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Medicine Science

Psilocybin Frees Up Depressed Brain, Study Shows (bbc.com) 97

Posted by BeauHD from the don't-knock-it-until-you've-tried-it dept.
Psilocybin, a drug found in magic mushrooms, appears to free up the brains of people with severe depression in a way that other antidepressants do not, a study has found. The BBC reports: The results, based on brain scans of 60 people, mean the drug could treat depression in a unique way, the researchers say. Patients with depression are warned not to take psilocybin on their own. A synthetic form of the drug is tested on people in trials under strict medical conditions, with psychological support from experts provided before, during and after it is taken.

With depression, the brain can get stuck in a rut and locked into a particular negative way of thinking, he said. But when given psilocybin, people's brains opened up and became "more flexible and fluid" up to three weeks later. This could be seen in increased connections between regions of the brain when patients were scanned. These patients were more likely to experience an improvement in mood months later. Similar changes were not seen in the brains of people treated with a standard antidepressant.

The results, published in Nature Medicine, are taken from two studies. In the first, everyone received psilocybin; and in the second -- a randomized controlled trial - some were given the drug while others were given a different antidepressant. All participants also received talking therapies with registered mental health professionals. Brain scans were taken before, and then one day or three weeks after taking the therapy.
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Psilocybin Frees Up Depressed Brain, Study Shows More

Psilocybin Frees Up Depressed Brain, Study Shows

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  • While this might be true (Score:4)

    by rsilvergun ( 571051 ) on Monday April 11, 2022 @10:36PM (#62438496)
    Banning it let's just throw left wingers in jail. As one YouTuber pointed out take a picture of Woodstock and you can bet everyone in that picture was higher as a kite and two years later every single one of them was a criminal because of it.

    We're not going to see the positive effects of natural drugs in our society without a pretty large change and how our politics works. Being able to disrupt one half of the entire political spectrum because they have a tendency to use certain drugs besides alcohol is way too politically expedient for the other side.

    The crazy thing is we have Nixon's own people on record admitting that's what they were doing and we have the internet so everyone knows that and yet here we are still pretending...

    • Re:While this might be true (Score:4, Interesting)

      by narcc ( 412956 ) on Monday April 11, 2022 @10:51PM (#62438528) Journal

      Things make a lot more sense once you realize that cruelty is the point.

      I'm reminded of this: [vox.com] "I thought he was going to do good things. He’s not hurting the people he needs to be hurting."

      There are a ton of simple things we can do to improve people's lives, but that's anathema to them. Remember how disgusted you were about our use of water boarding? That's how they felt about the Advance Child Tax Credit.

      • I know that phrase sounds great but that's not really the point. For the people at the top the point is power. For the rank and file most of them don't really think it all the way through and the few that do the point is hierarchies. Specifically they need to feel like they're higher up on the totem pole then somebody else. It's why the South didn't want to give up slavery even as industrialization made it economically non-viable. Slavery meant that the poor white Southerners could look down on slaves and d

        • Specifically they need to feel like they're higher up on the totem pole then somebody else.

          This has been the cause of many of America's problems. Even today it's still a problem (and even on the left, think how elitist people from Harvard act, or self-superior others act).

          • It's not an American thing (Score:4, Insightful)

            by rsilvergun ( 571051 ) on Tuesday April 12, 2022 @11:04AM (#62439992)
            it's a right wing thing. This isn't me casting shade on right wingers, it's well researched fact. After the Nazis and the Italian & Japanese fascists a *lot* of time was spent trying to figure out what makes the right wing tick. Over and over the same thing came up: hierarchies.

            The core of the right wing is a firm belief in hierarchy. Even their belief in "natural order" is just an extension of that, with everything fitting into the hierarchy of natural order.

            The left tries to fit the right win into their own framework, just assuming that the goal of the right wing is to go backwards since the left's goal is to go forwards (e.g. "progressive").

            But the thing is the left and right have completely different goals. The right doesn't want to go forward or backward. They want to maintain the hierarchy. That's because they believe firmly that's what's best for them and everyone else. There's some people at the top, some people at the bottom and some in the middle (mind you they themselves are always nearer to the top, yes, even the poor ones...). Any attempt to change that courts disaster.

