The psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms may help alleviate severe depression, according to a new study. This raises hope for people who have failed to respond to well-established medications and psychotherapy.
Psilocybin disrupts negative patterns of rumination in the brain. It also reduces activity in the default mode network. However, taking too much can lead to a bad trip.
Psilocybin
Shrooms, Alice, tweezes, or hongos—whatever name you give them, the mind-altering mushrooms that are known as magic mushrooms or magic truffles have now become the focus of small clinical trials that show how one single dose can dramatically improve depression. In fact, the psychedelic drug has been shown to help people with treatment-resistant depression, a condition that does not respond to traditional antidepressants.
A recent study compared the effects of a single dose of 25 milligrams of synthetic psilocybin, COMP360, to placebo in patients with treatment-resistant depression. Participants in the psilocybin group received a moderate dose of the drug and were paired with a trained therapist during the preparation, drug, and integration sessions. The results showed that psilocybin significantly reduced depressive symptoms for two weeks, compared to placebo.
Despite these findings, the molecule remains prohibited in most countries, and currently, psilocybin is a legal therapeutic option in the Netherlands only. As a result, a new type of tourism emerged around Amsterdam in the mid-2010s. A blend of spiritual awakening and alternative therapy, these retreats host groups who come to experience a psychedelic journey under mushrooms, supervised by professionals. However, researchers caution that more research is needed before psilocybin is considered as a treatment for depression. In addition, they note that psilocybin may not work for those with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, and that it can cause adverse reactions like headache in some people.
Psilocynic acid
Psilocynic acid, a compound found in magic mushrooms, may alleviate depression and improve symptoms of anxiety. This is according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The trial enrolled 233 people who had failed to respond to traditional antidepressants. They were given either 1mg, 10mg or 25mg of psilocybin and then had therapy sessions the day after they took the drug. The study found that more than a third of the patients experienced remission of their depression.
The mushroom compounds psilocybin and psilocin have mind-altering effects similar to those of LSD, mescaline and dimethyltryptamine. They can cause euphoria, changes in perception and hallucinations. They also increase levels of serotonin, dopamine and other neurotransmitters.
In the US, magic mushrooms are illegal for recreational use. However, they are legal in some countries and can be purchased in medical cannabis shops. Some people even go to psychedelic mushroom retreats. But these retreats are often not controlled or supervised by psychotherapists and may have adverse effects.
Psychedelic experience
The experience of taking a psychedelic drug like magic mushrooms can be very different for each person. It can be mystical, evoking a sense of pure awareness and transcendence of time and space that is difficult to describe in words, or psychologically insightful, bringing up acute insights into memories, emotions, relationships, behaviors, or beliefs. These experiences are not always easy, and some can be emotionally challenging or frightening.
The length and intensity of a mushroom trip depends on the person’s mood, expectations, and environment. Taking the right amount of mushrooms is also crucial, because too large a dose can cause side effects including hallucinations and distorted sense of time and reality, which can be very frightening. Some people also have flashbacks, where they relive parts of their mushroom trip long after the drugs have worn off. These experiences can be scary or distressing, but are generally not a sign of mental illness. However, these phenomena can be re-aroused by traumatic events or experiences.
Tolerance
Tolerance is the ability to endure something. It is also the capacity to resist the action of a drug, poison, or other harmful substance. It is a necessary characteristic for survival, but it can also be dangerous when taken to extremes. For example, a person with lowered pain tolerance may experience more pain and be less resistant to infection.
Psychedelics, such as the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, are able to produce dramatic changes in perception and alter the way that different parts of the brain communicate with one another. This makes them ideal for studying complex mental health disorders and addictions.
Although antidepressants have revolutionized depression treatment in the past two decades, about a third of depressed patients remain unresponsive to existing treatments. The results of this study suggest that psilocybin may offer an additional treatment option for patients with refractory depression. This research builds on previous work with psilocybin and other classical psychedelics, which have demonstrated promise in treating mental illness.
