Tag: science

Can Magic Mushrooms Help Me Quit Smoking?

Posted on by Dr Shroom

Introduction

One of the questions our team here receives more frequently than almost any other about the potential uses for magic mushrooms is: can they help me quit smoking? There has actually been quite a lot of research done around this subject, and although the results are still preliminary, and there’s a lot of additional supplemental research that needs to be done, the early results are quite promising. In the content of this post, we’re going to provide a little background context to smoking and nicotine addiction in Canada, discuss the results of some of the most prominent studies that have been conducted on psilocybin and addiction, and conclude with our own recommendations as to how you might be able to use psilocybin to help you out in your own battle with addiction.

Smoking in Canada

Can Magic Mushrooms Help You Quit Smoking?

It is certainly no secret that smoking is bad for you – but it still remains one of the most popular addictive substances across the country. In 2015, Statistics Canada published a stunning statistic that 13% of Canadians aged 15 and over smoke tobacco. Smoking is connected with a wide array of different cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and is to this day considered to be the leading cause of preventable death in the country, with 100 Canadians dying every day from a smoking-related illness. Smoking is responsible for about 30% of all cancer deaths, and 85% of lung cancer cases in Canada. Smoking contains highly dangerous carcinogens which can adversely affect the body in a number of ways. Furthermore, smoking is an activity that is increasingly being restricted by Canadian lawmakers. Lawmakers across the country have continued to restrict where smoking is allowed – in 2008, British Columbia banned smoking in all public spaces and workplaces, for example. Other provinces have almost unilaterally followed suit; smokers are increasingly finding themselves with fewer and fewer places in which they can actually smoke, and in 2019, Ontario introduced new legislation that would seek to punish those littering cigarette butts with much higher fines. So, we know that smoking is bad for us, and we know that the government is increasingly taking away the space to do it, and there are fewer and fewer depictions of smoking as a “cool” activity in popular media, and the general perception of smoking being “cool” is rapidly declining as well. One 2016 study found that 80% of people polled thought smoking did not look cool – and this number is continuing to climb. Additionally, the Truth Initiative published a report in which they show that over 70% of smokers want to quit. So, what’s the deal? We know it’s bad, it’s expensive, most people don’t like it, and we want to quit. The Canadian government is even actively funding a multitude of different smoking cessation programs across the country, giving smokers access to free resources including Nicorette gum and patches. So, why are so many people still smoking?

Why Is Smoking So Hard to Give Up?

Well, I think we all more-or-less know why this is the case as well. Tobacco contains the chemical nicotine, which is a central nervous system stimulant that triggers the release of dopamine when it’s absorbed into the bloodstream. And nicotine is one of the most addictive substances on the planet. “From a scientific standpoint, nicotine is just as hard, or harder, to quit than heroin … but people don’t recognize that,” says Dr. Neil Benowitz, a nicotine researcher at the University of California, San Francisco. “Every drug of abuse, including nicotine, releases dopamine, which makes it pleasurable to use,” said Benowitz. “And when you stop smoking, you have a deficiency of dopamine release, which causes a state of dysphoria: you feel anxious or depressed.” Gary A. Giovino, a nicotine researcher at the State University of New York at Buffalo, said as helpful as medication can be, people who really want to quit smoking also have to be willing to modify their lifestyle.

“People need to focus on behavioral change … they need the right skills and knowledge and social support. They need a plan,” said Giovino, a professor and chair of his school’s Department of Community Health and Health Behavior, who quit smoking 40 years ago.

Giovino said good nutrition may be an important factor in helping people quit. He hopes to launch a study that will look at whether there is a correlation between smokers’ vitamin D levels and their ability to stop smoking. He said he’d also like to see researchers explore whether plant-based diets, B vitamins and hydration impact nicotine addiction.

Giovino advises people to tap into the “mind-body connection” and try yoga and deep breathing techniques to help them quit. “After a meal, instead of taking a long breath on a cigarette, (a smoker could) try taking a long, deep breath and exhale without the 7,000 chemicals,” he said.

It’s also important for those who have decided to quit to prepare themselves for how difficult it will be, says Giovino.

“There’s this real roller-coaster ride of not feeling well and being irritable and having cravings,” he said. “The first few days might be very intense, then it might level off and come back again. But the longer you’re off cigarettes, the more your brain goes through the process of neural adaptation, the more you recover. And eventually, the ride subsides.” And yet still, more than 80% of people who attempt to quit smoking will relapse. So where does psilocybin factor into all of this? Well, here’s where we come to the part of the article focusing on the new research emerging that indicates that psilocybin might be able to help many people in their efforts to quit.

Psilocybin Therapy Helps Create a Lasting Change

In 2016, a team of researchers led by Albert Garcia Romeau, PhD, published an article online in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse which detailed the summaries of their findings using psilocybin-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy to help chronic smokers kick the habit. A grand total of 15 daily smokers participated in the experiment, which consisted of 2-3 sessions of psilocybin-assisted therapy. These participants were paired with trained therapists who used the time with their patients to create a “mystical” experience in which the patients were guided through a psilocybin-induced high with a focus on helping them abstain from smoking over the long term.

Researchers were attempting to beat the average results that have been achieved in clinical studies not involving psilocybin. As of the time of the study, the most effective smoking cessation studies that had only shown about a 35% rate of success in graduates remaining abstinent after a period of six months. Romeau and co. were interested in seeing whether they could beat those numbers through psilocybin therapy, and the results were incredibly encouraging. Participants were relatively well educated, with all individuals reporting some college, and 11 (73.3%) having received at least a Bachelor’s degree. The sample was racially homogeneous, including 14 (93%) White participants and 1 (7%) Asian participant.

This study was approved by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Institutional Review Board, and all participants provided informed consent. Participants underwent a 15-week smoking cessation treatment intervention, with moderate (20mg/70kg) and high (30mg/70kg) dose psilocybin sessions occurring in weeks 5, and 7 respectively, and an optional third high dose session in week 13. The intervention consisted of weekly meetings for 15 weeks and was delivered by a team of 2 to 3 facilitators. The Target-Quit Date (TQD) was set for week 5 of treatment, concurrent with the first psilocybin session. Afterward, study treatment facilitators met weekly with participants to discuss psilocybin session experiences, encourage and socially reinforce the use of CBT techniques, and provide support for smoking abstinence.

Although definitive conclusions about the role of psilocybin in this study’s smoking cessation outcomes cannot be drawn due to the open-label design and lack of control group, the mystical-type qualities of psilocybin sessions (measured the same day), as well as their personal meaning, spiritual significance, and impact on well-being (measured 7 days after these experiences) are significantly correlated with measures of smoking cessation treatment outcomes at 6-month follow-up. Furthermore, the intensity of psilocybin session experiences was not significantly associated with smoking cessation treatment outcomes, suggesting that mystical-type effects specifically, rather than the general intensity of subjective drug effects, are associated with long-term abstinence.

In other words, even those participants who didn’t indicate that their psilocybin experiences were especially “mystical” or life-changing showed similarly boosted rates in maintained abstinence from smoking. The results from the 6-month follow-up indicated that 12 of the 15 participants (80%) remained smoke-free for 180 days after the conclusion of the treatment. Although the research is preliminary, the sample size is small and there was no control group, it is certainly promising that this small study revealed that people were more than twice as likely to be successful in quitting smoking when assisted through psilocybin therapy as opposed to conventional non-psychedelic treatment.

A Qualitative Analysis of Psilocybin-Assisted Smoking Cessation Programs

In 2018, a team of researchers led by Tehseen Nohri published a paper in the Journal of Psychopharmacology which aimed to consolidate the findings of a wide number of studies conducted a qualitative analysis into the use of psilocybin in smoking cessation programs. So, the idea here is, through interviewing people who had participated in previous smoking cessation studies, to get a better idea as to exactly how magic mushrooms helped them quit smoking, in their own words. These results were separated into a few categories, and the findings are quite interesting.

Insights into Self-Identity

Many respondents reported valuable insights into their understanding of themselves occurring during their psilocybin experiences that were directly relevant to their efforts to quit smoking. Session experiences were described as revealing a deeper, better, or more essential self that either led to a decreased desire to smoke, or to smoking not making sense anymore. One participant said,

“I used to hide sitting on the air conditioning unit on the side of my house when I used to smoke. And so the image was me sitting there, smoking, all hunched over, stupid, smoking. And the vine just rising up and this purply flower face thing looking down at me like, ‘how ridiculous!’ And then I’m not really that [person], I’m really this vine, that’s really me, and the Goddess within me…how silly to think that [smoking]… was going to do anything or solve anything. So it was really just that rising up feeling, and that powerful feeling, and it just filled me with such beauty and strength and life.”

And another shared that,

“It felt like I’d died as a smoker and was resurrected as a nonsmoker. Because it’s my perception of myself, and that’s how I felt. So I jumped up and I said ‘I’m not a smoker anymore, it’s all done.”

Insights into Smoking Behavior

Many participants also reported specific smoking-related insights during psilocybin sessions that they perceived as helpful for quitting. Here’s some of what they had to say: One participant noted the realization that smoking even one cigarette entailed an ongoing commitment to smoking. A specific image from her first session led them to the insight that to smoke at all was to be ‘a smoker’:

“It was me in the red coat, lighting up a cigarette, and then it spread into a grid. So it was like that one cigarette was 1000 cigarettes.”

Similarly, another participant explained,

“Cigarettes don’t seem like a short-term solution anymore. They seem exhausting to me. Like…oh my god – just, having a cigarette now and opening up this whole thing all over again?! To have one cigarette would be a long-term commitment.”

Experiences of Interconnectedness

Many participants described experiencing a profound sense of unity and interconnectedness during their psilocybin session experiences. One had this to say:

“I had always had the sense of everything being connected. And [the psilocybin session] reinforced that, very strongly… [If I were to smoke] I would be a polluter…ashtrays and butts all over the place, and you’re causing harm to other people’s health as well. And so you were re-looking at your place in the universe and what you were doing to help or hinder it. The universe as such. And by smoking, you wouldn’t be helping.”

Sustained Feelings of Awe and Curiosity

Many participants reported that the profound significance of the psilocybin session experiences made smoking seem trivial in comparison. These participants described psilocybin sessions as evoking a powerful, sustained sense of awe and a lingering curiosity into unsolvable life mysteries, all of which diminished the relative importance of smoking. One participant described his experience as…

“…beyond what I have ever been to or any place I ever thought about going to…I was just totally inundated, mentally and emotionally, by that experience. So the smoking was like, ‘who cares!’, you know? Somewhere that’s so special and so unique and it’s shown me so much in such a brief period of time…[after that] smoking is not important anymore!”

