Health Anyone here use shrooms therapeutically on their own to improve life & outlook?

[Mycophile]

So, I don't know if these is the best sub forum for this, and if mods would prefer to move it to spirituality you can.

I have a bunch of issues like generalized anxiety disorder, depression, anger, OCD, etc, and I'm a pretty unhappy person with a lot of issues I'd like to overcome, and I take Klonopin and prozac, but I'm trying to wean off klonopin with my psychiatrist's help, and I know these can reduce the intensity of certain types of drugs for tripping and that many psychedelics aren't even safe to take on SSRIs. However, I have safely taken shrooms (and LSD) several times and my shroom experiences have always been positive. I mean I REALLY wish I wasn't on prozac so i could try things like Ayahuasca, Ibogaine, 5-Meo DMT, etc, but those are dangerous on SSRIs, so shrooms will have to do.

My plan is to move to a better location and then start growing shrooms and trying to use them therapeutically. I want to use them to try to change my perspective on life and become a happier person. However, I'm not really sure how to do it.

Has anyone here made an actual practice our of taking shrooms like once or twice a week and using them to try to confront their problems so that they can actually change their lives for the better even after the shrooms wear off? And if anyone has, do you have any tips on how to do this?

Thanks

 

[Hash Buckets]

I've only taken shrooms a handful of times, though I have most of your conditions including PTSD.

I've used LSD this way. If I felt stressed out or had a lot going on, I could wind down by tidying my apartment then dropping ~150ug LSD or more. I find microdosing useless as I don't gain anything out of it personally, so I will solo trip and listen to music to relax. DMT works very well in terms of getting my head together without building tolerance.

I'm not condoning taking psychs with SSRI's. But I wouldn't see you being in danger of physical harm as I'm talking from personal experience, keep in mind everyone is different & I am not an expert.

 

[Nurse Ratched]

Gonna move this over to our Psychedelic sub forum

 

[Pissed_and_messed]

Using psychedelics with therapeutic intention has been very beneficial but not endlessly so.
Commonly I use them on short binges, like 4 times in 2 months, realize they have no more to give at given time and spend some months without.
Using on binges seems to have benefit of being able to continue where I left last time.

 

[Pissed_and_messed]

Commonly people who take psychedelics weekly long-term conclude that it makes life boring.

 

[Mycophile]

So, with my goal of being to sort of treat my anxiety, depression, ocd and other issues with shrooms, like, do people have any advice on how to do that?

I mean, what kinds of things would you do while under the influence of shrooms to hopefully change your perspective on your problems in such a way that you might have lasting effects even after you come down?

Cause I want to change my perspective on my life and myself but that's hard.

I'm thinking maybe i could combine it was the little bit of auto-hypnosis and visualization I've learned to talk myself out of my problems while on shrooms, or maybe write my dreams down and then think about what they mean while on shrooms, etc.

How do we turn what could be simple fun psychedelic trip into something actually meaningful and profound and lasting?

It's like how Paul Stamets had a stuttering problem until he tripped on a megadose of shrooms and talked himself out of it and when he came down his stutter was gone.

I want to do that with my problems, but I wouldn't know how to find, let alone afford, a psychedelic therapist, and shrooms aren't legal where I am anyway so anything I do with them would surely have to be on my own.

 

[brokedownpalace10]

"Comin', comin', comin' around
in circles"
The Other One

Seeing Satori does not achieve Satori. But, it might be the first step.
Good plan, maybe not once or twice a week. (not familiar with microdosing though, that might be a different kettle of fish)

 

[Hexagon Sun]

Yeah, it could probably help you releasing your depression. You could also try it in microdosis, like 1 other day and with the help of your doctor go tapering the prozac too

On the other hand you dont need to raise the fungi. Mostly any analog (like 4-aco-mipt) should work the same if not better

I was depressed and on antidepressives too before discovering psychs. Now, I microdose quite often and havent been depresed no more in like 10 years, so yeah, it works. Maybe not for everybody, but if you do respond nicely to a trip, probably it is for you. Im positive is a trend we are going to see in a close future. People healing all kind of mental shit with the help of psychs

Go slow, no hero dosages. You will do it

 

[cosmosmariner]

You could find a therapist willing to work with you while during your trip. It’s increasing clear from the work of Carhart-Harris and others that working with a professional can help provide deeper and more lasting positive outcomes.

