Psychedelic spurs growth of neural connections lost in depression

[Walker]

**Remember that we can't let this thread dive into any story telling about taking mushrooms recreationally, please**

I thought this was really interesting and I know many others are into looking at alternative therapies. (CYA statement: Obviously this isn't condoned for self treatment by SF)

The gist of it: In a new study, researchers show that a single dose of psilocybin given to mice prompted an immediate and long-lasting increase in connections between neurons.

The short version: The psychedelic drug psilocybin, a naturally occurring compound found in some mushrooms, has been studied as a potential treatment for depression for years. But exactly how it works in the brain and how long beneficial results might last is still unclear.

The full article here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210705113923.htm

 

[Lekatt]

Years ago I worked with a group of trained mental counselors. There were psychologists, and even one psychiatrist. The group was informal, free, and open to all. I supplied the spiritual touch. We met once a week at the home of one of the counselors. Depression was the main problem discussed. I never heard anyone say that a drug of any kind cured depression.

Drugs, at best, can alleviate symptoms for the length of time the drug is active in the body. Sometimes drugs are needed, but not to the extent they inhibit the real healing process. The real healing comes from learning to deal with, and change negative belief systems into positive belief systems. I went through it myself and it is not a quick fix, but it is a permanent one.

People who live positive successful lives always believe in a greater truth, a meaning beyond themselves. This does not need to be religion, it can simply be a greater good, a caring for others.

 

[Daphna]

**Remember that we can't let this thread dive into any story telling about taking mushrooms recreationally, please**

I thought this was really interesting and I know many others are into looking at alternative therapies. (CYA statement: Obviously this isn't condoned for self treatment by SF)

The gist of it: In a new study, researchers show that a single dose of psilocybin given to mice prompted an immediate and long-lasting increase in connections between neurons.

The short version: The psychedelic drug psilocybin, a naturally occurring compound found in some mushrooms, has been studied as a potential treatment for depression for years. But exactly how it works in the brain and how long beneficial results might last is still unclear.

The full article here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210705113923.htm

I personally don’t eat mushrooms or look to them for medicine. Do you know what mushrooms are and their primary intended purpose? It’s not for food, recreational purposes, or medicine. It’s the reproductive organs of fungus.
Together with bacteria, fungi are responsible for breaking down organic matter and releasing carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus into the soil and the atmosphere.
While I recognize that there are different types etc, I stay away from mushrooms where all the spores are stored. Psychedelic mushrooms grow under cow 💩, so looking to it for health benefits doesn’t make sense. Just my input.

 

[Ash600]

Currently, there's a lot of work being carried out in the field of psychotherapeutics. Whereas traditional pharmacological treatments tend to "dampen" down emotions as part of their effect, psychadelics tend to work in a different way. Usually as we develop, we tend to be subjected to developed linear thinking whereby there is a tendency to filter incoming thoughts and information with past experiences. These levels of filtering as well as supression have been found in studies to be reduced on exposure to psilocybin and other trialed psychadelics.

The end result? In controlled conditions this has been found to cause a temporary increase in what is known as brain or neural plasticity. In the trials of the use of psilocybin for depression, his is the point where suitably trained psychotherapists can come in and help to produce more successful results in the management of this MH condition. Call it cerebral re-wiring if you like.

It was intimated earlier in this thread that drugs can help to alleviate symptoms whils they maintain an active presence within the body. Of course this is true for a whole multitude of conditions. For example, what's the point in taking cardiovascular meds if one is insistent on continuously dining out at the local dirty fried chicken bar? Point I'm making here, is that with many conditions, some form of effort must be made by the patient themselves for treatment to be truly effective. For some, changing learned behaviour can be a huge obstacle to overcome.

Current work within the field of non-hallucinogenic psychadelica has the potential to allow researchers to accelarate the development of novel treatments for MH and neurological conditions.

 

[Przym]

Can we comment on personally using them medicinally?

 

[Lady Wolfshead]

Certain varieties of mushrooms, when eaten as food, have many health benefits. Just google mushroom superfood.

"Magic mushrooms" containing psilocybin are being intensively studied as treatments for mental illness. I personally am convinced of the benefit after reading many studies. I am ordering some low dose (microdose) psilocybin from a reputable supplier. This is about 1/10 the dose it would take to get the hallucinations. I'm leery of trying a higher dose right now, but if microdosing helps I might try it.

There are studies going on in the US and if you live there you might be able to get into one.

It's likely that psilocybin will be available for psychiatric use within the next few years, as the FDA has fast tracked it for study. Results in Europe are promising. Other hallucinogens may have benefits as well.

 

[Lady Wolfshead]

Please note that I'm not suggesting anyone try them without medical approval. I'm doing the microdosing at my own risk and will likely wait for them to be available by prescription and taken in a controlled setting.

 

[Abcde]

Professor David Nutt of Imperial college London has done much research about using psilocybin as a treatment for depression. Personally, I think that it's an interesting avenue of treatment.

However, the use of psilocybin as an intervention for major depressive disorder has been undertook simultaneously with guided talk therapy as patients may well revisit past trauma. MDMA is now being studied as a treatment for depression also. Studies show both drugs have been shown to increase neurogenesis and neural plasticity. However, misuse of either drugs would likely have bad effects as is the case with every drug.

It's worth noting it is not advised to take psychodelics if there is a history of schizophrenia in your family. Also it's been shown in clinical studies micro-dosing could increase neuroticism.

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/may/19/the-psychedelic-drug-trial-review-a-mind-bending-magic-mushroom-mission?amp_js_v=a6&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw==#aoh=16283918796967&amp_ct=1628391893128&referrer=https://www.google.com&amp_tf=From %1$s&ampshare=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/may/19/the-psychedelic-drug-trial-review-a-mind-bending-magic-mushroom-mission

 

[Abcde]

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0211023

Abstract of a study on microdosing