Curing Depression with Psychedelics

[zacb]

Up until recently I understood mushrooms were being used to treat depression, but I experienced the effect first hand. A friend and I had decided to use some LSD, mine is more for self exploration. While I was tripping I realized the anger I had towards myself and others, and realized I needed to care about others. Suffice to say I think I cured my depression. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I feel partially why psychedelics are banned is in part due to their effectiveness vs other anti depressants which just dumb you down. I have also felt I need to limit my alcohol usage and try to understand others more. It does not mean the West is not screwed up and I am still moving, but I am moving for the right reasons, not just to run away. I also don't feel like I need to reuse it. I feel it is a tool and medicine, not a play thing. I feel many people can gain insight due to these types of medicines. I feel like many people here could benefit from such medicines.

[geotek3]

I tend to agree. I have know people who have used LSD to help them make progress in psychotherapy sessions. PCP can also help some people as some of the effects are similar. Not that I am recommending that everyone take a big dose of PCP, although being slipped a large enough dose for a unplanned multi day trip back in college certainly changed my outlook on life, for the better, I think.
Even good ol' Marijuana can help some people to focus better on themselves and think through things. Not that I have much experience with that, for some reason, additional medications didn't seem necessary after the one big trip.

[Taco]

While I was tripping I realized the anger I had towards myself and others, and realized I needed to care about others. Suffice to say I think I cured my depression. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I feel partially why psychedelics are banned is in part due to their effectiveness vs other anti depressants which just dumb you down.

Interesting observation. I believe what your saying is true.

I guy I used to work with would take mushrooms and he told me he couldn't stop laughing which is a very positive result if your depressed.

[gsjackson]

Believe it or not, there was a story in Life magazine circa 1959 in which Cary Grant was quoted as saying LSD had really helped with his marriage and general outlook. It wasn't made illegal until 1966, as part of the '60s cultural wars. Prior to that it had been seen as very promising for psychotherapy, especially the treatment of alcoholism.

[zacb]

And that is the thing. I am a relatively rational guy, I do research on things, but even I was not expecting this. At most I was expecting a burst of creativity. But then I tell others about my discovery and I get "drugs are bad ,m'kay" . I have smoked a bit of weed (most of it around these parts are indica, so it makes me lazy instead of high), done LSA (either too weak or too strong), and mescaline (it did make me less anxious).I just wish that the government did not ban effective treatment and people were more open to alternative treatment.

[Taco]

No wonder they don't want certain drugs legalized...

Cannabinoids can successfully kill leukemia cells, reveals groundbreaking new study
http://www.naturalnews.com/2017-06-20-c ... study.html#

[Eric]

See, the problem is you're never going to cure 'depression' with some mdma, a drug or some medicine.... you can't, that's not possible because it's not caused by that - it's just a band aid and will never get to the root, as such. But a lot of unscrupulous doctors and practitioners are willing to make a buck off of that. Depression usually...usually stems from some problems growing up; bad parenting, or some problem you faced and couldn't/didn't adequately deal with.
Not all of life is easy, infact most of it is hard work, and it definitely isn't "fair", whatever that means... life is hard. But it's worth it. I can guarantee you it'll only get infinitely harder if you refuse to or don't do the work. It's usually not even that hard.


You know what your problems are, now face them. Helplessness is useless and doesn't get you anywhere.

[HouseMD]

Up until recently I understood mushrooms were being used to treat depression, but I experienced the effect first hand. A friend and I had decided to use some LSD, mine is more for self exploration. While I was tripping I realized the anger I had towards myself and others, and realized I needed to care about others. Suffice to say I think I cured my depression. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I feel partially why psychedelics are banned is in part due to their effectiveness vs other anti depressants which just dumb you down. I have also felt I need to limit my alcohol usage and try to understand others more. It does not mean the West is not screwed up and I am still moving, but I am moving for the right reasons, not just to run away. I also don't feel like I need to reuse it. I feel it is a tool and medicine, not a play thing. I feel many people can gain insight due to these types of medicines. I feel like many people here could benefit from such medicines.

There's actually a lot of medical research going on right now into mushrooms, LSD, and ketamine for refractory depression. One sub-dissociative dose of K can cure depression for up to six weeks. LSD has more unpredictable results, and mushrooms are still in the prelim phase. We weren't really able to research much of this until recently because of how tight government control was, but it's very, very promising.