 

[Mycophile]

You could find a therapist willing to work with you while during your trip. It’s increasing clear from the work of Carhart-Harris and others that working with a professional can help provide deeper and more lasting positive outcomes.

I'd love to do so, but first, I would probably not have the money. Any kind of therapist right now is hard for me to afford, and i can only imagine this could be more expensive.

Then there's the question: where is this kind of therapy legal and how do you get it approved?

I'm in New York. Should be easy, but I bet it's anything but easy to find a psychedelic therapist in my area and if I could they'd probably charge a fortune.

But maybe I could find a way to help heal myself with the right usage of shrooms. I don't know how hard finding that kind of therapy might be.

 

[plumbus-nine]

You need to take into account that tripping while on a serotonergic antidepressant like Prozac will be heavily blunted. I was on just 150mg/d of venlafaxine and unable to trip even from 7g of potent, self-grown P. cubensis.

I am curious about therapeutic use of psychedelics as well, somehow I'd favor DMT because of its short duration and intensity but heard good stuff about shrooms. My first trip (with philosopher's stones, not shrooms) was very euphoric and felt therapeutic maybe in the same way as MDMA can be. Felt very good for a week or so but unfortunately nothing life changing. Then I got prescribed with SNRI and got just a scattered mind and anxiety instead of a trip.

 

[Mycophile]

You need to take into account that tripping while on a serotonergic antidepressant like Prozac will be heavily blunted. I was on just 150mg/d of venlafaxine and unable to trip even from 7g of potent, self-grown P. cubensis.

I am curious about therapeutic use of psychedelics as well, somehow I'd favor DMT because of its short duration and intensity but heard good stuff about shrooms. My first trip (with philosopher's stones, not shrooms) was very euphoric and felt therapeutic maybe in the same way as MDMA can be. Felt very good for a week or so but unfortunately nothing life changing. Then I got prescribed with SNRI and got just a scattered mind and anxiety instead of a trip.

I question how blunted it really is, but as someone who is now on 60mgs of prozac, I used to have good trips on an 8th of shrooms when i was usually on doses somewhere between 40-50mgs of prozac, so it's not that different.

I do believe the trips were blunted somewhat, but I have never in my life tripped on anything while NOT on an SSRI as I've been on SSRIs since age 14. I basically do not have a choice because it's VERY hard to get off SSRIs when you have been on them most of your life, and basically, I wouldn't know what I was missing as all my trips have been on SSRIs.

I think if I took a quarter I'd trip a lot harder than when I took 8ths, but they made me feel peaceful still. However, only the first time did I really get visuals.

I wish really badly I could get off prozac to take the other psychedelics like DMT and 5-Meo DMT and Ayahuasca, but I just don't think I can so I have to work with what I've got.

I'm not sure that everyone's trips on shrooms is necessarily as blunted as some say, but again, I have no method of comparison.

What exactly are philosopher's stones?

And do you think that even having tripped on shrooms while on prozac before that I wouldn't be able to get a therapeutic effect from tripping on shrooms while on prozac in the future?

Like, if i got a peaceful feeling off an 8th several times then shouldn't a higher dose be even more likely to work, even despite my SSRI?

 

[Mycophile]

I mean, isn't getting off of SSRIs VERY difficult?

I'm 42 and have been on either prozac or lexapro since age 14, so I think I just don't have a choice.

As it is I am trying to get off my klonopin and will need prozac probably for my OCD which it treats even more if I can get off the Klonopin most likely.

I think i just have to make the best of my situation and try to use shrooms or other psychs that might be blunted even while on my prozac, so long as they aren't dangerous, which i know shrooms and LSD aren't really in terms of any negative interactions.

