I would agree to some degree with the poster above who cautioned against the use of psychedelics in depressed persons. Clearly, in someone who doesn't know what to expect, psychedelics (especially high doses) could precipitate upsetting quasi-psychotic events or suicide attempts.
However, if careful preparation is made, I think light to medium doses of psychedelics can be very beneficial, as it was in my case.
I personally spent over a year suffering from depression. For most of the year I was fairly functional, but never felt "all there". I felt cognitively "slowed" and had difficulty focusing on anything; I was so stuck within thought patterns of depressive rumination that I was never very present in the moment. I constantly wished I was dead and dreaded getting up to go to class every day. Though I have always been fairly intelligent, I doubted my ability even to finish a basic undergraduate curriculum. Even in my off hours, I was restless and couldn't really take pleasure in anything. I underwent psychotherapy for roughly a year and never felt I was getting anywhere, as it was hard to mobilize the energy to motivate myself.
Only a few months ago, however, I obtained some 2C-E, which I had been interested in trying for some time. Previously, I had used 2C-I (four times) and LSD (twice), though in purely recreational settings. As my introduction to the substance I took 9 milligrams with 1200 mg piracetam. (This produced a stronger effect than expected.) A rather eventful evening resulted, and the introspective nature of 2C-E did a great deal to help me parse through some of the thoughts I was simply too depressed to bother with previously. The substance also conferred upon me a profound sense of appreciation for life and reminded me of the wonder I used to have at the physical world.
Since this experience, I have felt, for all intents and purposes, back to normal. My motivation has returned, and I feel interested in life again. I can now concentrate well again, which has been beneficial both for my studies and for the extracurricular reading I do. I truly believe that 2C-E helped me regain my equilibrium, so to speak.
A side note- if you use 2C-E or another psychedelic phenethylamine with piracetam, PLEASE take choline supplements. I did not, and the resulting choline depletion left me with a terrible headache for almost twenty hours after the trip.
However, if careful preparation is made, I think light to medium doses of psychedelics can be very beneficial, as it was in my case.
I personally spent over a year suffering from depression. For most of the year I was fairly functional, but never felt "all there". I felt cognitively "slowed" and had difficulty focusing on anything; I was so stuck within thought patterns of depressive rumination that I was never very present in the moment. I constantly wished I was dead and dreaded getting up to go to class every day. Though I have always been fairly intelligent, I doubted my ability even to finish a basic undergraduate curriculum. Even in my off hours, I was restless and couldn't really take pleasure in anything. I underwent psychotherapy for roughly a year and never felt I was getting anywhere, as it was hard to mobilize the energy to motivate myself.
Only a few months ago, however, I obtained some 2C-E, which I had been interested in trying for some time. Previously, I had used 2C-I (four times) and LSD (twice), though in purely recreational settings. As my introduction to the substance I took 9 milligrams with 1200 mg piracetam. (This produced a stronger effect than expected.) A rather eventful evening resulted, and the introspective nature of 2C-E did a great deal to help me parse through some of the thoughts I was simply too depressed to bother with previously. The substance also conferred upon me a profound sense of appreciation for life and reminded me of the wonder I used to have at the physical world.
Since this experience, I have felt, for all intents and purposes, back to normal. My motivation has returned, and I feel interested in life again. I can now concentrate well again, which has been beneficial both for my studies and for the extracurricular reading I do. I truly believe that 2C-E helped me regain my equilibrium, so to speak.
A side note- if you use 2C-E or another psychedelic phenethylamine with piracetam, PLEASE take choline supplements. I did not, and the resulting choline depletion left me with a terrible headache for almost twenty hours after the trip.