[HouseMD]

See, the problem is you're never going to cure 'depression' with some mdma, a drug or some medicine.... you can't, that's not possible because it's not caused by that - it's just a band aid and will never get to the root, as such. But a lot of unscrupulous doctors and practitioners are willing to make a buck off of that. Depression usually...usually stems from some problems growing up; bad parenting, or some problem you faced and couldn't/didn't adequately deal with.
Not all of life is easy, infact most of it is hard work, and it definitely isn't "fair", whatever that means... life is hard. But it's worth it. I can guarantee you it'll only get infinitely harder if you refuse to or don't do the work. It's usually not even that hard.


You know what your problems are, now face them. Helplessness is useless and doesn't get you anywhere.

It depends on the kind of depression. Depression can be rooted in genetic factors, particularly in patients with dysthymic disorder (persistent, mild depressed state with no inciting events, no suicidal ideation, and duration of 2+ years). Think of happiness like a thermostat, but different people have the temperature set at different levels baseline. Dysthymic patients essentially have a thermostat that is set too low, and for whatever reason certain psychedelics seem to reset it in some people, as can seizures or other potentially brain-altering events.

[Eric]

See, the problem is you're never going to cure 'depression' with some mdma, a drug or some medicine.... you can't, that's not possible because it's not caused by that - it's just a band aid and will never get to the root, as such. But a lot of unscrupulous doctors and practitioners are willing to make a buck off of that. Depression usually...usually stems from some problems growing up; bad parenting, or some problem you faced and couldn't/didn't adequately deal with.
Not all of life is easy, infact most of it is hard work, and it definitely isn't "fair", whatever that means... life is hard. But it's worth it. I can guarantee you it'll only get infinitely harder if you refuse to or don't do the work. It's usually not even that hard.


You know what your problems are, now face them. Helplessness is useless and doesn't get you anywhere.

It depends on the kind of depression. Depression can be rooted in genetic factors, particularly in patients with dysthymic disorder (persistent, mild depressed state with no inciting events, no suicidal ideation, and duration of 2+ years). Think of happiness like a thermostat, but different people have the temperature set at different levels baseline. Dysthymic patients essentially have a thermostat that is set too low, and for whatever reason certain psychedelics seem to reset it in some people, as can seizures or other potentially brain-altering events.

Not really, I'm not advocating that we stop any treatments like ketamine or mdma or any kind of a medicine, simply saying that depression is a complex set of behavioral/thought and emotional characteristics. I feel like some people can be depressed or prone to depression naturally - I'm one of those people. For some reason I get depressed out of nowhere, at least I can't pin it down or figure out what's causing that. I've been dealing with that since a teenager. My brother was always hard working, and focused growing up; he would always stay studying and do homework etc., although he seemed to get moods they were low level, seemed to be in the background and didn't really impact him that much. I didn't feel like studying as a teenager, working hard or focusing. I don't know what that is or why I'm like that, I wasn't like that as a kid at all, in fact I was the complete opposite, studious, energetic, bright happy and eager to do chores and to obey my parents. I did really, really well as a child. Something happened whereas I just, I don't know I felt like what's the point, I got depressed. I lost focus, my mind was all over the place, distractory - up in the air. This all happened and I didn't know what to do about it at all - at all. I just kind of got used to it and accepted it...I did poorly in school, had a bad attitude and felt more and more depressed, the shame got worse of course after these feelings...I began to feel worthless, my self-esteem was impacted. I felt ashamed and became sensitive in front of others and my family; these feelings just grew on themselves.
So, it is a real problem. It seems to all stem from that beginning ...feeling of emptiness and just the loss of drive or pointlessness. I don't know why this happens.
I just couldn't bring myself to slave away at homework like my brother did, I didn't know how he did it. I still don't know how. I admire him for it, there's something in him that's not in me. Or, it's in me but I haven't mastered it somehow...like he has. It is hard to explain that feeling. I just didn't have the willpower to focus, I could have, but there was no point - as I saw it. I just began to feel empty...like I didn't care. I dont' know what caused these feelings. I can't really link it to anything really. I thought maybe it was my Dad and everything, but I really don't think that was it, I don't know.
Anyway, the more important thing is to do something about it. Before, I used to just sulk and let it get worse. I wouldn't handle it and would let it spiral out and just feed itself, and cause a full blown depressive disorder - which is no fun, at all.
You have to handle things proactively - that's why I'm not a big fan of thinking like a victim mentality, relying on a 'drug' or something. That's all.