I am so insanely jealous of those who can use other psychs therapeutically, but I know if I tried what I REALLY want to, which is stuff like Ayahusca, Ibogaine and 5-Meo DMT, that I could get serotonin syndrome and even die, so yeah...just seems like it's not in my future unless somehow SOMEDAY I can get off prozac which seems unlikely at this point.

P.S. LSD always worked even more I think than shrooms while on prozac, so if I could get LSD or LSA and combine it with shrooms I KNOW I'd trip hard, so that could be a back up plan, even though I have no sources for LSD, maybe I could learn to make LSA from morning glory seeds.

If only someone would have introduced me to psychedelics BEFORE I started taking SSRIs at age 14, but yeah, we don't live in that kind of society...

 

[plumbus-nine]

I mean, isn't getting off of SSRIs VERY difficult?

Prozac is the easiest to withdraw from, they all aren't easy, but venlafaxine was straightly impossible to stop. Switching to fluoxetine and then tapering helped me. Ironically I have actually less suicidal ideation since I've stopped that nasty bastard of SNRI. I've been on them for more than 10 years as well. I think antidepressants work best when used acutely and for a relatively short period of time. Venlafaxine and paroxetine both had a honeymoon phase of a few weeks where I'd be more social and hypomanic, which then faded into dependency. Also not everybody gets SSRI withdrawal to the same extent but I think after so much time you would get symptoms if you stopped cold turkey.

Of course, some people are able to trip on SSRI, others aren't. Maybe you're lucky and belong to the first group. I didn't get any more visuals from shrooms and even LSD, just a weird, scattered headspace, unless combined with dextromethorphan as a potentiator and anxiolytic (which, ironically, is also a SNRI but its potentiating effects overweigh the blunting ones).

 

[Mycophile]

Prozac is the easiest to withdraw from, they all aren't easy, but venlafaxine was straightly impossible to stop. Switching to fluoxetine and then tapering helped me. Ironically I have actually less suicidal ideation since I've stopped that nasty bastard SNRI. I've been on them for more than 10 years as well. I think antidepressants work best when used acutely and for a relatively short period of time. Venlafaxine and paroxetine both had a honeymoon phase of a few weeks where I'd be more social and hypomanic, which then faded into dependency.

Of course, everybody is different, and some people are able to trip on SSRI, others aren't. I didn't get any more visuals from shrooms and even LSD, just a weird, scattered headspace, unless combined with dextromethorphan as a potentiator and anxiolytic.

Well, I hope maybe someday I could get off it, but I need it not for depression but horrible social anxiety and OCD that it makes go away.

What dosage of prozac were you on and for how long? Cause I wonder if it's even possible after so many years on prozac to get off it.

First I'd have to get off Klonopin which I am working on right now, but for now I have to recognize that I would still be on my prozac while tripping and that's how it has to be right now.

But yeah, it seems that how much trips on different psychs are blunted by SSRIs and other meds is very personal and based on many factors. I know shrooms worked in the past but I just rarely got the wild visuals I wanted, but 1) that shouldn't be my goal but rather, to use it therapeutically regardless of lack of visuals 2) I never took more than an 8th, so I would assume a quarter would have me tripping pretty hard, but it's been years so I don't know about how my current prozac dosage would mix.

So like, are you saying you don't think it would be possible to get beneficial effects from shrooms on my prozac? Or more like I'd just have to experiment with dosage to see what happens?

And do you know of any other psychs or substances similar to them that a person could use therapeutically to overcome psychological issues while on SSRIs?

I really just wanted any psychs that could help me make changes in my life-perspective, and i firmly believe that psychs are helpful, but being on this prozac, it just really sucks and limits my possibilities.

 

[Mycophile]

You need to take into account that tripping while on a serotonergic antidepressant like Prozac will be heavily blunted. I was on just 150mg/d of venlafaxine and unable to trip even from 7g of potent, self-grown P. cubensis.