Reduced Withdrawal and Cravings

The first psilocybin session was followed by a marked reduction in the reported intensity and frequency of withdrawal symptoms for 91% of the participants when compared with their previous experiences attempting to quit smoking. These individuals went on to maintain abstinence between their first and second psilocybin sessions.

Closing Thoughts: How to Use Magic Mushrooms to Help you Quit

Of course, as with any time we create a post that discusses a mental health condition such as addiction, we need to include the caveat that the safest way to engage in any of this is to consult directly with a physician or therapist before taking anything on. However, for those who are looking to take this on themselves, we do have some specific recommendations.

1: Have Clear Intentions

We’re beginning to feel a bit like a broken record, constantly repeating this one piece of advice – but it holds true in this case especially. If you’re looking to use magic mushrooms as a way to help you quit smoking, keep your intentions clear and pure in your head before you take your dose. If your intentions aren’t clear going into a trip, it can be easier to become distracted and miss the insights you might have gained by remaining focused on your goal.

2: Do it for You

Anecdotally, we’ve heard stories about people who’ve tried to use mushrooms to help them quit because of pressure from a family member or friend, instead of for their own reasons. Almost invariably, we’ve found that these people have less success with quitting than those who are doing it for their own reasons. Like we mentioned at the beginning of the article, smoking is bad for you! It’s expensive, addictive, and harmful. There are plenty of great reasons why any smoker should want to quit the habit for their own benefit, and you’re going to get a much more lasting effect from the experience if you’re doing it for your own reasons and not for someone else’s.

3: Be Humble

It’s important that, if you’re going into this with the idea that you’ll get some kind of benefit out of it, you go into it with some humility. The entire concept is based around the idea that the mushrooms will give you some kind of insight that is not alien to you, but which you have not been able to access before. It is likely that you will experience insights or ideas that run counter to ideas that have been ingrained in you for some time, and it requires humility to welcome these ideas. Keep your goal of quitting smoking front of mind, and be willing to accept the novel ideas that come to you in support of this goal.

4: Use a Trusted Source

It is of absolute importance that you use a trusted source when attempting to take magic mushrooms for any reason, but especially when looking for magic mushrooms for therapy. Of course, we would be happy to help – you can buy shrooms online here!

4: Document your Experience

This is another constant piece of advice that we offer to anyone who is looking to use mushrooms for purposes related to self-improvement, or mental health. Take note of what it is that you’re feeling – this could be by writing it down, or even simply through conversations with a friend. Notice how you feel about smoking while you’re under the influence of the mushrooms, notice how you feel as the effects wear off, and days and weeks after.

What Are the Risks of Psychedelics?

Posted on by Dr Shroom

Introduction

Risks of Using Psychedelics

For starters, assessing risk is tricky. A lot of what both scientists and the general public think they know about the potential risks of psychedelic use comes from the first wave of research and experimentation in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. But this body of knowledge includes studies that wouldn’t meet today’s scientific standards; urban legends, and unsubstantiated news stories.

Also, reporting and describing adverse events is often subjective to some extent, psychiatrist Rick Strassman noted in a 1984 paper. Some people consider the drug-induced state itself pathological, he wrote, while others believe even the worst reactions are part of “throwing off ‘straight’ society’s ‘shackles’ and in reaching a higher level of consciousness.” And many of the more recent studies on the potential harms of LSD and other hallucinogens draw on data from the 1950s and 60s. Those studies had a lot of methodological problems; many lack baseline data about their subjects, didn’t use placebos and/or failed to specify the source of the drug or the setting in which it was given.

Also, though it’s tempting to generalize from case reports or news stories, Krebs and Johansen argue it’s important to take a “statistical perspective to risk” and they point out that nothing we do is without risk. Here are some of the specific reasons why they say case reports (and news reports, I’d argue) of mental distress/problems arising from psychedelic use should be taken with a major grain of salt.

Several issues are important to keep in mind when considering case reports:

1) Adverse effects of psychedelics are usually short-lived; serious psychiatric symptoms following psychedelic are typically resolved within 24 hours or at least within a few days.

2) Both mental illness and psychedelic use are prevalent in the population, likely leading to many chance associations; for instance, about 3% of the general public will have a psychotic disorder sometime in their lives.

3) The typical onset period of both mental illness and psychedelic use occurs in late adolescence and early adulthood, again leading to mistaken causal inferences.
4) Most case reports do not rule out preexisting psychiatric difficulties, life stresses, or use of other drugs. Many psychiatric disorders are believed to be heavily influenced by genetics and earlier experiences, even if symptoms are often first triggered by a stressful event. Note, however, that people with first-episode psychosis often have no apparent family or personal history of mental illness, whether or not if they have previously used psychedelics.

5) Because of the subjective effects of psychedelics, some people attribute psychiatric symptoms to the use of psychedelics even if the symptoms started months or years later.
6) Some health professionals may have a biased view since they meet people with mental health problems and have little or no contact with the majority of psychedelic users.

7) Caution should be used when generalizing from LSD to other psychedelics because of emerging evidence of unique effects of LSD.

8) Case reports of mental health problems following psychedelics are often comparable to case reports of mental health problems linked to intensive meditation, visiting holy sites or viewing beautiful artwork and sublime natural scenes.

To complicate things further: People may think they’ve taken LSD when they’ve really taken something else. For example, a West Virginia man was charged with murdering his wife in 2013. He and his wife took what they thought was LSD and the wife started having convulsions and died. There were a number of media reports blaming her death on LSD, but it later came out that the couple had unwittingly taken a synthetic hallucinogen 25b-NBOMe, which isn’t illegal in West Virginia. The husband then pled guilty to a lesser charge: involuntary manslaughter. I also found a case report about an 18-year-old man who called 911 saying he’d tried to kill himself after taking two hits of acid. He’d actually taken NBOMe, as well, which seems to be more dangerous and potent than LSD.

General safety information

In Drugs – Without the Hot Air, David Nutt calls psychedelics “among the safest drugs we know of”. He and a team of experts in addiction, drug policy, psychology, and other fields ranked 20 drugs on their harmfulness, using criteria ranging from drug-related mortality (death by overdose) to environmental damage. Overall, psilocybin mushrooms were ranked as the least harmful drug, followed by LSD and the addiction drug buprenorphine, which had the same score. Alcohol was ranked most harmful (more than ten times as harmful as mushrooms or LSD), followed by heroin, then crack. Referring to mushrooms and LSD, Nutt writes:

“It’s virtually impossible to die from an overdose of them; they cause no physical harm; and if anything they are anti-addictive, as they cause a sudden tolerance which means that if you immediately take another dose it will probably have very little effect.”

Matthias Liechti recently published a paper in Nature that reviews all of the clinical research on LSD that’s been done in the past 25 years. In these controlled settings, subjects’ experience of LSD was “predominately positive”, he writes, and no severe adverse reactions to LSD were reported.

Hardly Any Emergency Room visits

LSD and psilocybin accounted for just 0.005% of US emergency room visits, according to federal statistics published in 2013. There were an estimated 4,819 emergency department visits related to LSD use in 2011, according to the most recent federal data available. Another 8,043 ER visits that year were attributed to “miscellaneous hallucinogens”. Note that the substance use in both cases was self-reported, not toxicologically confirmed.

For comparison:

Drug Estimated number of ER visits in 2011
LSD 4,819
Misc. hallucinogens  8,043
Heroin 258,482
Marijuana 455,668
PCP 75,538

Toxicity and Overdose

In their 2008 guidelines for the safe administration of high doses of LSD and psilocybin in a clinical settings, Matthew Johnson, Bill Richards, and Roland Griffiths write that hallucinogens aren’t considered addictive and they don’t appear to cause organ damage or neurotoxicity. They can cause side effects like dizziness, blurred vision, weakness, and tremors, while they are active. The authors also note that hallucinogens can raise the pulse and blood pressure, but they say none of their patients ever experienced a medically dangerous spike in blood pressure or had to take blood pressure drugs. I did find a report published this year of a 34-year-old man with an undiagnosed heart condition who went into cardiac arrest after taking LSD recreationally and died.us heroin, for example, is just 5 times larger than the effective dose.

Little Chance for Physical Harm

Even if psychedelics aren’t toxic, per se, there are a lot of pop-culture accounts of people getting hurt, dying or hurting others while on the drug — probably the most common stories are those of people think they can fly and fall to their deaths. But Johansen and Krebs write that these sorts of situations are very rare:

“Both the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and the health authorities in the Netherlands, where hundreds of thousands of servings of psilocybin mushrooms are legally sold in shops each year, report that serious injuries related to psychedelics are extremely rare. Furthermore, Dutch police report that legal sale of psilocybin mushrooms has not led to public order problems.”

Few Serious Mental Health Issues

Paula Daniëlse/Getty Images

Despite horror stories about people having psychotic breaks or other mental health problems after taking psychedelics, two recent large-scale studies (which examine a similar set of US data) suggest people who have used psychedelics may be less likely to have serious mental health problems or be suicidal than those who have not.

One paper, published in 2015 by a team of researchers from Johns Hopkins and the University of Alabama, analyzed data collected from more than 191,382 people between 2008 and 2012 during the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health. More than 13 percent of those surveyed (27,235 people) had used “classic psychedelics” (which the researchers defined as DMT, ayahuasca, LSD, mescaline, peyote or psilocybin) at some point in their life. The respondents who had used a classical psychedelic were 19 percent less likely to have been in psychological distress during the previous month, 14 percent less likely to have had suicidal thoughts over the last year, 29 percent less likely to have made plans for suicide and 36 percent less likely to have attempted suicide in the past year than the survey respondents who had never used psychedelics. Interestingly, the use of other, non-psychedelic drugs was associated with more psychological distress and suicidality in this group. Of course, the study had limitations — for one, people self-reported both drug use and psychological distress. Also, these sort of studies can only demonstrate association, not causation.

The same year, Johansen and Krebs published a paper that looked at responses to the same survey from a slightly different time period. Of 135,000 US adults surveyed, 19,299 had used LSD, psilocybin, mescaline or peyote. The respondents who had used psychedelics were no more likely to have experienced serious psychological distress, suicidal thoughts or behavior, anxiety, depression or to have needed or received mental health treatment in the past year than those who had not. In fact, people who had used psychedelics were less likely to have undergone inpatient psychiatric treatment than never-users. Johansen and Krebs concluded: “There is little evidence linking psychedelic use to lasting mental health problems. In general, use of psychedelics does not appear to be particularly dangerous when compared to other activities considered to have acceptable safety.”

