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NeuroticTrip
PrefrontalCortex
Registered: 01/05/07
Posts: 119
Last seen: 14 years, 9 months
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Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms
#6473416 - 01/18/07 01:21 PM (17 years, 3 months ago) |
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Hi guys, I've done shrooms twice and... love them. But I want the input of some more veteran trippers.
Recently a John Hopkins study ( http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_releases/2006/07_11_06.html ) came out showing empirically that people who used shrooms had an increase in overall well being. This, I spectulate, much like ayahuasca, may come from an increase in serotonin receptors as well as some kind of overall therapeautic effect.
From the study text: "In the study, more than 60 percent of subjects described the effects of psilocybin in ways that met criteria for a “full mystical experience” as measured by established psychological scales. One third said the experience was the single most spiritually significant of their lifetimes; and more than two-thirds rated it among their five most meaningful and spiritually significant. Griffiths says subjects liken it to the importance of the birth of their first child or the death of a parent.
Two months later, 79 percent of subjects reported moderately or greatly increased well-being or life satisfaction compared with those given a placebo at the same test session. A majority said their mood, attitudes and behaviors had changed for the better. Structured interviews with family members, friends and co-workers generally confirmed the subjects’ remarks. Results of a year-long followup are being readied for publication."
I'd say that's some pretty tremendous study results. Now my question is...
How have you all faired? Did any of you used to suffer from depression, and find that since you've started tripping it's been alleviated? How about anxiety?
I want to hear some talk about shrooms in the real therapeautic and life-impacting sense. A kind of before and after shrooms discussion. So tell me your story. This is your opportunity to share some of the good word on how shrooms might have helped change your life, if you believe they did.
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badchad
Mad Scientist
Registered: 03/02/05
Posts: 13,379
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: NeuroticTrip]
#6473562 - 01/18/07 02:04 PM (17 years, 3 months ago) |
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Well, just so you know, the participants were screened beforehand for psychological disorders. Thus, the study was just a charcterization of psilocybin's effects, rather than looking at therapeutic outcomes.
-------------------- ...the whole experience is (and is as) a profound piece of knowledge. It is an indellible experience; it is forever known. I have known myself in a way I doubt I would have ever occurred except as it did. Smith, P. Bull. Menninger Clinic (1959) 23:20-27; p. 27. ...most subjects find the experience valuable, some find it frightening, and many say that is it uniquely lovely. Osmond, H. Annals, NY Acad Science (1957) 66:418-434; p.436
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rsimoa
newbie
Registered: 07/07/06
Posts: 74
Last seen: 4 years, 4 months
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: badchad]
#6473856 - 01/18/07 03:30 PM (17 years, 3 months ago) |
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I think it depends a lot on your sober mental state and how hard you trip. I never had problems with mental illness (never depressed or anxious or anything either). However, I've always been a bit high-strung and "tormented" in an artist's kind of way. I truly believe that the mushrooms really keep me grounded and "sane"... ironically enough. But I like to trip as hard as I can when I do. Anything less than a 3 trip really doesn't do anything for me.
-------------------- "Mind your mycelium" said the mysteriously mercurial mycologist of Mt. Olympus
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BataviaVakereli
Stranger
Registered: 08/22/05
Posts: 274
Last seen: 14 years, 15 days
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: rsimoa]
#6475817 - 01/19/07 09:04 AM (17 years, 3 months ago) |
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My girlfriend had anxiety and depression problems before doing shrooms. Two years ago is when we first did them. 2grams later she was a changed person. No depression, no anxiety, and just an overall much more grounded person. Since then we've tripped probably 4 or 5 times. These effects are permanent. She's a different person and to this day she attributes it to the first time she did shrooms. I wish these sorts of things happened to more people and more people talked about it. It sheds such a positive light on our beloved shrooms.
By the way, the rest of her family is on anti-depressants and following their lead she felt she needed the same treatment. Not anymore.
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jenns_hot
Hungry
Registered: 12/30/06
Posts: 3,459
Loc: East Coast
Last seen: 2 years, 3 months
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: BataviaVakereli]
#6475841 - 01/19/07 09:16 AM (17 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
BataviaVakereli said: My girlfriend had anxiety and depression problems before doing shrooms. Two years ago is when we first did them. 2grams later she was a changed person. No depression, no anxiety, and just an overall much more grounded person. Since then we've tripped probably 4 or 5 times. These effects are permanent. She's a different person and to this day she attributes it to the first time she did shrooms. I wish these sorts of things happened to more people and more people talked about it. It sheds such a positive light on our beloved shrooms.
By the way, the rest of her family is on anti-depressants and following their lead she felt she needed the same treatment. Not anymore.
i'm always happy to hear of someone getting off anti depressants. congratulations.
-------------------- "Fear makes the wolf look bigger"
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lsd25icu812
Stranger
Registered: 03/16/06
Posts: 596
Loc: United States
Last seen: 13 years, 10 months
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: jenns_hot]
#6475903 - 01/19/07 09:37 AM (17 years, 3 months ago) |
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this is awesome. these our the steps that we have to take to get these sacred substances acceptable for spiritual practice.... thumbs up
-------------------- love is what is left when you"ve let go of everything you love
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crimsonblood
It's no fun tillsomeone dies
Registered: 01/03/07
Posts: 66
Loc: Sydney , Australia.