I am curious about therapeutic use of psychedelics as well, somehow I'd favor DMT because of its short duration and intensity but heard good stuff about shrooms. My first trip (with philosopher's stones, not shrooms) was very euphoric and felt therapeutic maybe in the same way as MDMA can be. Felt very good for a week or so but unfortunately nothing life changing. Then I got prescribed with SNRI and got just a scattered mind and anxiety instead of a trip.

I also found this study: https://psychedelicspotlight.com/ssri-drugs-can-be-used-safely-with-psilocybin-mindmed-study/

It really seems to depend on the situation and the exact dosage and drugs used and personal body chemistry I think. I know that in general my experiences would probably be blunted, but i might simply be able to take a higher dosage for the same effect.

I really don't know as it has been years since I've taken shrooms, but they always worked on my prozac in the past, but just not as strong as I would have liked.

 

[plumbus-nine]

What dosage of prozac were you on and for how long? Cause I wonder if it's even possible after so many years on prozac to get off it.

I switched to prozac for just a month or so (required time for stable plasma levels given its half life of more than a week, which is also why I used it for withdrawal) but was on venlafaxine 150-300mg/d for many years, summed up more than 10 but with a break in-between to try another antidepressant, sertraline - which was ineffective for me. That time I have used kanna, a herbal SSRI, for withdrawal, and it sets the bar imo. If you can select between kanna and prozac I'd highly recommend kanna. Despite being a SSRI itself and substituting for pharm S/NRIs, it has little abstinence syndrome by itself. Don't know why. It's available off smart shops and the web.

Well, I can't tell. In my case was psilocybin fully ineffective while I was on SSRIs, I got no visuals, no trip, just some speedy side effects. Similar with 1cP-LSD alone, but 1cP-LSD+DXM (just 100mg of the latter) did bring me some nice, detailed LSD-y visuals and a bit of a mind trip. The used dosage of 1cP-LSD was low, just 200mcg if I remember it right. So DXM might be a viable potentiator to use with psychedelics, it is also anxiolytic but unfortunately comes with the risk of serotonin syndrome specially with prozac because of it being a powerful liver enzyme inhibitor. I think when you've been on prozac for many years the chance is fairly low, I've been doing lots and lots of DXM while on venlafaxine and it never became uncomfortable. I did take some DXM however during the first weeks of having switched to prozac and got some not-so-nice symptoms like frequent yawning and a hot feeling in the head which might have been symptoms of beginning serotonin syndrome so I can't recommend it.

Unfortunately, due to prozac's long half life, just skipping it for a few days to trip is no option, one would have to wait for at least a month if not two to excret all the fluoxetine.

Maybe you're lucky and can still trip. I think it's worth to try.

 

[Mycophile]

I switched to prozac for just a month or so (required time for stable plasma levels given its half life of more than a week, which is also why I used it for withdrawal) but was on venlafaxine 150-300mg/d for many years, summed up more than 10 but with a break in-between to try another antidepressant, sertraline - which was ineffective for me. That time I have used kanna, a herbal SSRI, for withdrawal, and it sets the bar imo. If you can select between kanna and prozac I'd highly recommend kanna. Despite being a SSRI itself and substituting for pharm S/NRIs, it has little abstinence syndrome by itself. Don't know why. It's available off smart shops and the web.

Well, I can't tell. In my case was psilocybin fully ineffective while I was on SSRIs, I got no visuals, no trip, just some speedy side effects. Similar with 1cP-LSD alone, but 1cP-LSD+DXM (just 100mg of the latter) did bring me some nice, detailed LSD-y visuals and a bit of a mind trip. The used dosage of 1cP-LSD was low, just 200mcg if I remember it right. So DXM might be a viable potentiator to use with psychedelics, it is also anxiolytic but unfortunately comes with the risk of serotonin syndrome specially with prozac because of it being a powerful liver enzyme inhibitor. I think when you've been on prozac for many years the chance is fairly low, I've been doing lots and lots of DXM while on venlafaxine and it never became uncomfortable. I did take some DXM however during the first weeks of having switched to prozac and got some not-so-nice symptoms like frequent yawning and a hot feeling in the head which might have been symptoms of beginning serotonin syndrome so I can't recommend it.