Data from the first wave of psychedelic research seems to support this idea. About 10,000 patients are thought to have participated in LSD research in the 1950s and 60s and the rate of psychotic reactions, suicide attempts and suicides during treatment “appears comparable to the rate of complications during conventional psychotherapy” according to an analysis of data from this era done in 2008 by Torsten Passie.

More recently, a 2011 paper by Erich Studerus, Franz Vollenweider and colleagues analyzed data from eight double-blind, placebo-controlled psilocybin studies conducted in their laboratory over the past decades. They looked at 110 subjects who’d undergone a total of 227 psilocybin sessions. None of the subjects had prolonged psychotic reactions to the psilocybin sessions and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders were not precipitated in any of the subjects. One subject did seek treatment for symptoms of anxiety, emotional disability and depression.

In their safety guidelines for hallucinogen research, Johnson and co-authors note that psychedelics could possibly provoke the onset of prolonged psychosis, but they say the chances are low. In their clinical research, they exclude people who meet the criteria for a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar I or II or other psychotic disorders. They also exclude people with a first or second degree relative with those disorders.

Bad trips & other short term ill-effects

The most common adverse reaction to psychedelics is the bad trip, which can involve feelings of fear, anxiety, dysphoria and/or paranoia. Johnson et al write: “Distressing effects may be experienced in a variety of modalities: sensory (e.g., frightening illusions), somatic (e.g., disturbing hyperawareness of physiological processes), personal psychological (e.g., troubling thoughts or feelings concerning one’s life) and metaphysical (e.g., troubling thoughts or feelings about ultimate evil forces.” Hallucinogens often intensify people’s emotional experiences, they write, which could lead to erratic and potentially dangerous behavior if people aren’t properly prepared and supervised. Other short-lived but negative effects can include: “temporary paranoid ideation and, as after-effects in the days following a LSD experience, temporary depressive mood swings and/or increase of psychic instability.” I didn’t find much information about how common bad trips are — one 2010 analysis of psilocybin studies done between 1999 and 2008 looked at the experiences of 110 patients. Negative experiences weren’t common and seemed to be dose-dependent — higher doses of psilocybin were associated with higher rates of adverse reactions. All of the short-term adverse reactions were “successfully managed through interpersonal support” and didn’t require taking any drugs and seemed to have no lasting effects, based on follow-up interviews.


If you’re interested in browsing our selection, you can buy magic mushrooms in our store here!

How Does Psychedelic Therapy Work?

Posted on by Dr Shroom

What Is Psychedelic Therapy?

Psychedelic Therapy

Psychedelic therapy is a technique that involves the use of psychedelic substances to aid the therapeutic process. Hallucinogenic substances have been used in holistic medicine and for spiritual practices by various cultures for thousands of years.

Research on the use of psychedelics flourished during the 1950s and 1960s until such substances were made illegal in the United States. While psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin are still illegal in the U.S., they are believed to have the potential to treat a range of conditions including anxiety, depression, and addiction.

Over the last two decades, researchers have gotten approval from authorities to conduct trials on the use of these substances to treat various conditions. For example, researchers have found that psilocybin is not only safe but that it can produce significant positive effects on well-being.

When utilized under supervision in a carefully controlled setting, research shows that some psychedelic substances can produce lasting and significant psychological and behavioral changes.

Types of Psychedelic Therapy

There are a number of different types of substances that can have psychedelic effects. Some common psychedelic substance and their uses include:

  • Ayahuasca: This brew originating in South America is purported to help with addiction, anxiety, and depression. Possible side effects of Ayahuasca include serotonin syndrome and medication interactions.
  • LSD: Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) can lead to altered mood, perception, and consciousness. Potential uses include the treatment of addiction and anxiety.
  • Psilocybin: Like LSD, psilocybin alters consciousness, mood, and perceptions. It is being studied for its use in the treatment of addiction, anxiety, and depression.
  • MDMA (ecstasy): While not a classic psychedelic substance, MDMA (also known as ecstasy) is a drug that produces “psychedelic effects” including feelings of euphoria, altered perceptions, increased arousal, and increased sociability. Research suggests it has therapeutic potential in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Techniques

Because there is no standardized method of administration and practice, individual practitioners have their own methods for administering psychedelic therapy. However, there are often a few common elements:

  • Administration of a low to moderate dose of a psychedelic drug
  • Supervision by a professional during the psychedelic experience
  • Repeating the psychedelic dose with one to two weeks between sessions

During a psychedelic session, factors known as set and setting are critical. Set refers to things such as mood and expectations. Setting refers to the environment where the session takes place and the relationship with the therapist. The goal is to be comfortable with the therapist and the room where the session will take place. It is also important for patients to go into the experience feeling calm and attentive.

After the psychedelic experience, the focus at the next step is a process known as integration. These psychotherapy sessions are designed to help the individual process, make sense of, and find meaning in the psychedelic experience.

Microdosing

One variation of psychedelic therapy is known as microdosing, which involves taking very small, sub-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelic substances. Proponents of microdosing suggest that even these very low doses can have beneficial health effects such as enhancing performance, increasing energy, and decreasing depression.

While there is some evidence that microdosing may have some beneficial effects, more research is needed.

What Psychedelic Therapy Can Help With

Psilocybin Therapy

Researchers have uncovered a number of potential applications for psychedelic therapy. Studies have found that anxiety, depression, substance use, alcohol use, and PTSD may all respond positively to psychedelic-assisted treatments.

  • Anxiety and mood disorders: Psychedelics appear to have potential mood benefits that may be helpful in the treatment of depression. A 2016 randomized double-blind controlled trial found that psilocybin treatment led to significant reductions in anxiety and depression in patients undergoing cancer treatment.
  • Alcohol and substance use disorders: Early research showed strong evidence that LSD could help in the recovery from substance use conditions. Some more recent evidence also supports the idea that psychedelic therapy holds promise as an addiction treatment.
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Research also suggests that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy may be useful in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). MDMA is best known as the main ingredient in the club drug ecstasy (or molly), but it also has psychedelic effects that have been shown to be useful for severe forms of PTSD that have not responded to other forms of treatment.

Benefits of Psychedelic Therapy

Psychedelics are powerful substances that can produce profound mind-altering effects. These drugs are believed to work by affecting the neural circuits that use the neurotransmitter serotonin. Some of the potential benefits of these substances include:

  • Feelings of relaxation
  • Improved sense of well-being
  • Increased social connectedness
  • Introspection
  • Spiritual experiences

It is important to remember that while psychedelics can produce positive benefits, it is also common for people to experience effects such as:

  • Altered sense of time
  • Distortions of reality
  • Distorted perceptual experiences
  • Intense perceptions or emotions
  • Paranoia
  • Seeing, hearing, or sensing things that one would otherwise not experience

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), these effects are a type of drug-induced psychosis that affects a person’s ability to communicate with others, think rationally, and interpret reality. When used in a therapeutic setting where a trained professional can help a person understand and integrate these experiences, psychedelic therapy has the potential to help relieve the symptoms of certain psychiatric conditions.

After taking psychedelic substances, some people report having mystical or spiritual experiences. They may describe having feelings of peace, joy, unity, and empathy.

One study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that the mood improvements induced by psychedelic drugs also appear to have lasting benefits. People who took psilocybin continued to experience improved well-being and increased social connectedness even after the substances wore off.

Effectiveness

Psychedelic therapy shows a great deal of promise in the treatment of a wide variety of mental health conditions including addiction and depression. While further research is needed, current trials are underway to better determine the applications and effectiveness of using different psychedelic drugs to treat specific conditions.

Anxiety and Mood Disorders

Psilocybin-assisted therapy was also associated with increased quality of life, improved optimism, and reduced anxiety over mortality. About 80% of participants continued to show improvements six months later.

Another study looked at the effects of real-world psychedelic use by surveying music festival attendees. The participants reported that taking LSD and psilocybin helped improve mood and feel more socially connected. They also reported that these effects continued even after the drugs had worn off.

Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders

A 2015 study found that psilocybin-assisted therapy was associated with decreased drinking, reduced alcohol cravings, and increased abstinence. Psychedelic therapy’s efficacy for alcohol and substance use has not yet been clearly established, however. One 2012 study found that a single dose of LSD had a beneficial effect on alcohol misuse up to six months after treatment, but the effects were not significant at the 12-month mark.

One 2019 study involved surveying people who had already quit using alcohol with the use of psychedelics. While only 10% of the respondents used psychedelics intentionally as a way to reduce alcohol use, more than 25% reported that the hallucinogenic experience played a role in changing their alcohol use.

It is important to note, however, that studies such as this are based on self-reports by people who have taken psychedelics in the past. In order to determine if psychedelic therapy is truly effective in the treatment of alcohol and substance use disorders, more research using randomized clinical trials is needed.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Clinical trials have demonstrated the treatment’s long-term efficacy in the treatment of PTSD. One study found that 54% of participants no longer met the criteria for diagnosis following treatment. Only 23% of participants in the control group no longer met the diagnostic criteria upon follow-up.

The benefits also appear to be long-lasting: 68% of those in the MDMA-assisted therapy treatment did not meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD a year after treatment.

Things to Consider

While psychedelic therapy is generally considered safe and is well-tolerated, there are some potential risks and adverse effects to consider. The classic psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin pose few risks in terms of physical or psychological dependence along with other risks such as the following.

Negative Psychological Reactions

The potential for negative psychological reactions such as the symptoms of anxiety, panic, and paranoia is something to consider. The use of psychedelics can also result in what is known as a “bad trip.” These experiences are marked by intense and terrifying feelings of anxiety and the fear of losing control.

Possible Personality Changes

Some have suggested that these drugs have the potential to produce long-term mind-altering, personality-changing effects. For example, one study found that psilocybin therapy was associated with increases in extroversion and openness. These findings suggest that people may become more outgoing and willing to try new things after being treated with psilocybin-assisted therapy.

Dangers of Self-Treatment

Another potential concern is the possibility of people using psychedelic substances to self-treat. Self-treatment can pose a number of risks including the psychological dangers of experiencing a bad trip, the possibility of drug interactions, and the fact that many street drugs are mixed with unknown and potentially harmful substances.

The effects that a person experiences with psychedelic substances can be unpredictable and can vary depending on the amount of the substance that is used as well as the individual’s personality, mood, and surroundings.5

How to Get Started

In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) named psilocybin-assisted therapy as a “breakthrough therapy.” This designation is designed to speed up the development and review of drugs that preliminary clinical trials have indicated treat serious conditions.

Currently, clinical trials into the use of LSD and psilocybin as treatments for alcohol dependence, anxiety, and depression are underway

If you are interested in trying psychedelic therapy, signing up for a research trial is an option. You can search for clinical trials that are recruiting participants through the National Institute of Health (NIH). The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and the John Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research may also sponsor research and trials that are accepting participants.

