" kept me stable. Newcomers can't call on this experience so readily and will undoubtedly think they're the special exception that is going to die. I also have more advice for newcomer shroomers: one thought can spiral downward or u…

"I also have more advice for newcomer shroomers: one thought can spiral downward or upward. Try your best to stay optimistic and open to the experience."

I agree that thoughts can spiral out of control, which is to some degree what depression is for me. Trying to stay optimistic and open is a standard day when I'm having a low period.

Re: Magic mushrooms found to lift severe depression in clinical trial

#146

Post by reddytowns »

corin_ wrote: post #71
apo wrote: post #62

From the study: > A logical next step would be to carry out a placebo controlled randomised trial in which the level of therapist contact is consistent between conditions. http://www.thelancet.com/pb/assets/raw/Lancet/pdfs/S22150366... Depression studies are subject to well-known, powerful placebo effects, rendering this study's conclusions next to useless: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/are-antidepr…

Firstly, while this is nothing like proper clinical trials, there are plenty of people who have anecdotes about psychedelics helping their depression before the idea of studying this was a thing. Secondly, if a placebo has a really high rate of success, and less side effects than currently available medication, then it could still be interesting. And thirdly, it's going to be really, really hard to test against place…

Just because something is really hard (or impossible) to do right, doesn't mean we should do it wrong and then pretend that it was done right.

Re: Magic mushrooms found to lift severe depression in clinical trial

#147

Post by reddytowns »

apo wrote: post #62

From the study: > A logical next step would be to carry out a placebo controlled randomised trial in which the level of therapist contact is consistent between conditions. http://www.thelancet.com/pb/assets/raw/Lancet/pdfs/S22150366... Depression studies are subject to well-known, powerful placebo effects, rendering this study's conclusions next to useless: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/are-antidepr…

I wonder why no one studies the placebo effect. If it was understood better, we could perhaps factor out the effect for cases where it would be difficult to administer a believable placebo (as in the case here).

Re: Magic mushrooms found to lift severe depression in clinical trial

#148

Post by Broken_Hippo »

Torgo wrote: post #3

It worked for me in my 20's, but I think if I tried it again in my late 30's, it might make things worse. Mushrooms don't let you hide problems from yourself.

It didn't let you hide from your problems the first time, either. But for me, at least, it has gotten me out of my head and back into it with a different perspective on the problems. The stuff you think about it... it is basically fear (which goes away). The amazing part, I think, is that you don't even need all that much to get benefits.

I am in my late 30's now, and luckily I'm in a position to take a trip to Amsterdam every year or two - and that is after not doing it for years and years. I now find it a part of keeping myself psychologically healthy. I come back with a slightly altered life outlook. The worst part, for me, is that I usually can feel daily anxiety coming back as I come back down - but even that has become less over time and it gives me a better perspective on what those happen to be.

Re: Magic mushrooms found to lift severe depression in clinical trial

#149

Post by [deleted] »

oxryly1 wrote: post #141
zimbu668 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Roland Griffiths at John's Hopkins is trying to do proper research on psilocybin, i.e. with control groups. Although it's kind of hard since the effects of psilocybin are rather noticeable. http://www.tedmed.com/speakers/show?id=526372 Just in case anyone here hasn't already seen this: https://xkcd.com/1462/

Can't they just lower the dosage drastically?

[deleted]

Re: Magic mushrooms found to lift severe depression in clinical trial

#150

Post by some1else »

oxryly1 wrote: post #141
zimbu668 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Roland Griffiths at John's Hopkins is trying to do proper research on psilocybin, i.e. with control groups. Although it's kind of hard since the effects of psilocybin are rather noticeable. http://www.tedmed.com/speakers/show?id=526372 Just in case anyone here hasn't already seen this: https://xkcd.com/1462/

Can't they just lower the dosage drastically?

You mean like micro-dosing and homeopathy? And see if they're not depressed for the next 15 seconds?
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