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Psilocybin bests SSRI for major depression in first long-term comparison

medscape.com

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Re: Psilocybin bests SSRI for major depression in first long-term comparison

#61

Post by zozbot234 »

teaearlgraycold wrote: post #60
cubefox wrote: post #56

Unfortunately it's hardly possible to do proper case control studies with psilocybin, since the psychedelic effects cause unblinding. The participants know whether they are in the treatment or control group. > Normally the journey is quite inward, so patients do not require active support during the psychedelic experience [around 6 hours]. Sometimes they do require some hand-holding, or helping them to 'let go', or b…

You could compare against other psychedelics. I’d be interested in that.

You could also test it on severely sleep-deprived experimenters undergoing sensory isolation, but that would never get IRB approval.

Re: Psilocybin bests SSRI for major depression in first long-term comparison

#62

Post by delusional »

state_less wrote: post #31

> "Psychiatrists really focus on negative symptoms of depression. So, if you are not sad anymore, if your sleep or appetite is not impaired, they think you're better. But if you look at what patients define as important, they say it's the degree in which their life is meaningful, in which they can connect with people around them, in which they can function in everyday life," Barba said. A more wholistic approach to h…

> A more wholistic approach to health care would be beneficial.

Maybe. My personal experience has been that those "negative symptoms" were in fact the entire disorder. I didn't need purpose or depth. I needed to not be so sad that I couldn't function. I needed to be able to hold a coherent thought for 5 minutes without getting stuck into a negative spiral of self loathing.

I want "purpose" and "connection", but those things are what everybody on earth are looking for. The search for those things is the _stuff_ that life is made of. I needed help to get back to a place where I could pursue those things. Pursuing them is my life.

Re: Psilocybin bests SSRI for major depression in first long-term comparison

#63

Post by HKH2 »

phoronixrly wrote: post #49
state_less wrote: post #31

> "Psychiatrists really focus on negative symptoms of depression. So, if you are not sad anymore, if your sleep or appetite is not impaired, they think you're better. But if you look at what patients define as important, they say it's the degree in which their life is meaningful, in which they can connect with people around them, in which they can function in everyday life," Barba said. A more wholistic approach to h…

> I often hear people talk about the risks of psychedelics, which are to be considered, but what’s the risk of doing nothing or withholding the best treatment? The risk is to make things worse. And I know that I am preaching to people that are of the opinion that they know better than the FDA, scientists and doctors and are all for self-medicating based off of the echo chamber here and a few cherry-picked, limited an…

I don't want people self-medicating with psilocybin, just like I don't want people self-medicating with SSRIs.

Which is more dangerous?

Re: Psilocybin bests SSRI for major depression in first long-term comparison

#64

Post by tastyfreeze »

phoronixrly wrote: post #49
state_less wrote: post #31

> "Psychiatrists really focus on negative symptoms of depression. So, if you are not sad anymore, if your sleep or appetite is not impaired, they think you're better. But if you look at what patients define as important, they say it's the degree in which their life is meaningful, in which they can connect with people around them, in which they can function in everyday life," Barba said. A more wholistic approach to h…

> I often hear people talk about the risks of psychedelics, which are to be considered, but what’s the risk of doing nothing or withholding the best treatment? The risk is to make things worse. And I know that I am preaching to people that are of the opinion that they know better than the FDA, scientists and doctors and are all for self-medicating based off of the echo chamber here and a few cherry-picked, limited an…

Many people here are speaking from experience. I trust my own judgment over some knob in the FDA that is steeped in a culture of drug control.

Re: Psilocybin bests SSRI for major depression in first long-term comparison

#65

Post by farts_mckensy »

phoronixrly wrote: post #49
state_less wrote: post #31

> "Psychiatrists really focus on negative symptoms of depression. So, if you are not sad anymore, if your sleep or appetite is not impaired, they think you're better. But if you look at what patients define as important, they say it's the degree in which their life is meaningful, in which they can connect with people around them, in which they can function in everyday life," Barba said. A more wholistic approach to h…

> I often hear people talk about the risks of psychedelics, which are to be considered, but what’s the risk of doing nothing or withholding the best treatment? The risk is to make things worse. And I know that I am preaching to people that are of the opinion that they know better than the FDA, scientists and doctors and are all for self-medicating based off of the echo chamber here and a few cherry-picked, limited an…

Is there any evidence that psilocybin "makes things worse" or are you just concern trolling?

Re: Psilocybin bests SSRI for major depression in first long-term comparison

#66

Post by photochemsyn »

state_less wrote: post #31

> "Psychiatrists really focus on negative symptoms of depression. So, if you are not sad anymore, if your sleep or appetite is not impaired, they think you're better. But if you look at what patients define as important, they say it's the degree in which their life is meaningful, in which they can connect with people around them, in which they can function in everyday life," Barba said. A more wholistic approach to h…

The article discusses the risks of treatment:

> 'He added a word of caution for therapists that "psilocybin requires active confrontation of painful, negative emotions and people who take this drug need to be open and prepared for the idea that they are going into a state where they may probably end up crying and confronting whatever they are maybe running away from in their lives. Not everyone may want to do this."

The long-term consequences of trying to avoid such issues seem considerable, e.g. it might lead to schizophrenia if people try to wall off parts of their memories they find intolerable, though that's just speculation at this point.

Re: Psilocybin bests SSRI for major depression in first long-term comparison

#67

Post by iluvcommunism »

It’ll be good to find positive effects in natural remedies like this. It is ironic we try to keep people safe from themselves but end up dolling out ineffective or destructive drugs instead. A case in point, opium being illegal, but a lab derivative 1k stronger fentanyl, legal and 300k killed globally over the last 10 years.

Re: Psilocybin bests SSRI for major depression in first long-term comparison

#68

Post by phoronixrly »

HKH2 wrote: post #63
phoronixrly wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I often hear people talk about the risks of psychedelics, which are to be considered, but what’s the risk of doing nothing or withholding the best treatment? The risk is to make things worse. And I know that I am preaching to people that are of the opinion that they know better than the FDA, scientists and doctors and are all for self-medicating based off of the echo chamber here and a few cherry-picked, limited an…

I don't want people self-medicating with psilocybin, just like I don't want people self-medicating with SSRIs. Which is more dangerous?

The best thing to do is to consult with a physician on matters related to your health.

Re: Psilocybin bests SSRI for major depression in first long-term comparison

#69

Post by DiscourseFan »

farts_mckensy wrote: post #65
phoronixrly wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I often hear people talk about the risks of psychedelics, which are to be considered, but what’s the risk of doing nothing or withholding the best treatment? The risk is to make things worse. And I know that I am preaching to people that are of the opinion that they know better than the FDA, scientists and doctors and are all for self-medicating based off of the echo chamber here and a few cherry-picked, limited an…

Is there any evidence that psilocybin "makes things worse" or are you just concern trolling?

Probably not…the question is, does Psilocybin have a higher incidence rate of users suffering episodes of severe depression or psychosis than, say, SSRIs. Amongst all the “spiritual” drugs, even counting THC, Psilocybin is the most well tolerated—even so, SSRIs tend to still be very safe, even if they are not very effective.

Re: Psilocybin bests SSRI for major depression in first long-term comparison

#70

Post by maeil »

phoronixrly wrote: post #68
HKH2 wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't want people self-medicating with psilocybin, just like I don't want people self-medicating with SSRIs. Which is more dangerous?

The best thing to do is to consult with a physician on matters related to your health.

That's not clear cut. There clearly exist plenty of combinations of "situation + physician" where this is not the best thing to do. To claim otherwise may as well be religious dogma.
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