Psychedelics like psilocybin are making huge waves in the fight against depression.
“It was a whole personality shift for me. I wasn’t any longer attached to my performance and trying to control things. I could see that the really good things in life will happen if you just show up and share your natural enthusiasms with people. You have a feeling of attunement with other people.”
– Dr. Clark Martin reporting on his experience with psilocybin to treat depression
When depression hits, people become a shadow of their highest potential, and when depression becomes chronic, people often turn to destructive coping behaviors and prescription drugs of dubious effectiveness that have dangers all their own. Thankfully, new research is showing that psychedelic therapy using substances like LSD and psilocybin mushrooms can be enormously helpful to people with mood disorders like depression, with many patients reporting lifelong positive changes to their outlook on life.
Good News for a Seriously Bad Illness
Depression is rightfully considered a serious illness, but our traditional treatment methods with antidepressant drugs have a spotty track record in combatting it. A recent National Institute of Mental Health study illustrated that less than half of people on antidepressants claimed that their symptoms were cured, and that even among those who do respond well to medication, people often slip back into depression despite continued use of antidepressant drugs.
Keep in mind that reliance on powerful antidepressant drugs is a serious matter. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that prescription drug overdoses account for more deaths than overdoses on street drugs like heroin, cocaine, and meth combined. So while the established medical system sees psychedelic treatment as somewhat radical, it’s important to understand that substances like LSD and psilocybin mushrooms are dramatically safer and often much more effective than prescription antidepressants when used properly. This is great news for those that suffer from depression and are not interested in turning to or continuing on prescription drugs.
The Power of Psychedelic Treatment
The core of depression is being out of alignment with our true nature, not following our calling, making too many compromises, and feeling trapped in our current life situation. Antidepressant drugs only temporarily numb this pain, and do nothing to address the heart of depression. Psychedelic treatment, on the other hand, has some big advantages over traditional treatment methods. The vast majority of the time, psychedelic therapy is done with just 1 or 2 doses of the substance, rather than a regiment of continued use. Psychedelic journeys are so powerful that people report lifelong positive effects from just a single experience, with lasting benefits to their mood and sense of wellbeing. Scientists are still trying to define exactly how psychedelics are able to accomplish this, but the immediacy and uniqueness of a psychedelic experience is hard to quantify. What they do know from decades of research and clinical trials is that they do work, even if we don’t know exactly how.
Where prescription antidepressants and traditional treatment methods for depression often only focus on subduing the symptoms of depression, psychedelics have a remarkable and unparalleled ability to holistically transform a person. A Johns Hopkins University study that looked into the effectiveness of psilocybin mushrooms found that even 14 months after the treatment, 94% of the 18 adults that took mushrooms in the trial claimed that their trips were among the top 5 most meaningful experiences of their lives, with 39% saying it was the single most important experience. Friends, coworkers, and family members of the subjects also reported that after treatment, they noticed they were calmer, happier, and kinder. Compare those benefits with the side effects of traditional antidepressants like Zoloft and Prozac and you can see why more research and adoption of psychedelic therapy is an exciting and hopeful prospect for depression sufferers. Psychedelic therapy for depression is faster, safer, longer lasting, and more holistically effective.
I have been researching about psychedelic therapy, I have been in treatment for depression for more than 10 years different medications. Stable mostly but I know I could do better if I get the help I need. I have the feeling this is It, but is frustrating not knowing how to get there.
If someone read this and can help me… please. Thanks for your time.
Hi Aurora,
Would you like to talk about your issues? Anyway for us to reach out to each other?
Same for me… I guess it’s the anxiety of the unknown. Also the fear of poisoning from the wrong harvest.
I am experienced but not in therapy. I have had moderate to severe depression for almost 30 years. with meditation and the correct anti-depressant and stable for many years. Then I had a child, now 12, and after 32 years, I got divorced. I have used LSD 20 years ago. I am convinced that a guided “trip” on mushrooms could eleviate my depression and let go of all the negative experiences I have had. I am considering traveling to a country where I could take mushrooms. But a experienced therapist is needed as well as setting out the “issues” I think i need to come to a new understanding of and cannot with the current medications that are available to me.
I would I understand
Aurora’s predicament. I would like anyone to reach out and contact me regarding this type of therapy.
Oh no, I think my 2 paragraph reply was not posted.
Please reach out to me – any one that is experienced with the psycholtherapy with mushrooms. I’ve had depression for 30 years. I have multiple suicides in my family.
I think the mushroom therapy would possibly heal so much of my depression if not all. I wish I could do this in a theraputic setting.
Following up on Maria’s post, I am in a similar position. Having been on antidepressants for 20+ years, I came to an impasse at 50, losing all interest in my career and just about everything else that I used to enjoy doing. I did a bit of LSD in college and thought psychedelics might be a route to breaking out of my current untenable state. I decided to go with Psilocybin mushrooms due to their availability a lack of adulteration if grown under supervision. I stopped my 200 mg/day sertraline regimen about two days before taking a “McKennaesque” 5 gm dose of dried _P. cubensis_. This was virtually without effect– a real disappointment. Finally after several false starts and waiting a full 3 weeks post sertraline, tried again. Not expecting much from another 4.6 gm dose, I got my ass kicked in a bad and unproductive way. I had neglected to properly prepare for the experience. I didn’t know what to do with myself or how to get comfortable. I ended up fixating on some intestinal discomfort for most of the trip. It wasn’t complete hell but it didn’t do me any good, either. Now I am somewhat reluctant to try again. I throw this out there as something to keep in mind if you are contemplating psychedelics after long-term treatment with SSRIs, even if you have had a fair amount of experience in the past.
i have bouts of depression which last about five days ..i believe micro dosing
is a possible cure for depression.Kanna herb is a natural anti depessant which may be more effective in the short term.
I a.m also interested in guided treatment it’s mushrooms, where does one go for this treatment?
I truly believe psychedelics can relieve depression. I have been battling crippling depression and lethargy for over a decade. Instead of the Wellbutrin and Prozac I was prescribed , which for me had very unpleasant and counterproductive side effects, I opted to take a dose of LSD. I take a tab of acid once every few months . I take it in a recreational environment or in the comfort of my home. I other words I do my best to enjoy and have as much fun as possible. The day after I usually feel the cranky come down effect of dance exhaustion and lack of sleep. But after a good meal and a full night’s sleep, I immediately feel my depression and lethargy lifted. The positive effects last for 2-3 months. I wish there was a way to get accurate and guaranteed purity. When I use some that I like, I purchase as much as I can afford and then store if for later. Hope this helps.
I have been on anti depressants for over twenty years, and they work well, but I would be happy to get off of them if I could. I’ve been reading about mushrooms, and want to try them. Do I have to stop taking my prescription first?
I suffer from ptsd and related conditions. Where can I find information on psilocybin treatments?