            That's the mistake the left wing makes. We assume the other side is trying to move things backwards. They're not. They're very much in favor of a kind of "progress", in the sense that they'll make whatever changes are necessary to preserve their preferred hierarchies.

            • Nope. The Right likes the hierarchy. The Left wants to rearrange the hierarchy. Very few want to get rid of the hierarchy.

              • The goal Of the left is to maximize human freedom and happiness. Hierarchies don't factor into that except that the super rich aren't really compatible with that goal. Just because there are limited resources but because nobody can be rich if there are no poor.

                • The goal Of the left is to maximize human freedom and happiness

                  What "left" are you talking about here?

                  • but start with YouTuber's Beau Of the Fifth Column and Cult of Dusty. If you want the real left non-compete, who are actual communists.

                    • Most real communists are all about creating their own hierarchy of power. Occasionally you'll meet someone who doesn't want to do that, they believe that to create communism first you need to change the people (ie, a "new soviet man" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] "Soviet" means "council," btw, it's kind of a cool word, government by councils, not a scary word), then communism will arise naturally. Every other communist is just thinking of taking over the state apparatus directly.

        • Re:Cruelty is not the point (Score:5, Interesting)

          by narcc ( 412956 ) on Tuesday April 12, 2022 @03:09AM (#62438938) Journal

          I'm not that optimistic. There are just too many senseless nasty things that don't advance anyone's personal power or influence for me to believe that it's only about power. Who benefited by ending the Advance Child Tax Credit? What possible power motive could there have been for stripping $40 million in funding for lead pipe replacement? TFG's child separation policy was explicitly cruel.

          As for the rank and file, that's why I brought up that quote. Many of them really do want other people to suffer. They'll even tell you as much. Just mention prison reform in right-wing circles and you'll see what I mean. The Florida "anti-riot" bill that allows you to hit protestors with your car was all about the fantasy that many on the right have of physically hurting or killing people with whom they disagree. Joe Arpaio, an inhuman monster by any standard, was a hero on the right, which is what lead to him receiving a pardon. In fact, there seems to be an endless parade of right-wing heroes famous for killing people. You don't have to look to far to read fantasy news [slashdot.org] about the brutal execution of various left-wing figures. You can try reading the comments if you have a strong stomach.

          That phrase sounds great because it elegantly captures an important truth. Calling attention to it with a simple slogan like that just might even change a few minds. I simply can't believe that 30% of the country actually want to be monsters.

          • to the billionaires. They were the ones who had to pay for it.

            You're assuming capitalism is still functioning. It's not. We broke it when we stopped enforcing anti-trust law in the 80s and let Wall Street gamble with the public's money.

            We're an oligarchy now. Mind you, we're not so far gone we can't stop being one, but we are very much one.

            more wealthy after he stopped all involvement in production.

            These aren't captains of industry anymore, they're an Aristocracy.

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by narcc ( 412956 )

              Ah, but that's the thing about the Advance Child Tax Credit. We're still spending the same amount of money, just all at once and not spread over the prior year. I doubt that I need to explain to you, of all people, why that's important.

              I also understand that indifference to human suffering is different than taking pleasure in it. Even if you won't accept that our leaders can be intentionally cruel, it should be pretty easy to see that in their base, which is more openly sadistic. Republican candidates

          • I simply can't believe that 30% of the country actually want to be monsters.

            For the longest time, I didn't believe it either; however, your attribution of "monster" is only true from some perspectives. They may effectively BE monsters, but I am certain that they do not perceive themselves to be monsters and are not actually trying to be monsters. The number that actually try to be a monster is less than 1%. The 30% number is overall generally accurate for perceived monster-like behavior.

      • Money and Power are the only things that matter to politicians. "Cruelty" has nothing to do with it.

        They were made illegal because they were having an effect on society which went against the status quo and which was not controllable by the government.

        When Nixon started the war on drugs it was done specifically to criminalize and suppress minority voters.

        Over the years the war on drugs has become quite a significant cash cow. You have industry lobbyists, police unions, etc. using our system of legalized b

    • Prof Nutt has been a huge influence in slowly changing uk politics on drugs. Unfortunately progress is slow, but people are slowly realising theyâ(TM)re not the issue theyâ(TM)re made out to be.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

      It's happening, slowly.