[Eric]

See, the problem is you're never going to cure 'depression' with some mdma, a drug or some medicine.... you can't, that's not possible because it's not caused by that - it's just a band aid and will never get to the root, as such. But a lot of unscrupulous doctors and practitioners are willing to make a buck off of that. Depression usually...usually stems from some problems growing up; bad parenting, or some problem you faced and couldn't/didn't adequately deal with.
Not all of life is easy, infact most of it is hard work, and it definitely isn't "fair", whatever that means... life is hard. But it's worth it. I can guarantee you it'll only get infinitely harder if you refuse to or don't do the work. It's usually not even that hard.


You know what your problems are, now face them. Helplessness is useless and doesn't get you anywhere.

It depends on the kind of depression. Depression can be rooted in genetic factors, particularly in patients with dysthymic disorder (persistent, mild depressed state with no inciting events, no suicidal ideation, and duration of 2+ years). Think of happiness like a thermostat, but different people have the temperature set at different levels baseline. Dysthymic patients essentially have a thermostat that is set too low, and for whatever reason certain psychedelics seem to reset it in some people, as can seizures or other potentially brain-altering events.

Not really, I'm not advocating that we stop any treatments like ketamine or mdma or any kind of a medicine, simply saying that depression is a complex set of behavioral/thought and emotional characteristics. I feel like some people can be depressed or prone to depression naturally - I'm one of those people. For some reason I get depressed out of nowhere, at least I can't pin it down or figure out what's causing that. I've been dealing with that since a teenager. My brother was always hard working, and focused growing up; he would always stay studying and do homework etc., although he seemed to get moods they were low level, seemed to be in the background and didn't really impact him that much. I didn't feel like studying as a teenager, working hard or focusing. I don't know what that is or why I'm like that, I wasn't like that as a kid at all, in fact I was the complete opposite, studious, energetic, bright happy and eager to do chores and to obey my parents. I did really, really well as a child. Something happened whereas I just, I don't know I felt like what's the point, I got depressed. I lost focus, my mind was all over the place, distractory - up in the air. This all happened and I didn't know what to do about it at all - at all. I just kind of got used to it and accepted it...I did poorly in school, had a bad attitude and felt more and more depressed, the shame got worse of course after these feelings...I began to feel worthless, my self-esteem was impacted. I felt ashamed and became sensitive in front of others and my family; these feelings just grew on themselves.
So, it is a real problem. It seems to all stem from that beginning ...feeling of emptiness and just the loss of drive or pointlessness. I don't know why this happens.
I just couldn't bring myself to slave away at homework like my brother did, I didn't know how he did it. I still don't know how. I admire him for it, there's something in him that's not in me. Or, it's in me but I haven't mastered it somehow...like he has. It is hard to explain that feeling. I just didn't have the willpower to focus, I could have, but there was no point - as I saw it. I just began to feel empty...like I didn't care. I dont' know what caused these feelings. I can't really link it to anything really. I thought maybe it was my Dad and everything, but I really don't think that was it, I don't know.
Anyway, the more important thing is to do something about it. Before, I used to just sulk and let it get worse. I wouldn't handle it and would let it spiral out and just feed itself, and cause a full blown depressive disorder - which is no fun, at all.
You have to handle things proactively - that's why I'm not a big fan of thinking like a victim mentality, relying on a 'drug' or something. That's all.

[Eric]

I don't know what else I can do other than simple things like cleaning up my diet, no sugar etc. And making room for some of that stuff...like understanding I feel that way, and not being that hard on myself .... trying hard to focus, making room for distractability; I guess treating my depression somehow ....I'm taking a 5htp supplement and medicine now.
I don't really know what to do about this or why it happens .....just have to do my best.

I also notice the social changes have to do with things as well. Many social changes have contributed to depression etc. Women's freedom is way different than anything we're used to. If you think about it, women might have been repressed in the past - they are just being themselves, but think if it's normal that they've never had as much freedom as they do now. It's just running up against old structural rules etc. Men generally don't like this - it's a women's thing...they can't see problems with it.
Men only like it when they can begin to let themselves relax and see and enjoy the sexual liberating part of it. But then, I won't argue that society falls apart anyway. Marriage and rules/codes are there for a reason.

I don't know what to do about it. I guess we just accept it.

[Nomad]

I find I can cure depression when I'm productive. Not your typical, go to corporation and work production, but some hobby you love or enjoy to do.

I enjoy building websites, and sometimes when my mood goes low, its generally because I haven't done anything or built anything. Once I get some "work" in, my mood improves considerably.

[zacb]

I will just say this: psychedelics are a first step, it is your job to keep it going.

[Eric]

I would actually really like to try ketamine or something like that, mushrooms etc to lift depression.