psychedelics were banned in the late 1960s because of the synthetic LSD use among young folks in San Francisco and who were followers of Dr. Timothy Leary in Boston. Mushrooms were thrown out latter.
The problem was we kids were self- experimenting and self-medicating with God knows what was in the tabs or on the "blotter" acid.
Many "bad trips" ensued to the point where the most "newsworthy" crazed outcomes were flashed across papers and television scaring the daylights out of the general public.
I took both acid and ate 'shrooms many times and never experienced loss of reality at anytime. The reason was becuase I was moderate in the dosage taken.
I experienced a heightened sense of awareness of my surroundings and and a sensation of calm.
Going forward, under the care of physicians, if psychedelics can be used to ease patients' suffering, the medication could prove to be valuable for a better life extended to those persons.
I am in my upper 60s and never did drugs, not sure how I made it through! My circle of friends were not into drugs, either. The most any of us did is pot, which now being legal in many states doesn’t have the stigma. It is almost “normal” now, which is a sign of the times, I guess. However, I am not sure it’s the answer, but then again, for people that the usual course of treatment does not work, it may be a very big breakthrough. My dad had some severe mental illness issues back in the ‘70s and was hospitalized for 30 days with electric shock therapy. It was awful then and to think it was being done was truly frightening. I have some OCD, Anxiety and ADHD and on the usual meds and not sure if they are still working to the fullest potential. My son has mental health issues and has had a hard time getting the right meds. He seems to be doing well now and still in therapy. So I have some knowledge about some of this and while I’d be deathly afraid of the psychedelic drugs, for some it may help and I would be open to it after trying the usual drugs. If this pans out and the US approves this, I would want someone to get the help they need, rather than suffering with the downward spiral that mental illness can bring.
The does used for mental health are micro doses. Some people can barely perceive any change. I've been reading about it for several years, now. I try to understand from a scientific perspective. What I do get is that it helps facilitate additional neural pathways. I recently started a brand new antidepressant, unlike any of the well-known SSRIs or SNRIs. Mechanism of action isn't well-understood, but works similarly to ketamine. I'm a vet w VA care. NONE of the other antidepressants worked. Many made symptoms worse. Ketamine helped, but it would 'wear off' after about week-10 days. Had to sit for an infusion that you need about 3-4 hours, and have a driver, even though you're perfectly "straight" by time it's over. Very bizarre drug, indeed. I'm the first patient to try this new pill antidepressant, Auvelity. My severe depression is in virtual remission, and it's only been about 5 weeks. This is the only drug that's allowed me to feel, body & mind, 'normal' for first time since a major emotional trauma in 2011.
I can’t even smoke pot anymore without getting terrible anxiety. I used LSD and shrooms a number of times when I was younger. I’m just a pothead of the caffeine variety now.
I think there are a few million psychiatrists that might disagree with you, and they have medical degrees. A blanket statement like that doesn’t really add much to the conversation. You might consider more of an explanation, if you’re going to participate at all....
Your argument from authority and suggestion that I don’t have the right to express my opinion is a common problem. It’s obvious that they would support their industry. How effective is talk therapy? How effective are the drugs they prescribe? How has this field hurt or helped overall? Do drugs drive the diagnosis or the other way around? What drugs have they told you that you need?
I’ve found them excellent for anxiety, as long as you keep the dosage low, which isn’t too hard to do. It’s wise to try a microdose initially with a friend you trust.
Also, not a bad idea to set time aside when you try it the first time, and have something relaxing to read or watch, or listen to, and avoid phone calls and challenging responsibilities. If that’s possible for you.
I daresay the demographic of people that read your stuff is probably not going to be the best place to get informed feedback on this subject. If people have avoided drugs all their lives, that’s not unwise, but it doesn’t exactly count as an informed opinion when they weigh in.
As a loyal reader since you were at the Post, I’d be happy to help guide you through a trial. I know that might sound weird coming from a stranger, though!
Put it this way-- if you’ve ever gotten seriously hammered, you’ve had an experience that was way more risky and way more of a hazard to your health than microdosing on chocolate covered mushrooms.
No pressure, but please feel free to email me at karlstraub@hotmail.com if you want to ask more detailed questions.
Good luck! You do important work, and you always come across as a lovely guy, so if you’re having any problems with anxiety, I hope you can find some relief. Microdosing is becoming more and more mainstream, and it could help you with a minimum of muss and fuss.
I remain pissed off that the government has moved so slow on this. And that the communications from the scientific community has been so tepid.
If the numbers I'm seeing are accurate, this stuff should be fast-tracked. One supervised trip has longer impact that therapy and modern SSRI drugs. Government: Get out of the way.
Go for it! Stay where you are. Stay in the box or get out of it. Our basic individual mental identities, how we perceive our situations, to a large degree are formed by the social structure in which we find ourselves-family, economics,religion,etc. As we age these structures, mostly, harden.Fear of loss of the defining aspects of our beings, family,social status, economics, health etc. restrict our outlooks.