      After all, marijuana is legal now in a lot of places. It took a lot of work, and there's plenty of work left to do, but things are slowly changing.

      Psilocybin is now being an extremely controlled but prescribed medication in a few countries as well - Canada is prescribing it to a limited number of patients and is undergoing many clinical studies because it has benefits.

      Of course, yes, the conservative element is against things like this, preferring to get people addicted to opioids ins

  • Posting to undo a stupid mod

  • It should be legal nationwide with a prescription and medical supervision.

    I suspect big-pharma is fighting this tooth and nail. Magic mushrooms have the potential to derail the epidemic prescribing of pills for PTSD, depression and anxiety.

    • Why do think "big pharma" would fight this rather than just selling it in the first place?

      • I'm in Oregon. I used to toke (smoke weed) quite often back in the day before recreational marijuana became legal here. I see this not so much as a commercial control issue but more people putting on their blinders. There is still a stigma among the generations about habitual drug use. There are those who do it and those who don't partake. When you step over that line you essentially become a different person and different scenarios in perception and counter-cultural aspects when dealing with others frequen

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by endus ( 698588 )

          You're 100% right about the stigma. You see it here in the comments. There are people commenting who actually want things legalized but still see it as just a front to get high. The idea that it could have legitimate medical uses, like any other chemical, has been completely and totally disqualified by propaganda.

          The federal scheduling explicitly states that there is no medical use for some of these substances. The only problem is that they have barely been studied because of the restrictions imposed by

      • Why do think "big pharma" would fight this rather than just selling it in the first place?

        Because you can't patent a mushroom.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by sjames ( 1099 )

        Because you can't patent it and if they try to price it too high, people can literally grow their own.

    • Magic mushrooms have the potential to derail the epidemic prescribing of pills for PTSD

      I don't think you can really get over PTSD until you figure out how to prevent the trauma from happening again. That is, it's not just a mental problem, there's a practical problem.

      • Hear hear. It is quite common for people suffering from severe depression and anxiety to look for a miracle solution.
        They desperately resort to all kind of dubious remedies to get things under control.
        So there is this magic mushroom that rewires your brain and makes you more positive. But evil pharma prevents you from getting it, because they want your money...
        That is a very attractive idea for these people.
        Good that science is exploring this further. But this should be treated with a sceptical attit
      • No, the research on that one is pretty clear. A shroom trip clears PTSD up at some absurd rate of 70-80% of the time, near 100% when guided by a therapist.

  • Can confirm this (Score:5, Informative)

    by Dr.Sweety ( 917213 ) on Tuesday April 12, 2022 @01:12AM (#62438776)
    Posting as AC for obvious reasons.... Last year I've taken MDMA which helped me free up emotionally, it had a lasting effect and profoundly changed my life (in a positive way). It helped me gain insight into me and others which was normally hidden and/or not accessible. I also used LSD microdosing (20mg instead of >150mg for a normal trip). This helped me to free up in communication with other people (I used it before work, I walked into the office so as not to pose any harm to others, you don't want to drive under influence!!). About 1 1/2 months ago I took shrooms for the first time in 20 years. The effect was astonishing: I was regularly suffering from depression/violent mood swings during the whole winter. I've taken the psilocybin without knowing that it would cause them to go away but they did: I've been anything from content to happy ever since, even during "sadder days" I still see things in a positive light. I'm also full of energy and take immense joy in creating things. disclaimer: I've had years of therapy and consider myself pretty stable (psychologically). I've taken all those "drugs" to gain insights, not for partying (although I fail to see why that is considered "bad" by most people). I think that those three (MDMA, LSD and psilocybin) hold an IMMENSE therapeutic potential and I also believe that most people would profit immensely from experimenting with at least on of those. Of course an open mind towards those substances is somewhat of a requirement, you have to be ready and willing to let those substances do their work (together with you). If you are the effects can be profound and life changing!

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Rei ( 128717 )

      I used it before work, I walked into the office so as not to pose any harm to others, you don't want to drive under influence!!

      As a teenager some of my friends were big fans of LSD. One of their friends took a lot of LSD at a rave, then drove home. The whole way they kept seeing curbs in the middle of the road, and the road was telling them that if they didn't drive politely it wasn't going to let them get home.