Never try to self-treat with psychedelics. In clinical settings, people are given a specified, pure dose, are supervised during the psychedelic experience, and receive professional help from a therapist to integrate the experience.

It is also important to note that while psychedelic therapy has demonstrated that it can be helpful in the treatment of a number of conditions, researchers are still exploring the exact mechanisms of action. Further research will allow scientists to figure out which drugs are most helpful for specific conditions, what doses should be used, and when such treatments should be avoided.

Why do Magic Mushrooms Cause Nausea?

Posted on by Dr Shroom

Introduction


So, if you’ve ever done magic mushrooms, it’s extremely likely that you’ve experienced the nausea that is widely reported as one of the most common unpleasant side effects of ingesting psilocybin mushrooms. Often, this is a mild nausea that starts to come on about 15-20 minutes after ingesting the mushrooms, before the psychoactive effects kick in – but sometimes, it resurfaces later in the experience. For most, it’s a nuisance that passes relatively quickly, but sometimes can be quite severe and even result in vomiting. So, what is it exactly that causes nausea? Why does it happen? And maybe most importantly, what (if anything) can we do about it? All this and more, answered in this article!

How Humans Digest Mushrooms
How Humans Digest Mushrooms

Obviously, magic mushrooms are different than their non-psychoactive counterparts, but mycologically speaking, aside from the presence of the psychoactive compounds psilocybin and psilocin, the human body digest magic mushrooms in much the same way as it digests normal mushrooms – so looking at what we know about how mushrooms are digested might offer the first clues. Paul Stamets is the author of Psilocybin Mushrooms in the World, a leading mycologist, and psychonaut who has been at the forefront of helping to classify and organize human knowledge around magic mushrooms for some time. He explained that, outside of instances where people are looking to eat mushrooms for their psychoactive potential, we should almost never be eating mushrooms raw.


“Raw mushrooms are largely indigestible because of their tough cell walls, mainly composed of chitin. Raw mushrooms and raw mycelium may pose health hazards from harmful pathogens and heat-sensitive toxins—potentially causing red blood cell damage, gastrointestinal irritation, and allergic reactions, such as skin rashes.” – Dr. Paul Samets

Another mushroom expert, Dr. Andrew Weil, in an article on his website, noted that “mushrooms have very tough cell walls and are essentially indigestible if you don’t cook them. Thoroughly heating them releases the nutrients they contain, including protein, B vitamins, and minerals, as well as a wide range of novel compounds not found in other foods.” He goes on to explain that not only is the chitin material that composes the cell walls indigestible, but it’s possible for it to cause inflammatory and immune responses in the process of being broken down. Chitin doesn’t occur naturally in the human body, but we do produce an enzyme called chitinase – this enzyme breaks up the chitin in our system, and the smaller molecules that occur as a result of this breaking down can potentially cause these inflammatory responses. So, when it comes to mushrooms that are being used for culinary purposes, on all fronts it seems like the best bet is to simply prepare them beforehand by cooking them in any number of different ways. However, cooking shrooms is not necessarily the best option when we’re talking about magic mushrooms. This is because heating them can destroy the psychedelic compounds; this is why magic mushrooms are traditionally eaten raw, or, most commonly, dried. It’s entirely possible that the nausea experienced from eating magic mushrooms is simply related to eating raw chitin, but there are some other ideas that have surfaced related to the different array of chemicals that can be found in magic mushrooms.

The Other Chemicals in Magic Mushrooms

So, it’s well-known (and we’ve even mentioned earlier in this article) that psilocybin and pislocin are the two main compounds found in magic mushrooms that give them their psychedelic properties. There are a number of these compounds, but the most prevalent are baeocystin, norbaocystin, norpsilocin, aeruginascin and phenethylamine. Each of these compounds are similar to psilocybin, varying primarily in the different methyl groups on their amines. We do have records of studies in which people have taken pure, synthetic psilocybin and reported nausea as a side effect. These people had never taken mushrooms before and were not told beforehand to expect nausea as a side-effect, so it’s highly unlikely that this was a placebo effect.

So, contrasting what we just read in the preceding section, there may be something specific about the psilocybin compound itself that causes nausea, even when isolated from the other compounds found in the mushroom. We also know that the human body process psilocybin into psilocin in the process of digestion, and so it might be the psilocin being formed, or a side-effect of the processing that causes these issues Of all the compounds we listed, phenylethylamine is the most distinct.

Phenethylamine is a central nervous system stimulant and neurotransmitter that has potential hallucinogenic effects in humans. Amphetamine, methamphetamine, and MDMA are all examples of phenethylamines that enjoy widespread use in modern society for recreational, medicinal, and therapeutic effects. It’s also widely noted that these substances can cause side effects such as raising heart rate, increasing blood pressure, and inducing – you guess it – nausea. However, Alexander Shulgin (author of the famous books, Phenethylamines I Have Known and Loved and Tryptamines I Have Known and Loved,) believes it is unlikely that phenethylamines in mushrooms are responsible for these effects. According the Shulgin, phenethylamines by themselves are “rapidly and completely destroyed” when ingested by humans, and that it’s only in the presence of a specific set of other molecules that phenethylamines will remain intact long enough for their psychopharmacological effects to be felt – and that these molecules are not present in psilocybin mushrooms.

The Role of Beta-Glucan

So, we’ve isolated the potentially nauseating components of magic mushrooms to: the chitin in the cell walls, and the psilocybin itself. Obviously, we don’t want want to do anything that would eliminate psilocybin from the mushrooms, as that would defeat the entire purpose – but can something be done about the chitin? Well, in order to understand that, we first need to understand what’s actually happening when it’s being broken down in the stomach. Biologist Ian Bollinger says that even though no one has pinned down exactly what it is that’s causing the nausea, there’s strong evidence that points to a substance called beta-glucan. Beta-glucan is a type of sugar that’s commonly found in oats, and other grains, but is found in significantly more abundance in the chitin of the mushroom cell walls.

His theory is that the excess amount of beta-glucan as it’s broken down in the stomach causes a reaction, because the stomach is acidic, and beta-glucan is basic – if you remember your elementary school science class lessons of missing vinegar and baking soda, that should be a quick reminder of what can happen when acids and bases are mixed! There’s more evidence to support this theory as well. Beta-glucan is sometimes taken as a supplement for people with high cholesterol, or who suffer from other heart health problems. One of the noted side effects of taking beta-glucan supplements is, you guessed it, nausea. Therefore, it seems likely that the nausea caused by ingesting magic mushrooms is largely attributable to the chitin in the cell walls, and the psilocybin compound itself. It’s also worth noting that the symptoms of nausea are far more likely to be experienced if a person is already dehydrated or in poor physical health, and also when taking exceedingly large doses. All of this is great, but… nausea still sucks! And is there anything we can do about it? Well, fear not fellow psychonaut – we have some answers that should help you with that, too!

How to Reduce Nausea When Taking Magic Mushrooms

Magic Mushrooms Citrus Bath
A Citrus Bath with Lemon Juice Will Help With Nause from Magic Mushrooms

So, if the prospect of experiencing nausea or potentially vomiting is enough to dissuade you from taking mushrooms, even though you think the experience might otherwise be beneficial for you, then there is something you can do that has been shown to help reduce the experience of nausea, if not eliminate it altogether. So, what is this “One Simple Trick to Make Mushrooms Go Down Easier?” (Damn – I probably should have named the article that!) Well, it’s pretty simple – and it comes back down to the relationship between the stomach acid and beta-glucan. And the trick is, essentially, using lemon juice. It looks like this:

1: Grind the mushrooms into a fine powder, or as small pieces as possible.

2: Put the powder in a glass

3: Pour enough lemon juice to submerge the powder completely, and stir for 1 minute.

4: Down the hatch!


The reason that this works, according to Bollinger, is that the lemon juice has around the same Ph level as your stomach acid. By exposing the cell walls of the mushroom and the beta-glucan to lemon juice, it begins the process of breaking it down before the mushrooms are ingested, resulting in less of a reaction once the mushrooms reach the stomach acid. This technique has been used by many people who have reported favourable results, although there are certainly some caveats that should be considered.

The first thing that should be considered is that a citrus bath will actually cause the onset of your trip to come on faster, be greater in intensity, and last for a shorter period of time. In Bollinger’s own words, “Lemon juice is an aqueous solution with a low Ph,” Bollinger explains. “Low Ph means excessive hydrogens. Putting psilocybin in that solution removes the phosphate group and replaces it with a hydroxyl group. That turns it into psilocin. If you think of the experience like a bell curve,” Bollinger says, “with the effects slowly ramping up, peaking, and ramping back down, a lemon [bath] will compress it. What you’re doing is heightening the curve but you’re also shortening the length.” Depending on the kind of experience you’re looking for, a shorter, more intense high might suit your needs – but it’s good to understand that the citrus bath will affect how the high actually happens. Secondly, it’s important to understand that although the citrus bath will help mitigate the experience of nausea caused by ingesting magic mushrooms, it won’t necessarily get rid of it altogether. As mentioned before, it seems like the human body has a tendency to react to psilocybin by itself with a slight nausea, so even if you are treating your mushrooms with a citrus bath, you should still be expecting the nausea.

An even easier solution would be to take a look at our selection of magic mushroom teas.

Advice from Reddit

If that’s not enough for you guys, I’ve consolidated some of the advice users have provided on the forum Reddit, here: One user recommends a more refined citrus bath:

1 – go to the store, buy a lemon or lime, whichever you prefer the taste of.

2 – grind up your shrooms with either a grinder or your fingers. Both work just fine.

3 – put the shrooms in a french press and squeeze the lemon or lime into the french press until the little bits are fully covered.

4 – Stirring every so often, let the sludge sit for about 30 minutes. To better understand what is going on here, just look up lemon-tek.

5 – Put some ginger, your favorite tea (I prefer chamomile for this), some honey (or sugar if you have no honey) into the mix.

6 – bring water to an almost boil and then pour it into the french press.

7 – put the lid and such on and put the french press aside. Go take a shower and get ready for your trip.

8 – once you are done showering, give it a good stir and press the french press filter down as far as it will go.

9 – pour yourself a nice warm cup of tea and enjoy it; make sure you get ALL the liquid out. Some suggest squeezing the bits until they are dry and others don’t care. This is up to you. I prefer to not gulp it all down as I love the taste and love tea. some friends however prefer to just pound it. whatever’s clever for you.

This will do a few things. First, the lemon tek will help offload some of the psilocybin->psilocin process from your stomach. While this will not do much for nausea, it will kick-start the trip sooner and can yank you right past the anxiety and anticipation stage if that also bugs you. Second, part of what makes most nauseous comes from when the body tries to break down the cellular wall on the shrooms. By not putting this in your system, you are going to find that you won’t feel nauseous at all, or shouldn’t.

