Is your mind okay today? A question haunts millions of people almost every day. Talking about mental health has become a taboo. People find it difficult to discuss it with even doctors because of the stigma associated with it. But recent research says ‘magic mushrooms’ can cure our mental illnesses naturally.
Magic Mushrooms or Mushrooms with Psilocybin (psychedelics) has been decriminalized this year, 39 years after it was banned in 1970.
Various treatments are available to combat depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, and PTSD. This change has drawn attention to psychedelic therapies being a promise to fight mental illnesses in the USA and Australia.
The number of people diagnosed with mental health problems has dramatically increased in the past five years. Depression and anxiety have become very common in adults. In the next 10 years, demand for psychiatrists is going to triple.
If we go by evidence, controlled portions of psychedelic therapy under trained professionals could help people with mental disorders without any side effects. In fact, with psychedelic treatments, one can even prevent a relapse of psychological problems.
Researchers are now trying to find more pieces of evidence and update what we know about Magic Mushrooms for depression. The magic mushrooms are also referred to as psilocybin, a psychedelic drug. Before it was labeled as schedule I illicit drug, psilocybin was widely researched in the 1960s and used in specific mental disorder treatments.
What does Psychedelic Drugs do?
Let us tell you what psychedelic drugs are within the context of modern science.
Psychedelic psychotherapy is a type of mental illness treatment where a small quantity of psychedelic drugs is used in a highly regulated clinical setting. Some of the essential psychedelic drugs include psilocybin, MDMA (ecstasy drugs), and LSD. These are not illegal, sold behind the scenes drugs. They are, in fact, pharmaceutical graded and have to be taken as per the prescribed dosage.
Magic mushrooms are used as a natural treatment for depression by some indigenous communities for over 1000 years. MDMA and LSD, however, were synthesized in different pharmaceutical labs in the early 20th century.
In the 1950s, magic mushrooms and other psychedelic drugs were tagged as the ‘wonder drugs’ for treating a variety of mental disorders, including end-of-life anxiety, alcohol dependence, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
However, in the 1960s, the drug escaped the clinical sphere and landed among the teenagers. After this incident, followed by a lot of political issues, the drug was banned in 1971.
Once Again in the Medical Field
The recent shift in politics and people’s attitude has helped psychedelic drugs to once again gain access to the medial realm. While medical research started yet another time to find Magic Mushrooms’ effectiveness in treating depression.
Meanwhile, the John Hopkins School of Medicine researches showed a positive change in people’s personalities. Such as openness and sociability after they were injected a controlled amount of the drug.
The effects of the drugs were harnessed to reduce depression and anxiety in people with terminal diseases.
After this research, in the following six years, many other significant studies were made on the drug. Few trials disclosed its significance in improving quality of life, while another breakthrough study showed that psilocybin-based psychotherapy effectively treated depression.
Researchers have not stopped with this. Phase 3 trials are in the planning stage. If the drugs are found to be effective in these trails, MDMA and Magic Mushroom (psilocybin) will soon become a legal drug within the next five years.
Certain studies also reveal that psilocybin can be used in treating alcohol and nicotine-addicted patients.
How Magic Mushrooms Work
Magic Mushrooms and other psychedelic drugs produce a mystical state in the minds of people suffering from anxiety and chronic depression, thereby improving their quality of life.
Psilocybin controls the actions of the neural circuit in your brain, which is commonly referred to as the Default Mode Network (DMN).
The DMN defines our resting state, which often becomes distorted when depression and other mental illnesses gain precedence. Psychedelics decrease the activities of DMN temporarily to establish different neural pathways.
Establishing other neural connections reduce our persistent thoughts often characterized by depression. It promotes the creation of new ideas and perspectives about individuals’ personal lives and relationships. It is also found that psychedelic drugs can aid in the reformation of neuronal connections that have faded in people with long-term depression.
However, researchers are yet to understand the mechanism of this process.
That being said, it is simultaneously observed that psychedelics can worsen certain medical conditions. These conditions include personality disorders and other behavioral conditions such as schizophrenia and heart and liver ailments.
The latest trial on psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression is likely to complete in 2021.
If the results of all clinical studies in phase 3 confirm the promise made in the completed trials about magic mushrooms, the chances of psychedelic drugs becoming approved for medical treatments in the next 3 years is excellent.
For proving the efficacy of the drug, we have to continuously demonstrate its safety and declare it as a viable and natural approach to treat depression.
Author Bio: Emylee is a wellness lifestyle writer. She loves sharing her thoughts and personal experiences related to natural remedies, yoga and fitness through her writing. She currently writes for How To Cure. She can connect with others experiencing health concerns and help them through their recovery journeys through natural remedies.