      Another of their friends was walking in the woods while tripping, realized that they weren't safe

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by hawk ( 1151 )

        >One of my friends said that the most horrifying things they ever saw
        >in their life was the Black Beast from Monty Python, while on LSD.

        gosh, normally I have to play nethack to see Monty Python creatures while hallucinating!

    • Posting as AC for obvious reasons...

      ..and you forgot to click that checkbox. Oops.

      Please don't take this the wrong way, but yours is a good example of why there's still a stigma against drugs. I've gone to Chipotle a few times where the employee making my food was clearly stoned off their ass. While they may have found it amusing and not realized it was impairing their job performance, I found it frustrating to have to repeat myself, and one time I even had to ask them to remake the food after they proceeded to add a topping I didn't want.

      • > yours is a good example of why there's still a stigma against drugs. I've gone to Chipot

        "Drugs" is a term of propaganda. Is heralds the composition fallacy.

        Somebody doing work with MDMA and a cook being blazed while he services your taco are completely different.

        You might as well yell at somebody for eating a carrot because Ring Dings are bad for you.

        "Drugs are bad, m'kay?" That's the joke. The stigma exists due to ignorance and judgmentalism, and that condemns many to mental torment.

        We've known since

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by sabian2008 ( 6338768 )
      I 100% support this. Took a good dose of LSD only once in my life, about 10 years ago. It was a transformative experience. Realized a lot of things about myself, and I'm a very self-aware person.

      I think everyone should do it once every one or two years, with no more than 2 or 3 friends/acquaintances in a controlled environment. However, you have to know the thing you are taking is the good stuff and not some other thing or adulterated shit. That hard without the appropriate contacts. Unluckily I moved an
    • Thanks for saying what you said, bro. Very glad to hear about your positive experiences.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by hawk ( 1151 )

      >by Dr.Sweety ( 917213 )
      >Posting as AC for obvious reasons....

      uhmm . . . forget to wait for the hallucinations to end before posting? :)

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Ry-Fi ( 7117519 )
      Just so as to not be complicit in the responsibility for someone potentially having a REAAALLY bad time, I feel it behooves me to point out that you probably meant "ug" (micrograms) and not "mg" (milligrams) for your LSD dosages. ;-P

    • Posting as AC for obvious reasons....

      Hm.

      Reply to: Can confirm this

      Can confirm this (Score:5, Informative)
      by Dr.Sweety ( 917213 ) Alter Relationship on 2022-04-12 8:12 (#62438776)

      This is why mandatory logins for Anonymous postings is fucked up. Lucky for you I don't actually give a fuck who you are so you have no worries about whether or not you were actually anonymous from me. This information has been attached to your permanent record. *sigh*

      As long as I have your attention, please stop using the subject line as the start to your message. When I read a subject line, I expect to see a subject, not the beginning of a conversation. It is mildly psychological painful to me every ti

  • Michael Pollan's book has more on the topic (Score:3, Informative)

    by dalosla ( 2568583 ) on Tuesday April 12, 2022 @03:18AM (#62438952)

    Michael Pollan's book "How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence" covers a multitude of topics related to psilocybin. It was an interesting read.

  • In the very late 90's I had my party years. We did everything that wasn't an opioid, in irresponsible quantities. And in 2000, we were done. I have no urge to revisit that life... ... except for mushrooms. They are the only drug that is in both my past and my future. Come this July I will be around a campfire with a good friend that has been depressed for a very long time, trying this avenue out.

    If you're in Canada you don't even have to deal with anybody shady, as long as you're willing to pay a premium ov

  • Please let's not go through the silly pantomime of pretending that it's "medical" first, like with weed. That's just insulting.

    Just legalize it, tax it, and start giving businesses subsidies to sell it (like my town, seriously).

  • I was diagnosed with Bi-Polar 2 some 15 years ago. A few months ago I was gifted a magic mushroom chocolate bar. I ingested what the labeling referred to as a "small" dose. It gave a real mental boost. I felt fantastic. No intoxication, or high feeling, or anything remotely "recreational" just a clear, positive attitude. I haven't been genuinely happy since I don't know when, but man those shrooms really helped. Months later I still feel like the shrooms boosted my mood and made it so when I DO feel low, it
  • Christians will never legalize it because it would threaten their existence.

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