Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/05/23/depression-the-psychedelic-cu.html
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Magic mushrooms are one of the first line of defenses for cluster headaches (of which I suffer). A yearly dose seems to be enough to ward off my episodes. These treatments are also being studied at Johns Hopkins and UCLA.
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How interesting. Always assumed they’d only be effective (like most other substances) with much shorter term dosing. Daily or three times weekly or something along those lines. What strange little beings they are.
And sorry you’ve ever had top deal with cluster headaches. I have no idea but hear its terrible. Glad you’ve found relief.
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Thanks. One of the other clusterheads said “it seems to reset something in my brain”, and that’s the best description of the experience I can give.
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I’ve seen some info on the use for depression being good for as long as 6 months with a very large dose. I’ve also read some things on microdosing at more frequent intervals. I’ve been tempted to try it for my own anxiety and depression, but the idea of an “epic” dose kinda wigs me out.
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I believe that this is a good idea. There was a time I would wake in a panic, every single day. That’s not fun at all let me assure you. My brief experimentations led directly and causally to decades of a pleasant mornings and better days. Truly the glass is half full, and hasn’t over flowed nor emptied over the years. Even on the worst days, I have tomorrow morning to look forward to!
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Like a friend and former Professor for forensic psychiatry once said: “You can take pills and psychiadelics all you want but if your life is filled with Assholes and Bullies you never get away from Depression”
That being said i find it interresting that this seems to work in some harder cases. I wonder how it would work with Borderline and such where the depression is a comorbidity.
Edit: My social anxieties shut off when i take weed so i can relate atleast a bit to the people testing and selfmedicating with this.
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Having used acid in the late 60s and early 70s , doing shrooms didn’t scare me. The experience is quite a bit mellower when you set yourself up properly (supporting, and calm friends). If it scares you, don’t do it. But if you do, prepare yourself with information and knowledge. Here’s one of the better sources of info.
https://erowid.org/plants/mushrooms/mushrooms.shtml
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Complete anecdote, but mushrooms have helped several folks I know with depression issues. Thing is, epic dose isn’t necessary. Small doses seem to work a little as well. The good thing about an epic dose, however, is that it can force you into a scary existential crisis that can make you reevaluate your whole world. That can be scary, if you’re lying, making bad choices, have addiction issues, etc., because it forces you to confront the things you don’t want to admit to yourself. But it is still a good thing, since, you know, fixing behaviours you are unhappy with is good.
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Anything that makes these people’s lives better.
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I’ve tried this, self medicating, it works, sort of, for a little while. Less depressed for a few days, but it’s no magic bullet.
Yes, this was my experience too. The next couple days after a trip I always felt more lucid and in control of my life, and then the crap started to creep back in. I suffer from depression and anxiety disorder (pretty sure they are interchangable, one doctor says one, another says the other…) and have been taking “real” medication for almost 20 years.
Will be interesting to see if microdoses can alleviate the problem of not really being able to trip several days in a row. It just doesn’t work (for tripping), but maybe that’s what nature is telling us - we don’t NEED to trip to use these remedies.
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For those interested in this topic:
Michael Polan’s new book focuses on our history with and the positive applications of psychedelics. I haven’t read it yet but listened to him on The Joe Rogan Experience just last night. Really good talk.
He also had Paul Stamets on about 6 months ago. Also very worth while.
For those harboring prejudices, one out of ten Joe Rogan shows are great talks with excellent guests and make no mention of MMA fighting or center right libertarian bullshit.
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