When eating them, I used to feel so damn sick through an entire trip that it would ruin my trips. By making tea, I am able to enjoy all that the shrooms have to offer without a worry of nausea.

I hope this helps!

MUSH LOVE!

Closing Thoughts

In summary, there are a few different methods you can try – but by all accounts, the most consistent and best method seems to be the preemptive citrus bath. In addition, some quick tips that will help to mitigate the nausea: – Eat a light snack beforehand. Not a full meal, which might delay the onset and offset the potency of the high, but enough that the shrooms aren’t going down on a completely empty stomach. – Make sure you’re well-rested and hydrated. Lack of sleep and dehydration can cause nausea by themselves, no reason to add tinder to the fire. – Don’t mix mushrooms with other drugs. This is just generally good advice – but the more psychoactive chemicals you’re mixing together, the more likely your body is to have an adverse reaction. Play it on the safe side, and keep them separate!

What is Psilocybin Therapy?

Posted on by Dr Shroom

Psychedelic therapy is a technique that involves the use of psychedelic substances to aid the therapeutic process. Hallucinogenic substances have been used in holistic medicine and for spiritual practices by various cultures for thousands of years.

Research on the use of psychedelics flourished during the 1950s and 1960s until such substances were made illegal in the United States. While psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin are still illegal in the U.S., they are believed to have the potential to treat a range of conditions including anxiety, depression, and addiction.

Over the last two decades, researchers have gotten approval from authorities to conduct trials on the use of these substances to treat various conditions. For example, researchers have found that psilocybin is not only safe but that it can produce significant positive effects on well-being.

When utilized under supervision in a carefully controlled setting, research shows that some psychedelic substances can produce lasting and significant psychological and behavioral changes.

Types of Psychedelic Therapy

There are a number of different types of substances that can have psychedelic effects. Some common psychedelic substance and their uses include:

  • Ayahuasca: This brew originating in South America is purported to help with addiction, anxiety, and depression. Possible side effects of Ayahuasca include serotonin syndrome and medication interactions.
  • LSD: Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) can lead to altered mood, perception, and consciousness. Potential uses include the treatment of addiction and anxiety.
  • Psilocybin: Like LSD, psilocybin alters consciousness, mood, and perceptions. It is being studied for its use in the treatment of addiction, anxiety, and depression.
  • MDMA (ecstasy): While not a classic psychedelic substance, MDMA (also known as ecstasy) is a drug that produces “psychedelic effects” including feelings of euphoria, altered perceptions, increased arousal, and increased sociability. Research suggests it has therapeutic potential in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).2

Techniques

Because there is no standardized method of administration and practice, individual practitioners have their own methods for administering psychedelic therapy. However, there are often a few common elements:

  • Administration of a low to moderate dose of a psychedelic drug
  • Supervision by a professional during the psychedelic experience
  • Repeating the psychedelic dose with one to two weeks between sessions

During a psychedelic session, factors known as set and setting are critical. Set refers to things such as mood and expectations. Setting refers to the environment where the session takes place and the relationship with the therapist. The goal is to be comfortable with the therapist and the room where the session will take place. It is also important for patients to go into the experience feeling calm and attentive.

After the psychedelic experience, the focus at the next step is a process known as integration. These psychotherapy sessions are designed to help the individual process, make sense of, and find meaning in the psychedelic experience.

Microdosing

One variation of psychedelic therapy is known as microdosing, which involves taking very small, sub-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelic substances. Proponents of microdosing suggest that even these very low doses can have beneficial health effects such as enhancing performance, increasing energy, and decreasing depression.

While there is some evidence that microdosing may have some beneficial effects, more research is needed.

What Psychedelic Therapy Can Help With

Researchers have uncovered a number of potential applications for psychedelic therapy. Studies have found that anxiety, depression, substance use, alcohol use, and PTSD may all respond positively to psychedelic-assisted treatments.

  • Anxiety and mood disorders: Psychedelics appear to have potential mood benefits that may be helpful in the treatment of depression. A 2016 randomized double-blind controlled trial found that psilocybin treatment led to significant reductions in anxiety and depression in patients undergoing cancer treatment.
  • Alcohol and substance use disorders: Early research showed strong evidence that LSD could help in the recovery from substance use conditions. Some more recent evidence also supports the idea that psychedelic therapy holds promise as an addiction treatment.
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Research also suggests that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy may be useful in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). MDMA is best known as the main ingredient in the club drug ecstasy (or molly), but it also has psychedelic effects that have been shown to be useful for severe forms of PTSD that have not responded to other forms of treatment.

Benefits of Psychedelic Therapy

Psychedelics are powerful substances that can produce profound mind-altering effects. These drugs are believed to work by affecting the neural circuits that use the neurotransmitter serotonin. Some of the potential benefits of these substances include:

  • Feelings of relaxation
  • Improved sense of well-being
  • Increased social connectedness
  • Introspection
  • Spiritual experiences

It is important to remember that while psychedelics can produce positive benefits, it is also common for people to experience effects such as:

  • Altered sense of time
  • Distortions of reality
  • Distorted perceptual experiences
  • Intense perceptions or emotions
  • Paranoia
  • Seeing, hearing, or sensing things that one would otherwise not experience

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), these effects are a type of drug-induced psychosis that affects a person’s ability to communicate with others, think rationally, and interpret reality. When used in a therapeutic setting where a trained professional can help a person understand and integrate these experiences, psychedelic therapy has the potential to help relieve the symptoms of certain psychiatric conditions.

After taking psychedelic substances, some people report having mystical or spiritual experiences. They may describe having feelings of peace, joy, unity, and empathy.

One study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that the mood improvements induced by psychedelic drugs also appear to have lasting benefits. People who took psilocybin continued to experience improved well-being and increased social connectedness even after the substances wore off.

Effectiveness

Psychedelic therapy shows a great deal of promise in the treatment of a wide variety of mental health conditions including addiction and depression. While further research is needed, current trials are underway to better determine the applications and effectiveness of using different psychedelic drugs to treat specific conditions.

Anxiety and Mood Disorders

Psilocybin-assisted therapy was also associated with increased quality of life, improved optimism, and reduced anxiety over mortality. About 80% of participants continued to show improvements six months later.

Another study looked at the effects of real-world psychedelic use by surveying music festival attendees. The participants reported that taking LSD and psilocybin helped improve mood and feel more socially connected. They also reported that these effects continued even after the drugs had worn off.

Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders

A 2015 study found that psilocybin-assisted therapy was associated with decreased drinking, reduced alcohol cravings, and increased abstinence. Psychedelic therapy’s efficacy for alcohol and substance use has not yet been clearly established, however. One 2012 study found that a single dose of LSD had a beneficial effect on alcohol misuse up to six months after treatment, but the effects were not significant at the 12-month mark.

One 2019 study involved surveying people who had already quit using alcohol with the use of psychedelics. While only 10% of the respondents used psychedelics intentionally as a way to reduce alcohol use, more than 25% reported that the hallucinogenic experience played a role in changing their alcohol use.

It is important to note, however, that studies such as this are based on self-reports by people who have taken psychedelics in the past. In order to determine if psychedelic therapy is truly effective in the treatment of alcohol and substance use disorders, more research using randomized clinical trials is needed.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Clinical trials have demonstrated the treatment’s long-term efficacy in the treatment of PTSD. One study found that 54% of participants no longer met the criteria for diagnosis following treatment. Only 23% of participants in the control group no longer met the diagnostic criteria upon follow-up.

The benefits also appear to be long-lasting: 68% of those in the MDMA-assisted therapy treatment did not meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD a year after treatment.

Things to Consider

While psychedelic therapy is generally considered safe and is well-tolerated, there are some potential risks and adverse effects to consider. The classic psychedelics such as LSD and psilocybin pose few risks in terms of physical or psychological dependence along with other risks such as the following.

Negative Psychological Reactions

The potential for negative psychological reactions such as the symptoms of anxiety, panic, and paranoia is something to consider. The use of psychedelics can also result in what is known as a “bad trip.” These experiences are marked by intense and terrifying feelings of anxiety and the fear of losing control.

Possible Personality Changes

Some have suggested that these drugs have the potential to produce long-term mind-altering, personality-changing effects. For example, one study found that psilocybin therapy was associated with increases in extroversion and openness. These findings suggest that people may become more outgoing and willing to try new things after being treated with psilocybin-assisted therapy.

Dangers of Self-Treatment

Another potential concern is the possibility of people using psychedelic substances to self-treat. Self-treatment can pose a number of risks including the psychological dangers of experiencing a bad trip, the possibility of drug interactions, and the fact that many street drugs are mixed with unknown and potentially harmful substances.

The effects that a person experiences with psychedelic substances can be unpredictable and can vary depending on the amount of the substance that is used as well as the individual’s personality, mood, and surroundings.5

How to Get Started

In 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) named psilocybin-assisted therapy as a “breakthrough therapy.” This designation is designed to speed up the development and review of drugs that preliminary clinical trials have indicated treat serious conditions.

Currently, clinical trials into the use of LSD and psilocybin as treatments for alcohol dependence, anxiety, and depression are underway.

If you are interested in trying psychedelic therapy, signing up for a research trial is an option. You can search for clinical trials that are recruiting participants through the National Institute of Health (NIH). The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and the John Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research may also sponsor research and trials that are accepting participants.

Self-treatment is always an option, but for clinical therapeutic purposes never recommended – specific dosages and having a trained attendant are part of the therapeutic aspect.

It is also important to note that while psychedelic therapy has demonstrated that it can be helpful in the treatment of a number of conditions, researchers are still exploring the exact mechanisms of action. Further research will allow scientists to figure out which drugs are most helpful for specific conditions, what doses should be used, and when such treatments should be avoided.

BREAKING NEWS: One Psilocybin Dose Repairs Neuronal Connection Loss Caused by Depression

Posted on by Dr Shroom

Hey Shroomfam!

These days it seems like every week, a new institution is publishing groundbreaking research reaffirming the incredible potential of magic mushrooms in the treatment of depression.

Our latest bit of news comes from a research team at Yale University, who published their findings in the journal Neuron on July 5, 2021.

The link between psilocybin usage and recovery from depression is one that has been explored for decades, but scientists although the benefits of psilocybin treatment have been empirically substantiated and documented, the exact mechanics through which psilocybin interacts with the depressive brain are still a hotly debated issue in scientific communities.

