OCD and depression, looking for a cure

[Memantine]

Hi,

I have been suffering from OCD and depression for as long as I can remember. I've been through a lot of medications including antipsychotics, antidepressants and anxiolytics. However, they do not give me the relieve I desire and they give me bad side effects.

So I am looking for more drastic methods to treat my condition. I was thinking about psychedelics, Dissociatives or MDMA. Which of them is best suited to give long term relief from my mental illness?

 

[Fug]

I'd say psychedelics and MDMA have helped me more than dissociatives ever have.

However, I'd really recommend getting some therapy around the same time you plan on taking these drugs, as well as going into the experience with an open mind and willing to take a good, long, non-judgemental look at yourself.

You also have to accept you may get no relief. They're tools, not magic cures.

I used to suffer from bad trichotillomania - strangely it was an extremely powerful synthetic cannabinoid that helped me snap out of the behaviour/pattern.

 

[Memantine]

Oh that is interesting. Can you give the name of the cannabinoid?

From what I have read is that THC worsens OCD and depression on the long term because it up regulates 5-HT2A receptors.

 

[EntheoDjinn]

As Fug said, psychedelics on their own may not resolve the issues you have (although it has been known, it probably doesn't happen that often). Some form of psychotherapy in conjunction with, say, psilocybin (available naturally in mushrooms) could be an avenue worth exploring. The problem is that it's risky for a qualified/experienced therapist to be involved with illegal substances, although undoubtedly some take the chance. Finding one might not be that easy. Psylocybin has been associated with relief from OCD but I'm not sure how robust the evidence base is. Check out MAPS website for ideas - they are the leading psychedelic/therapy organisation at present and are leaders at breaking convention.

As for depression, Ahayuasca has a pretty good track record. Instead of a therapist you will have a facilitator who guides you through what is essentially a self-healing process - so this is the nearest to thing to psychedelics doing the job on their own, as it were. It's not an easy ride, but then neither is OCD or depression. It gets easier with repeated experiences and if you get relief then that's great.

Here's a link to what I consider a very good overview of the Ayahuasca experience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzYJnDrA35c

 

[CrypticArc]

No one will be able to give you a yes or no answer. Psychedelics outside of a therapeutic setting are unpredictable at best. I had bad cases of both OCD and depression. Psychedelics cured my depression and helped me to understand my OCD a lot better, but they didn't really help with the physical symptoms of OCD. My experience was that they can help you to realize how silly and pointless your OCD is, but they won't make your urges go away. YMMV. My impression is that they can still be a valuable tool in overcoming OCD but they're not an end all cure.

 

[cyberius]

The other posters are right, therapy is a safer more controlled way of dealing with this in the long term. Psychedelics however Can offer a blunt relief to these issues when used correctly and you seem more dead set on thise at this point.

Dabble into traditional psychedelics, slowly raise the dose until you've reached personal enlightenment. I've just had a peak experience with 2mg of 25D-NBOMe and it's changed my life. It completely killed my depression and really calmed my anxiety. It allowed me to see the universe without bias, and it fullfilled me on a deep level to the point where if I died right now I'd be at peace with it.

MDMA can have the same effects as more traditional psychedelics but it is a whole lot more conditional in my experience with it. It can make depression and OCD Much worse as well.

 

[Clocktower]

Sorry Memantine, but you have the wrong idea about these drugs. Yes, some people find relief from psychedelics, MDMA, and dissociatives, but there are no guarantees and all of them are just as likely to make your condition worse as they are to help you. They certainly are not a cure.

In my experience, when people find that these drugs help with their mental health, it's usually peripherally to the recreational effects and happens by accident. By contrast, when people take these drugs in the hope that they will treat specific mental health issues, they are usually disappointed.

As other posters have noted, you're better off looking for a safer and more reliable treatment, like therapy.