Can Magic Mushrooms Outplace Anti-depressants?
**PSA: I am not a doctor and this article is based on my own personal opinions.
It was a Tuesday in late October and my mother (67 years old) told me she had been prescribed Zoloft for her anxiety. I was upset but I knew damn well my mother suffered from anxiety her entire life. Literally, she’s one of the most anxious people I’ve ever met. It was something she always had but did nothing about- except smoke cannabis, which until recently did the trick.
I never minded her cannabis habit as I felt it helped put her mind at ease and relax her temperament. Plus, it was much more natural compared to any pharmaceutical drug. Needless to say, I never fought her on her cannabis habit and actually supported her usage.
I didn’t love the idea of her starting Zoloft mostly because of the known side effects with SSRIs'; such as nausea, dizziness, fatigue, loss of appetite, and most notably, the horrible withdrawal of coming off of them. I wondered... if this drug can inhibit your appetite, what else is it inhibiting you from? Not to mention the body’s tolerance naturally goes up while taking these drugs so a person is left basically relying on them for life with no plan thereafter to wean off. Coincidence? I think not.
I take it back- I didn’t dislike the fact my mother was on Zoloft- I hated it.
Not too long after my mother was prescribed Zoloft, I read the article, “Psilocybin therapy 4x more effective than antidepressants study finds” by Rich Haridy. Haridy states that a group of people who suffered from depression experienced excellent results when they were weaned off of their antidepressants and given two doses of psilocybin within a two week span accompanied with therapy.
Remarkably, within a month, over 70% of the people in the group reported …”a 50% reduction in depressive symptoms at the four week follow up mark.” The average depression score for the entire group also dropped more than HALF from when they started. Literally, an incredible finding!
I’m well aware psilocybin is a schedule one drug in most states across the country but I have to say it, I believe it’s the future of modern day medicine, if the pharmaceutical companies/government will allow it.
The only thing that can stop psychedelics from taking off is the pharmaceutical companies because it threatens the lining of their pockets.Who will win? It’s a good question.
How do we explain the incredible magnitude and durability of the effects of psilocybin? Treatment research with moderate to high doses of psychedelics may uncover entirely new paradigms for understanding and improving the moods and mindsets of people.
I believe this is just a taste of things to come in the near future...as long as big pharma doesn’t stop it.