In an attempt to shed more meaningful light on the issue, the team at Yale led by Alex Kwan, associate professor of psychiatry and neuroscience, found that administering a single dose of psilocybin to mice prompted an immediate and long-lasting boost in connections between neurons in the brain.

Patients suffering from depression and chronic stress often exhibit a lower level of neuronal connectivity, and it’s now hypothesized that repairing and strengthening these neuronal connections may partially explain the efficacy of psilocybin treatments in depressive patients, on a neurological level.

Alex Kwan elaborates, “We not only saw a 10% increase in the number of neuronal connections, but also they were on average about 10% larger, so the connections were stronger as well.”

Neurons, when observed under a microscope, have a feature called a dendritic spine – a protrusion responsible for receiving synaptic input, effectively allowing the neuron to “fire.” These dendritic spines were analyzed in mice administered a single dose of psilocybin, and researchers noticed that in addition to the amelioration of stress-related behavioral deficit, the following quantitative changes could be observed:

– Psilocybin increases spine density and spine size in frontal cortical pyramidal cells
– Psilocybin-evoked structural remodeling is persistent for at least 1 month
– The dendritic rewiring is accompanied by elevated excitatory neurotransmission

In layman’s terms, not only did the dendritic spines grow considerably, they appeared more communicative, and the effects appeared to be long-lasting.

“It was a real surprise to see such enduring changes from just one dose of psilocybin,” said Kwan.

Could this be the key to uncovering the scientific rationale behind psilocybin’s incredible curative properties? It’s possible! And in any case, it is encouraging to see research from one of the most reputable educational institutions in the world reaffirming what amateur psychonauts have known for so many years: magic mushrooms are so much more than a recreational drug – and we’re only beginning to understand the incredible potential they could have for humanity.

The Mystery Solved: Why Magic Mushrooms Turn Blue

Posted on by Dr Shroom

Why do magic mushrooms turn blue when they are cut? Chemists have now unravelled this decade-old mystery, in the process revealing that the dark blue pigments at the centre of the mystery are similar to indigo, the dye used to produce blue jeans.

Magic mushrooms or Psilocybe are fungi producing the psychotropic compounds psilocybin and psilocin. They are one of several species that instantly develop a blue coloration when they are cut or bruised. In Boletales mushrooms, oxidised gyrocyanin or pulvinic acid are the source of the blue colour. But that isn’t the case in Psilocybe mushrooms.

Previous research had established that the blue colour was caused by oxidised psilocybin, but the nature of the pigment and the biochemical pathway producing it had remained elusive.

An image showing the chemical structures of psilocybin and psilocin

Magic mushrooms contain a number of psychotropic compounds including psilocybin and psilocin.

Dirk Hoffmeister from the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Germany and his team had been working with Psilocybe cubensis for several years. Growing the mushrooms in their lab, they had seen the mysterious blueing reaction countless times. ‘We were just curious and tried to solve a phenomenon that’s been known for decades,’ Hoffmeister says.

But when they tried to extract and purify the blue compound, they failed. ‘It puzzled and challenged us,’ says Hoffmeister. ‘This is where previous researchers – very talented people – had to give up, and that’s where we went one step further with unconventional analytical methods.’

The researchers dug deep into the analytical toolbox with liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, Maldi mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, as well as time-resolved nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to observe the compounds as they form.

The pigment, as it turns out, is not just a single compound but a complex mixture of linked psilocybin oxidation products. Most of them are quinoid psilocyl oligomers – compounds not unlike indigo, a deep blue pigment used to dye jeans. ‘[The blue compounds and indigo] share structural similarities in the indole core, and in both the basis for the colour is a quinoid,’ says the study’s lead author Claudius Lenz.

All of the six mushroom pigments the team identified are products of a cascade reaction starting with psilocybin. A phosphatase enzyme takes off its phosphate group, converting it into psilocin. An oxidising laccase then creates psilocyl radicals, which combine to form C-5 coupled subunits and then further polymerise via C-7. ‘I think they did a beautiful job of showing the cascade reaction,’ says Jaclyn Winter, who studies natural product biosynthesis in bacteria and fungi at the University of Utah, US.

A scheme showing the blueing reaction in P cubensis, catalyzed by PsiP and PsiL

Source: © 2019 Claudius Lenz et al

Proposed reaction scheme for the conversion of psilocybin into blue pigments

What exactly the blue pigments do, however, remains a mystery. ‘Our hypothesis – and we don’t have any evidence for this yet – is that it might serve a protective role, like an on-demand repellent against predators,’ says Hoffmeister. The compounds might produce reactive oxygen species, which are toxic to any insect nibbling on the mushrooms. ‘I think we’re going to see a lot of follow-up studies on the true ecological role of these molecules,’ Winter says.

Hoffmeister hopes that his study not only inspires others to study fungi from a chemistry perspective but also changes people’s mind about psilocybin. ‘Psilocybin is looked at as this illegal, recreational drug, but it has a fantastic potential as a medication for therapy resistant depression,’ he says.

Winter agrees. ‘There’s quite a few groups who are studying psilocybin, and especially because it’s been legalised in the US in various states, and because it’s in clinical trials,’ she says. ‘I think [this study] is going to have a huge impact in the field.’

Magic Mushrooms vs Pharmaceuticals in Treating Depression

Posted on by Dr Shroom

Hey Shroomfam!

We’ve previously covered in-depth some of the research that has been conducted regarding the potential efficacy of magic mushrooms in the treatment of depression. You can read our article for a bit of the background, but the gist of it is this: psilocybin (the psychoactive component found in magic mushrooms) has repeatedly been shown to be helpful in treating depression, along with a host of other mental illnesses.

What has been lacking for some time, however, is comparative research looking into how well psilocybin therapy can work compared with more traditional methods of psychological treatment. However, a study recently published by The New England Journal of Medicine provided some preliminary insight into just that – we read the study, and prepared an article here to help summarize its goals and findings for you!

The purpose of this study more specifically was to compare the efficacy of psilocybin and escitalopram in the treatment of depression. Before diving into the comparison, let’s talk a little bit about escitalopram.

Escitalopram Background

Escitalopram (frequently sold under the brand names of Cipralex and Lexapro,) is an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressant. Many patients suffering from the symptoms of depression exhibit signs of serotonin imbalance. Serotonin is a very complex neurotransmitter that is naturally produced by the human body. We could write an entire series about this chemical, its role in the human body, and the research that has been done around it – but for now, the important thing to know is that serotonin is synthesized in the central nervous system, and some of its functions include the regulation of mood, appetite, and sleep as well as some cognitive functions such as memory and learning.

People suffering from depression often exhibit lower-than-average levels of serotonin production, and so drugs like Escitalopram were developed to help these patients regulate levels of serotonin production, and alleviate some of the symptoms of depression (and potentially even cure it!)

Psilocybin and Serotonin

Sounds pretty helpful, right? So where does psilocybin fit into this, and what does it have to do with serotonin? Well, there’s a little journey to follow there as well. When magic mushrooms are ingested, psilocybin is metastasized into a sister chemical called psilocin. Once processed, the psilocin is believed to stimulate serotonin receptors in the brain – effectively mimicking the body’s naturally occurring serotonin. With the oversight of a trained medical professional, psilocybin has been used as a more natural alternative to manufactured drugs with the aim of balancing serotonin levels in the human body.

In another word, doctors have been experimenting with using shrooms instead of meds to help regulate levels of serotonin in depressive patients. It has been effective, but thus far there has been little research done to compare just how effective it is compared with pharmaceuticals.

Okay, so I think that’s enough of a background for us to go on. So, let’s talk about the study itself.

The Methods of the Study

The study was conducted as a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial involving patients with long-standing, moderate-to-severe major depressive order. Psilocybin was compared with escitalopram over a 6-week period; patients were assigned in 1:1 ratio, and received comparable doses of both drugs depending on the group they were assigned to. In the end, the patients were re-assessed on their depressive symptoms to compare the efficacy of both courses of treatment. The changes are measured via a Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report (QIDS-SR-16) – and differences in their scores on those reports before and after treatment.

In laymen’s terms, people were scored on their levels of depression, randomly sorted into two groups, given one drug or the other without knowing which was which, and the results were studied at the end. At the end of the trial, their level of depression was tested again.

Results of the Study

Of the 59 patients in the study, 30 were given psilocybin and 29 escitalopram. The QIDS-SR-16 is scored from 0 to 27, with a higher number indicating a greater level of depression. After the trial was completed, patients in the psilocybin group saw their QIDS-SR-16 scores drop by an average of 8 points, while patients in the escitalopram group saw their scores drop by only 6 points. Although both treatments were observed to be effective, it’s notable that the psilocybin group saw, on average, a reduction in levels of depression over 30% greater than those in the escitalopram group. 

Additionally, secondary endpoints were studied, evaluating the work, social functioning, anxiety, and general wellbeing of patients in both groups. Similar patterns favouring psilocybin were found in these trials as well.

Conclusions of the Study

Although it is tempting for any advocate of psychoactive medicine to point to the results of this trial as conclusive proof of the superiority of psilocybin to pharmaceuticals, the reality is that these results are far from conclusive.

Medical research is slow work – and it has, over the past couple of decades, been especially slow regarding psilocybin therapy owing to the illegal status of the drug in most first-world countries. However, that trend is shifting – and more and more money is being poured into psilocybin research every day, with research continuously coming back in support of this amazing drug. 

At the end of the day, this was a small trial conducted over a short period with a small number of patients. Before any kind of definite conclusion can be reached, there is much more clinical research that needs to be done. George Goldsmith, CEO, and Co-founder of Compass Pathways, a psilocybin-focused research group working on discovering new therapies for the treatment of depression, had this to say:

“In a field of research where it is very difficult to separate treatments in head-to-head comparative efficacy trials, this study found signals favouring psilocybin therapy over escitalopram. This is an encouraging investigator-initiated study that supports the need for additional clinical investigations in larger, well-powered studies to more accurately determine the efficacy of psilocybin in treating major depressive disorder.”

Parting Thoughts

The evidence of the incredible healing and restorative properties of psilocybin mushrooms continues to mount each day. However, this is a relatively new frontier of scientific research and something about which we are only beginning to scratch the surface.

We want to emphasize that the writer of this article is not a medical professional – and if you think you are suffering from the symptoms of depression or any other mental illness, we recommend speaking with a trained medical professional to seek treatment.

However, those looking to buy shrooms online can find many places to do so!

 

Canada’s First Psychedelic Therapy Training Program

Posted on by Dr Shroom

There is some amazing news for mental health professionals in Canada who are interested in learning more about psychedelic-assisted therapy and receiving dedicated instruction on and insight into how psychedelic medicines can be leveraged as they become legally accessible across Canada.