Unfortunately, due to prozac's long half life, just skipping it for a few days to trip is no option, one would have to wait for at least a month if not two to excret all the fluoxetine.

Maybe you're lucky and can still trip. I think it's worth to try.

Thanks.

Well I wouldn't feel safe taking DXM due to possible serotonin syndrome. I have wanted to for years, but that just seems dangerous, but you seem to be saying you don't think it is?

I don't know, I would need to do A LOT more research before trying DXM while on prozac. At least we know shrooms and prozac isn't really dangerous for the most part.

Why do you seem to think that after being on prozac LONGER that DXM would be LESS likely to cause serotonin syndrome?

Yeah, basically, for the near future I have to assume I'll be on prozac and work around it, whether that means higher doses of shrooms, possibly mixing in other substances like LSD/LSA and possibly using outside therapeutic ideas like auto-hypnosis, Wim Hof method which i'm into, and who knows what else.

Are you saying though that you think a person could confidently switch from prozac to Kanna?

Cause I think that would be quite difficult to do on my own and I wouldn't feel like I could trust my psychiatrist to tell him I was trying such a thing. I think he'd judge me unfairly and I'd have no clue how to safely switch from one to the other.

I was also told by some who used to take SSRIs that they effectively switched to 5HTP and that that still helped with their same issues but that that might have a less pronounced negative effect on mixing with various psychs, so maybe someday that could be an option.

 

[plumbus-nine]

Well I wouldn't feel safe taking DXM due to possible serotonin syndrome. I have wanted to for years, but that just seems dangerous, but you seem to be saying you don't think it is?

Yeah, better to be safe than sorry. Serotonin syndrome is a poorly researched condition and one only really knows if one is susceptible when it's too late.
I meant that when starting on a SSRI, one will have elevated levels of serotonin and increased activity at the receptors. Over time the brain adjusts to this and causes receptors to downregulate, this is kind of tolerance and I think that tolerance to a serotonergic agent means less liability for serotonin syndrome. It was so for myself, when I've been on venlafaxine for some months I used loads of DXM and never felt in danger, while an attempt to dose on DXM when I freshly switched to fluoxetine caused nausea, headache and a hot feeling inside my head which might have been early symptoms of possible serotonin syndrome. There's a problem in this theory because my receptors were already downregulated and fluoxetine shouldn't cause more serotonin efflux than venlafaxine so possibly is fluoxetine+DXM more dangerous than venlafaxine+DXM.

I tried 5-htp, it worked many years ago to taper off venlafaxine, took one caps every time I got brain zaps (for me the most abundant, yet not worst symptom of SSRI withdrawal) and while it didn't cease the discontinuation so did it bring relief. Was over it after a week or so. Last time the 5-htp did nothing, so I switched to fluoxetine before tapering off. Kanna did work for me but I never heard of others using it to withdraw from SSRIs. Only side effect I got was headache when dosing too much. It comes as an extract which is easy to insufflate, via that route it beings to work in an instant and relieves SSRI w/d. It makes a poor replacement though because of pretty short half life and thus many doses per day and many up's and down's in plasma concentration. One should make an extended release formula of it.
Am living in a different country now where I couldn't find a vendor for kanna, otherwise I would have used that instead of the fluoxetine.

 

[Hexagon Sun]

Sorry I didnt read the whole thread.

Prozac is the easier to quit. Belive me, I quitte Velafaxine, one of the most absolute bitch addictive ones

The good about prozac is that it has an insane long half life, so you can take half dose for 2 days prior the trip, do your tripping and then, coming back to your regular dose.

If that works for you, then, instead of coming for the full dose, stay in a 70-80% dose and repeat next week, tapering around 20% a week

You will be out of it in like 2 months

Taking SSRIs for years and years will only screw your brain deeper. They are meant for a brief crises period, not to take indefinitely