Last seen: 16 years, 7 months
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: lsd25icu812]
#6475924 - 01/19/07 09:50 AM (17 years, 3 months ago) |
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Pretty amazing results there.
I Suffered from depression for about 3 years till i started using shrooms, made me think about things in a totally positive way , rather than negative thinking all the time and worrying about things.
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NeuroticTrip
PrefrontalCortex
Registered: 01/05/07
Posts: 119
Last seen: 14 years, 9 months
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: crimsonblood]
#6476533 - 01/19/07 01:08 PM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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Batavia, major congratulations to your girlfriend! That's pretty impressive that she was able to ween herself off the meds with them. Al naturale baby.
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Land_Crab
NeuroticPsychonaut
Registered: 08/29/04
Posts: 2,194
Loc: U.S.
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: NeuroticTrip]
#6477031 - 01/19/07 03:18 PM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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You'd probably be interested in a preliminary study (FDA-approved) concerning the potential efficacy of the use of psilocybin in the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive-Disorder. Here is the published study (.pdf). and here is a brief article introducing the idea, (including criticisms): Psychedelic drug 'hope for OCD'
I myself have not suffered from OCD, though I have had a real tendency towards obsessiveness. This often causes or perpetuates (clinically diagnosed) moderate-to-severe anxiety which is often enmeshed with moderate-to-severe depression. An analogy often used is that of a single drop of ink discoloring an entire glass of water. The ink is a persistent (negative) thought that just won't go away and ends up overshadowing everything else.
I've been taking mushrooms for about 10 years now, and within about the past 3 I've noticed they have undeniable therapeutic value with regards to obsessive thinking. Certainly while under the influence--and typically lasting roughly 1-4 weeks afterwards--I've noticed a reduction or even elimination of this unhealthy obsessiveness. Consequently my anxiety shrinks down to the point where I'm quite simply able to function more "normally".
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ExplosiveMango
HallucinogenusDigitallus
Registered: 07/12/05
Posts: 3,222
Last seen: 14 years, 5 months
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: Land_Crab]
#6477722 - 01/19/07 06:31 PM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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I used to suffer from severe clinical depression, getting into psychedelics essentially gave me enough power to reform my ways of thinking into ones of a healthy person. I've spent years reading about depression and related neuro-chemistry and psychology, as well as about psychedelic pharmacology and practice. Using psychedelics was the key to integrating my opinions and understandings about depression into a solution for my particular problem. At this point I seem to be completely cured, I had no tendencies signs of relapse even at the darkest points of this year (I have historically been very affected by seasonal affected disorder).
-------------------- Know your self. Know your substance. Know your source. The most distorted perspective possible is the perspective that yours is not distorted.
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NeuroticTrip
PrefrontalCortex
Registered: 01/05/07
Posts: 119
Last seen: 14 years, 9 months
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: Land_Crab]
#6479782 - 01/20/07 12:21 PM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
Land_Crab said: You'd probably be interested in a preliminary study (FDA-approved) concerning the potential efficacy of the use of psilocybin in the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive-Disorder. Here is the published study (.pdf). and here is a brief article introducing the idea, (including criticisms): Psychedelic drug 'hope for OCD'
I myself have not suffered from OCD, though I have had a real tendency towards obsessiveness. This often causes or perpetuates (clinically diagnosed) moderate-to-severe anxiety which is often enmeshed with moderate-to-severe depression. An analogy often used is that of a single drop of ink discoloring an entire glass of water. The ink is a persistent (negative) thought that just won't go away and ends up overshadowing everything else.
I've been taking mushrooms for about 10 years now, and within about the past 3 I've noticed they have undeniable therapeutic value with regards to obsessive thinking. Certainly while under the influence--and typically lasting roughly 1-4 weeks afterwards--I've noticed a reduction or even elimination of this unhealthy obsessiveness. Consequently my anxiety shrinks down to the point where I'm quite simply able to function more "normally".
Crab, I can definitely relate to that obsessiveness. While that isn't referred to as OCD typically, it might be considered "Pure O" which is a new definition that's beginning to be used for OCD without the compulsions (which I believe is waaaay more common than most would think).
Has it affected social anxiety for you, if you had that? Why didn't you notice that it helped you in the seven years prior? That's quite a bit experience to have not noticed it.
I read about the criticisms of using psilocybin to treat OCD... I have one thing to be said about their criticisms: "With great power comes great responsibility." Apply spiderman's rule to psilocybin, it works well. Psilocybin is a powerful substance and you just can't be stupid about it. Doesn't mean it's not worth the "risk." (Afterall, dying from it really isn't THAT feasible) Often when I've read about someone's bad trips it's almost always got to do with having tripped with someone that was causing them mental distress.
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rsimoa
newbie
Registered: 07/07/06
Posts: 74
Last seen: 4 years, 4 months
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: NeuroticTrip]
#6482015 - 01/21/07 10:02 AM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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It makes sense...psilicybin is soooo close in chemical structure to serotonin.