Back in February, the ATMA Journeys Centers in Calgary, AB announced their Psychedelic Therapy Training Program for Mental Health Professionals program – providing Canadian mental health professionals for the first time with access to top-tier training in magic mushroom therapy. The initiative was launched with the full blessing of the Federal and Provincial governments, in conjunction with the Wayfound Mental Health Group, Inc. and the Psychologists Association of Alberta.

The course was massively popular, selling out in a matter of days, and now boasts a substantial waiting list as rave reviews have come pouring in after the first 3-month cohort concluded.

About ATMA Journeys Centers

ATMA Journey Centers is a clinic founded by Dr. David Harder and Dr. Vu Tran in Calgary, AB. ATMA is dedicated to advancing accessibility to psychedelic therapy in Canada. On their website, they claim that they “believe that psychedelics hold the key to actually resolving the root causes of mental health issues that affect so many.” Their self-stated mission is “to deliver effective and innovative healing and transformative experiences that awaken the inner healer and allow a deeper connection with self and with the world.”

About The Wayfound Mental Health Group

The Wayfound Mental Health Group was founded in Calgary, AB over 21 years ago by Dr. William McElheran. McElheran has been widely regarded as a pioneer at the cutting edge of the most effective emerging techniques in trauma treatment, and this reputation has attracted some of the best counseling talent in the world to his clinic. The partnership with ATMA represents their first official foray into the world of psychiatric therapy.

About The Program

It is unsurprising that the demand for mental health therapists has shot up dramatically over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rising unemployment, concerns about health, and increasingly isolated lifestyles are suspected to contribute to this unprecedented level of demand.

David Harder, Co-CEO of ATMA says, “we’re seeing substantial interest from therapists who are looking for more effective tools to help their clients. Significant evidence-based research around psychedelic medicine continues to emerge which is highlighting how promising psychedelic medicine is. There appears to be a shift in the industry where therapists have heard about the potential of psychedelic medicine and are now stepping forward to learn about it.”

ATMA and Wayfound saw a gap in the increasing demand from Canadian patients and the availability of training for mental health professionals in this same area. Harder commented,

“One of the major obstacles in increasing access to psychedelic therapy is an acute shortage of therapists who have the education, knowledge, and resources both from a psychological and psychedelic perspective to provide the necessary support and guidance to patients. This training program provides an accredited base of understanding for therapists who are seeking information and therapy involving psychedelics.”

Consulting with leading authorities on psychedelic therapy from all over the world, this course consolidates their teachings to help address that problem, and provide Canada’s most forward-thinking therapists with access to top-of-the-line training in therapy with magic mushrooms in Canada.

On the importance of training mental health professionals on how to properly apply psychedelic therapy in their own practices, Megan McElheran, CEO of Wayfound said:

“Research has shown that psychologists are uniquely skilled to support the psychedelic process, and the psychotherapeutic process is proven to be an essential component to the success of psychedelic treatment. For this reason, I support psychologists and other health care providers to build their capacity and skills through training that prioritizes professional, clinically-sound, ethical practice and due diligence in the delivery of care.”

With psychedelics increasingly entering into the mainstream of the media, more and more people looking for access to magic mushrooms in Calgary, and all signs pointing to rapidly impending legalization in Canada, Vu Tran emphasizes the importance of trained therapists in helping guide psychedelic therapy. He commented,

“The training program is just the first step of our plan to create solutions for the industry to scale and support therapists who wish to participate in psychedelic-assisted therapy…. We want to see more therapists educated on the benefits of psychedelic therapy in hopes that more awareness will help the legislative and policy frameworks move forward in a timely manner. Mental health professionals will face great challenges with capacity in the coming years, so we’re working towards a support structure for therapists to progressively look at psychedelic therapy as a growing part of their business without a steep learning curve. Psychedelics have the proven ability to reduce lifelong ongoing patient therapy, and this can assist in reducing the burden on the health care system.”

Rave Reviews

The first cohort of the month-long program concluded in May, and the 2nd sold-out cohort began in June of this year. One of the therapists who graduated from the first training, Dr. Angela Grace, had this to say:

“The training program provides an excellent overview of psychedelic therapy with experienced practitioners and researchers in the field. The learning, discussions, experiences, and connections made are invaluable as an introduction to the field.”

Information on Upcoming Programs

According to ATMA and Wayfound, the feedback has been immensely positive across the board. So much so that they immediately launched a second training, and have three more planned for later this year, on September 7, October 5, and November 2.

David Harder comments: “We encourage any mental health professional to contact us to discuss the training programs. This emerging field is a significant opportunity for licensed therapists who want to add another effective tool to their practice and learn how psychedelics can integrate into an existing practice.”

You can learn more about the program, and apply here!

Magic Mushrooms and Mental Health: Everything You Need to Know 2021

Posted on by Dr Shroom

Answered on this page:

  • How do magic mushrooms work?
  • Do magic mushrooms help with mental health?
  • Can magic mushrooms help with anxiety?
  • Can magic mushrooms be used to treat depression?
  • Can magic mushrooms help treat addiction?
  • Can magic mushrooms help me quit smoking or drinking?
  • Do magic mushrooms help with cluster headaches?
  • Are magic mushrooms addictive?

New research is revealing that magic mushrooms could play a role in the future of mental health treatment for Canadians.

After decades of little or no investigation into the clinical potential of mushrooms, scientists are conducting exploratory research into magic mushrooms as mental health therapy, targeting common conditions like depression, anxiety, and addiction.

Some of these studies were so compelling that Health Canada recently granted 24 special medical exemptions allowing Canadians to receive psilocybin therapy.

If you’re excited to learn more about the potential of magic mushrooms as a treatment for some of the most common mental health issues, we’ve got you covered. We’ve created this guide to bring you the most up-to-date information on what we’re learning about magic mushrooms and mental health.

We’ll start with a basic overview of magic mushrooms, explaining what they are and how they work. Then, we’ll talk about some of the latest research we’ve uncovered on the treatment potential of magic mushrooms for depression, anxiety, addiction, and more. We’ll also share what we’ve learned about whether mushrooms are addictive or safe to use.

<Hey Reader! Just want to remind you that we’re not your doctor, we’re not diagnosing you, and we’re not prescribing your magic mushrooms. This article is for educational purposes and should not be taken as medical advice. If you’re concerned about your mental health, please talk to your doctor.>

Let’s get started!

What are Magic Mushrooms?

Magic mushrooms are a family of naturally-occurring psychedelic mushrooms. There are over 180 different known varieties of magic mushrooms, with names such as:

  • Psilocybe cubensis – the easiest magic mushroom to cultivate indoors, there are now 60+ different strains of P. cubensis.
  • Psilocybe semilanceata – also known as Liberty caps, they grow commonly all over the world.
  • Psilocybe azurescens – also known as flying saucers, blue runners, blue angels, or azzies.
  • Psilocybe tampanensis – they produce yellow-brown, psilocybin-containing truffles. 
  • Psilocybe cyanescens – also known as wavy caps, they grow in Central Europe and the Pacific Northwest.
  • Psilocybe mexicana – the species of magic mushrooms used ceremoniously by the Aztec people and called “Teonanacatl”, meaning “flesh of the gods”.

Magic mushrooms contain a chemical compound known as psilocybin that gives them their hallucinogenic properties. In clinical research, psilocybin is extracted from magic mushrooms before being administered to patients. This allows researchers to carefully control the dosages of psilocybin received by patients in the study.

Magic mushrooms grow naturally on all six continents, but little was known about them before the 1960s when Westerners first experienced magic mushroom ceremonies while visiting Mexico. Consuming magic mushrooms is known to produce effects that include hallucinations, dilated pupils, relaxed muscles, altered experiences of time and space, altered perceptions of tactile stimulation and sensory perception, and reduced concentration.

How Do Magic Mushrooms Work?

Like we just mentioned, the medicinal or “active” ingredient in magic mushrooms is a compound called psilocybin. 

Psilocybin is also known as 4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine. It is classified as an indole-alkylamine in the tryptamine family. Other drugs in this family include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and N,N-dimethyltryptamine, the dream-inducing compound known as DMT or the “spirit molecule”.

On a physiological level, psilocybin in the brain interacts with the serotonin system. It has a high affinity to bind with specific types of serotonin receptors in several areas of the brain, including the thalamus and the cerebral cortex. The thalamus is involved in the regulation of consciousness and alertness, as well as relaying sensory and motor signals, while the cerebral cortex acts as the main site of neural integration and plays a role in sensory, visual, and motor processing. 

Some researchers believe that interactions with serotonin receptors in areas of the brain responsible for visual processing are the physiological cause of hallucinations when taking psilocybin,  and there’s a growing body of evidence that these same interactions could provide relief for individuals with mental health issues.

Let’s now take a closer look at the connection between magic mushrooms and mental health. 

Magic Mushrooms and Mental Health

The connection between magic mushrooms and mental health is an emerging area of science. We’ve seen a few promising studies so far, but there’s a lot more work to be done before we can fully understand the impact of magic mushrooms on mental health.

Below, we’re going to explore and highlight the most significant investigations that have taken place so far into the clinical potential of magic mushrooms for treating anxiety, depression, addiction, cluster headaches, and epilepsy. We’ll give a brief overview of each illness, then highlight the latest research into how magic mushrooms and psilocybin can help.

Magic Mushrooms and Anxiety

What is Anxiety? 

Anxiety can be simply described as a feeling of fear or apprehension that may or may not have an environmental trigger. Symptoms of anxiety may include:

  • Increased heart rate
  • Rapid breathing
  • Generalized feelings of fear and worry
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dizziness or feeling faint
  • Restlessness

Anxiety is part of how humans respond to stressful situations, acting as a precursor to the “fight, flight, or freeze” response to environmental dangers or threats. When we experience life events that make us fearful or nervous, we may experience temporary anxiety. 

An anxiety disorder occurs when feelings of anxiety begin to emerge at inappropriate times, and when those feelings are so severe and intense that they interfere with an individual’s daily life and activities. Anxiety disorders are the most common forms of mental disorder, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

Can Magic Mushrooms Treat Anxiety?

So far, there have been just a handful of studies done on magic mushrooms and anxiety.

The first such study was published in the Archive of General Psychiatry in 2010 by a group of researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and titled “Pilot study of psilocybin treatment for anxiety in patients with advanced-stage cancer”. The research participants were a group of twelve late-stage cancer patients who had also been diagnosed with anxiety. 

Researchers started by measuring the anxiety of each participant using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Then, researchers administered a dosage of psilocybin to each participant according to their body weight. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was administered to patients one, three, and six months after the treatment to measure any changes or improvements in mood. 

Ultimately, researchers found that psilocybin treatment resulted in a significant mood improvement and decreased anxiety at both one month and three months after treatment. The effect seemed to drop off by the six-month follow-up, indicating that additional rounds of psilocybin therapy would be needed to sustain the positive effects.

The original pilot study on psilocybin and anxiety was replicated in 2016 by Roland R Griffiths and a group of hallucinogen researchers from Johns Hopkins University. The new study was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology with the title “Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial”. 

This time, research participants included 51 late-stage cancer patients that were also diagnosed with either depression or anxiety. Participants received two psilocybin therapy sessions with two different dosages – a high dose and a low dose. Patients were evaluated after each session and 6 months after the end of the treatments to assess the benefits. Researchers also rigorously documented the behaviour and mood of patients during the treatment. 

Research participants reported significant positive mood changes after participating in the psilocybin treatment and at the six-month follow-up. Overall, 82.6% of participants said that the treatment increased their well-being or life satisfaction either “moderately” or “very much”.

Magic Mushrooms and Depression

<We’ve already written the definitive guide to magic mushrooms and depression – you should check it out! We go into even more detail exploring the many studies on magic mushrooms and depression.>

What is Depression?

Depression is a mood disorder that causes the affected person to experience persistent feelings of sadness, despondence, hopelessness, and/or disinterest. It is one of the most common emotional disorders, affecting more than 250 million people worldwide. 

Some people may be unsure whether their emotional experiences count as depression. It is normal to feel sad, tired, or lonely sometimes in response to challenging life events. Depression becomes a disorder when those feelings persist over time, sometimes even when there’s nothing materially wrong. 

Common symptoms of depression include:

  • Increased irritability or restlessness
  • Unpredictable mood swings
  • Erratic sleep patterns
  • Loss of energy or initiative
  • Shallow affect
  • Lack of productivity and low self-esteem

Researchers have identified many potential causes of depression, including early childhood trauma, structural differences in the brain, certain medical conditions, and a family history of mood disorders.

Can Magic Mushrooms Treat Depression?

In just the past five years, researchers have learned a lot about the impact that magic mushrooms can have on treating depression.

Check out our guide, Magic Mushrooms and Depression: Everything You Need to Know 2021 for a full exploration of the currently available research on magic mushrooms and depression.

Magic Mushrooms and Drug Addiction

What is Drug Addiction?

Addiction sometimes called “substance use disorder”, is a complex mental health issue that can be described as compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences. Addiction is rooted in the dysfunction of chemical systems in the brain that regulates reward, motivation, and memory.

Drug addiction is a major public health issue. Below are listed the ten types of drugs most often implicated in substance use disorders in North America:

  • Tobacco/nicotine 
  • Alcohol
  • Painkillers like oxycontin, codeine, and vicodin
  • Cocaine and its variants
  • Heroin
  • Benzodiazepines like valium and xanax
  • Stimulants like methamphetamine and adderall
  • Inhalants 
  • Sedatives, including sleeping pills like ambien and lunesta
  • Cannabis 

Symptoms of substance use disorder may be grouped into four categories:

  1. Drug Effects – Addicts increase their tolerance to their substance of choice over time. Eventually, they require larger amounts to get the same effects. They may experience withdrawal symptoms when losing access to the drug.
  2. Impaired Control – Addicts experience cravings and strong urges to engage with their drug of choice, often resulting in failed attempts to quit.
  3. Risky Use – Addicts may take risks to acquire or use their drug of choice. They may continue to engage in risky behavior despite knowledge of the potential consequences.
  4. Social Problems – Addicts may find that drug use interferes with their ability to function in society, including holding down a job and maintaining relationships with friends, colleagues, and family members.

Can Magic Mushrooms Treat Addiction?

While no single treatment is appropriate for every person suffering from depression, there has been some evidence that psilocybin therapies could be useful for some individuals trying to quit smoking or reduce their dependence on alcohol. 

Studies in this area have been extremely limited so far, but we’re hoping that future research will look more closely at how magic mushrooms can trigger behaviour changes that lead people away from addiction.

Can Magic Mushrooms Help Me Quit Alcohol?

A 2015 study conducted by Michael P Bogenschutz and colleagues at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center was the first to investigate the efficacy of psilocybin for alcohol dependence. The study was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology under the title “Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: a proof-of-concept study”.

The study involved 10 research patients with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence. The participants were given 8 weeks of motivational enhancement therapy and received two doses of psilocybin – one after the fourth week, and one after the final week of therapy. 

Researchers found that the participants all showed increased rates of alcohol abstinence after receiving the psilocybin treatment. The intensity of their psychedelic experiences during week 4 of the study correlated strongly with a reduction in alcohol consumption during weeks 5-8. These preliminary findings seem to suggest that psilocybin therapies can actually help reduce alcohol dependency in chronic drinkers.

Can Magic Mushrooms Help Me Quit Smoking?

So far, we’ve seen just one small study that investigates whether magic mushrooms could be used to help quit smoking.

This study was conducted by Matthew W Johnson and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University, and published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology with the title “Pilot study of the 5-HT2AR agonist psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco addiction”.

This study included 15 participants who had been smoking an average of 19 cigarettes per day for an average of 31 years, with an average of 6 previous attempts to quit smoking. The participants were given 15 weeks of structured smoking cessation therapy, during which they received moderate or high doses of psilocybin. At the 6-month follow-up, a biomarker assessment demonstrated that 12 of the 15 participants had abstained from smoking over the prior seven days.

This study shows a lot of promise that magic mushrooms could be used in the future in therapies that help people quit smoking, even after they’ve smoked for decades and failed to quit multiple times.

Magic Mushrooms and Cluster Headaches

What are Cluster Headaches?

Cluster headaches are not very common, as they seem to affect just 0.1% of the population. Still, cluster headaches are considered one of the most painful and unpleasant types of headaches. They are characterized by intense pain localized around one eye or on one side of the head. 

Cluster headaches may occur in cyclical patterns known as cluster periods. A cluster period lasts between one week and one year, during which the patient experiences headaches almost every day, or even multiple times per day. A cluster period may be followed by a period of remission where the individual experiences no headaches for a period of months or years.

Common symptoms of cluster headaches may include:

  • Severe pain on one side of the head or around one eye
  • Restlessness
  • Teary eyes, facial sweating, or runny nose
  • Swelling around the eye, redness of the eye, or a droopy eyelid

Can Magic Mushrooms Treat Cluster Headaches?

If you’re currently suffering from cluster headaches, the available evidence suggests that magic mushrooms might be the solution to your problems.

One of the first research papers on the medicinal properties of magic mushrooms was written in 2006 by R Andrew Sewell and colleagues at Harvard University and published in the journal Neurology with the title “Response of cluster headache to psilocybin and LSD”.

Sewell and his colleagues interviewed 53 cluster headache patients who had self-medicated using either magic mushrooms or LSD. Their findings can be summarized as follows:

  • 85% of psilocybin users who were interviewed said that taking magic mushrooms allowed them to abort cluster headache attacks at their onset.
  • 52% of psilocybin users reported that using magic mushrooms resulted in the termination of a cluster period and the onset of a remission period.
  • 95% of psilocybin users reported that using magic mushrooms extended their remission period, effectively increasing the length of time between cluster headache attacks by months or years.

One follow-up study involving 496 patients found that psilocybin was either comparable or more effective than conventional treatments for treating cluster headaches.

Are Magic Mushrooms Addictive?

Short answer: NO!

The war on drugs in North America began in 1971 and was characterized by the suppression of research into psychedelic medicine and the widespread distribution of misinformation about drugs like psilocybin. This climate has created big misconceptions that need to change if Canadians are going to benefit from psilocybin treatments in the future.

According to Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D., Professor at Johns Hopkins University and career researcher into magic mushrooms, the biggest misconception about magic mushrooms is that it’s highly addictive. 

In fact, Johnson said in a 2019 interview that magic mushrooms don’t really have the same addictive properties as other drugs that are more commonly abused (like the kind we listed under the “What is Addiction?” header in this article). Johnson also points out that magic mushrooms don’t interact with the dopamine system, so they’re not producing a reliable feeling of euphoria or the typical dopamine response you see with a smoker or an alcohol abuser.

Based on this understanding, researchers at Johns Hopkins are now recommending that psilocybin be reclassified from Schedule I to Schedule IV in the controlled substances act. This change would acknowledge its low potential for abuse and accepted medical uses, opening the door to future clinical investigation.

Are Magic Mushrooms Safe?

Magic mushrooms can only be used to treat mental health issues if they don’t cause other kinds of harm. Unfortunately, there are widespread misconceptions about the kinds of harm that magic mushrooms can cause.

A 2011 literature review analyzed pooled data from 8 different studies involving psilocybin administration to assess the short-term and long-term safety concerns. In total, the analysis included data from 110 research participants who received a total of 227 doses of psilocybin.

This review found that more research participants reported pleasurable, enriching, and non-threatening experiences while under the influence of magic mushrooms. While there were some adverse reactions reported, they were generally related to the highest dose conditions and successfully managed using interpersonal support. 

Follow-up questionnaires with research participants revealed that none of them had experienced:

  • Any subsequent issues with substance abuse,
  • Any persisting disorders of perception, 
  • Any symptoms of prolonged psychosis,
  • Any long-term functional impairment.

Based on these results, it appears that psilocybin is quite safe to use in the clinical context. This is great news for both clinicians and mental health patients who are excited about the therapeutic potential of magic mushrooms for mental health.

Summary

Thanks for checking out our ultimate guide to magic mushrooms and mental health in 2021!

Here’s a quick summary of what we covered in this article:

  • Exciting new research is showing that magic mushrooms might be helpful in treating a variety of mental health conditions
  • Research into magic mushrooms and anxiety showed that participants do experience increased levels of well being and life satisfaction after receiving psilocybin therapy
  • Research into magic mushrooms and depression has found that therapies involving psilocybin do result in mood improvements for patients.
  • Early experimental results have shown that psilocybin therapies might help to elevate the success rate of addiction therapies, including tobacco cessation therapies and motivation enhancement therapy for recovering alcoholics.
  • Many people who suffer from cluster headaches have reported significant relief after taking magic mushrooms.
  • Leading psilocybin researchers say that magic mushrooms and other psychedelics do not share the same addictive properties as alcohol and tobacco.
  • Magic mushrooms are being used safely in clinical research, with participants reporting generally positive experiences and no long-term negative side effects.

Based on everything we’ve shared here, we’re excited about the future of magic mushrooms as a treatment for mental health disorders in Canada. We hope the next generation of Canadians will benefit from interventions for depression, anxiety, and addiction that harness the therapeutic power of magic mushrooms – a power we’re just beginning to understand.

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