-------------------- "Mind your mycelium" said the mysteriously mercurial mycologist of Mt. Olympus
Edited by rsimoa (01/21/07 10:23 AM)
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MrBuzin
Stranger
Registered: 09/20/06
Posts: 432
Last seen: 16 years, 6 months
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: NeuroticTrip]
#6482168 - 01/21/07 11:27 AM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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I lost my marbles from weed and mushrooms which I'm still trying to get back
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NeuroticTrip
PrefrontalCortex
Registered: 01/05/07
Posts: 119
Last seen: 14 years, 9 months
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: MrBuzin]
#6483965 - 01/21/07 07:45 PM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
Syk0s3s said: I lost my marbles from weed and mushrooms which I'm still trying to get back
Strange forum to be frequenting if that's true.
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wearejellyfish
Stranger
Registered: 11/20/06
Posts: 1,375
Last seen: 14 years, 5 months
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: NeuroticTrip]
#6484030 - 01/21/07 07:59 PM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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if mushrooms can really help with my social anxiety, anxiety in general, and depression, things would be better, no doubt. i was always a bit hesitant to eat any shrooms because i thought maybe my anxiety and depression might have increased while tripping. but it seems the total opposite effect takes part.
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pokermush
Waterboardingmyself toprotect America!
Registered: 09/17/06
Posts: 475
Loc: Utah
Last seen: 16 years, 2 days
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: wearejellyfish]
#6485923 - 01/22/07 01:21 PM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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Mushrooms have completely eliminated my depression. Better than that... it eliminated my tendency to be cynical and negative about little things that didn't matter, and made me appreciate the things that really are important -- and good -- in my life. Stuff doesn't drag me down now.
It's as if my brain no longer has the tendency toward depression.
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Herbus
...
Registered: 10/19/04
Posts: 1,477
Loc: Reading the map...
Last seen: 10 years, 3 months
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: pokermush]
#6485966 - 01/22/07 01:32 PM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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Mushrooms made me really happy and content, with goals for life...
But then I started doing opiates again and everything is RUINED!
-------------------- ...
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NeuroticTrip
PrefrontalCortex
Registered: 01/05/07
Posts: 119
Last seen: 14 years, 9 months
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: Herbus]
#6487472 - 01/22/07 09:44 PM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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You know, if enough people felt strongly enough that psilocybin helped them with depression/anxiety I'd like to see some kind of index of people's personal stories.
I'd say the trip reports might satisfy that criteria, except most of it talks about everyones subjective experiences instead of the effects over the long-term.
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Land_Crab
NeuroticPsychonaut
Registered: 08/29/04
Posts: 2,194
Loc: U.S.
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: NeuroticTrip]
#6487866 - 01/22/07 11:02 PM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
PFC said: Crab, I can definitely relate to that obsessiveness. While that isn't referred to as OCD typically, it might be considered "Pure O" which is a new definition that's beginning to be used for OCD without the compulsions (which I believe is waaaay more common than most would think).
Has it affected social anxiety for you, if you had that? Why didn't you notice that it helped you in the seven years prior? That's quite a bit experience to have not noticed it.(...)
Major problems with social anxiety and panic attacks, though it's gotten much better over the years. I attribute most of the progress to a combination of excellent therapy combined with medication. And, difficult to measure though it may be, taking mushrooms in (mellow) social situations just tends to put me at ease. I feel more centered, more comfortable with myself and uninhibited in communicating with people (who 99% of the time are not tripping). It's a genuine kind of feeling.
I'm not sure why it took so long for me to recognize the therapeutic value. It's probably emerged as a result of a better understanding of the nature of my personal hang-ups. It's also a culmination of having had SO many positive experiences on mushrooms, and having had enough time to examine the various facets of the experiences in the context of my life. Plus over the years mushrooms have turned into something more sacred, profound, and personal for me. (It's hard to explain.)
How about you? You've had similar stuff..?
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NeuroticTrip
PrefrontalCortex
Registered: 01/05/07
Posts: 119
Last seen: 14 years, 9 months
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Re: Depression, Anxiety, John Hopkins Study on Shrooms [Re: Land_Crab]
#6494589 - 01/24/07 11:55 PM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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Quote:
Land_Crab said: taking mushrooms in (mellow) social situations just tends to put me at ease. I feel more centered, more comfortable with myself and uninhibited in communicating with people (who 99% of the time are not tripping). It's a genuine kind of feeling.
I find this interesting. I've only taken shrooms twice, but taking them in a social context strikes me as somewhat unappealing. I feel like I have more raw emotion on shrooms.
Quote:
How about you? You've had similar stuff..?
I've only done it twice. I'll probably doing a third sometime this week, and probably once again another week or so.
I'm really feeling it out. I've really dedicated the next 7-8 months towards getting some kind of enlightenment/contentment in my life. I've made shrooms a part of a increase overall wellbeing regimen. I want to feel joy in my everyday life. The new research on shrooms with ocd and mystical experience has really been what brought my interest to it. I feel like it's done something. I'm finding myself more proactive in my life in some ways. I feel more positive. I just obsessively direct my attention to the positive instead of the negative.
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