As you have experienced-certain experiences lift us out of ourselves, like deaths, births,health issues and so on and some of them have lasting affects. These prove that our mental universes mutable and can grow, yours too.Take a breath and go for it!!
I am getting ahead of the Friday mailbag....I want you to do a comparison to “CLOWNS” (and yes, I do mean the real and scary Clowns of our past) and drag queens, because I think there is a close connection to their perceived “entertainment” value. There aren’t many clowns around now, but they did basically the same thing Drag Queens do...wonder what the FAR right would think about clowns reading to children in a library....
Chris,
You make an excellent point that
psychedelics were banned in the late 1960s because of the synthetic LSD use among young folks in San Francisco and who were followers of Dr. Timothy Leary in Boston. Mushrooms were thrown out latter.
The problem was we kids were self- experimenting and self-medicating with God knows what was in the tabs or on the "blotter" acid.
Many "bad trips" ensued to the point where the most "newsworthy" crazed outcomes were flashed across papers and television scaring the daylights out of the general public.
I took both acid and ate 'shrooms many times and never experienced loss of reality at anytime. The reason was becuase I was moderate in the dosage taken.
I experienced a heightened sense of awareness of my surroundings and and a sensation of calm.
Going forward, under the care of physicians, if psychedelics can be used to ease patients' suffering, the medication could prove to be valuable for a better life extended to those persons.
I am in my upper 60s and never did drugs, not sure how I made it through! My circle of friends were not into drugs, either. The most any of us did is pot, which now being legal in many states doesn’t have the stigma. It is almost “normal” now, which is a sign of the times, I guess. However, I am not sure it’s the answer, but then again, for people that the usual course of treatment does not work, it may be a very big breakthrough. My dad had some severe mental illness issues back in the ‘70s and was hospitalized for 30 days with electric shock therapy. It was awful then and to think it was being done was truly frightening. I have some OCD, Anxiety and ADHD and on the usual meds and not sure if they are still working to the fullest potential. My son has mental health issues and has had a hard time getting the right meds. He seems to be doing well now and still in therapy. So I have some knowledge about some of this and while I’d be deathly afraid of the psychedelic drugs, for some it may help and I would be open to it after trying the usual drugs. If this pans out and the US approves this, I would want someone to get the help they need, rather than suffering with the downward spiral that mental illness can bring.
The does used for mental health are micro doses. Some people can barely perceive any change. I've been reading about it for several years, now. I try to understand from a scientific perspective. What I do get is that it helps facilitate additional neural pathways. I recently started a brand new antidepressant, unlike any of the well-known SSRIs or SNRIs. Mechanism of action isn't well-understood, but works similarly to ketamine. I'm a vet w VA care. NONE of the other antidepressants worked. Many made symptoms worse. Ketamine helped, but it would 'wear off' after about week-10 days. Had to sit for an infusion that you need about 3-4 hours, and have a driver, even though you're perfectly "straight" by time it's over. Very bizarre drug, indeed. I'm the first patient to try this new pill antidepressant, Auvelity. My severe depression is in virtual remission, and it's only been about 5 weeks. This is the only drug that's allowed me to feel, body & mind, 'normal' for first time since a major emotional trauma in 2011.
Dose, not does. 🤦
I can’t even smoke pot anymore without getting terrible anxiety. I used LSD and shrooms a number of times when I was younger. I’m just a pothead of the caffeine variety now.
Hahahaha.
Longtime anxiety sufferer here. I’ve never tried them but am certainly open to doing so.
Drugs are not the answer.
Depends on what the question is.
I think there are a few million psychiatrists that might disagree with you, and they have medical degrees. A blanket statement like that doesn’t really add much to the conversation. You might consider more of an explanation, if you’re going to participate at all....
Your argument from authority and suggestion that I don’t have the right to express my opinion is a common problem. It’s obvious that they would support their industry. How effective is talk therapy? How effective are the drugs they prescribe? How has this field hurt or helped overall? Do drugs drive the diagnosis or the other way around? What drugs have they told you that you need?
That wasn't the question.
What is?
I read this years ago. You might find it of interest: The Natural Mind: A New Way of Looking at Drugs and the Higher Consciousness (1972)
I’ve found them excellent for anxiety, as long as you keep the dosage low, which isn’t too hard to do. It’s wise to try a microdose initially with a friend you trust.
Also, not a bad idea to set time aside when you try it the first time, and have something relaxing to read or watch, or listen to, and avoid phone calls and challenging responsibilities. If that’s possible for you.
I daresay the demographic of people that read your stuff is probably not going to be the best place to get informed feedback on this subject. If people have avoided drugs all their lives, that’s not unwise, but it doesn’t exactly count as an informed opinion when they weigh in.
As a loyal reader since you were at the Post, I’d be happy to help guide you through a trial. I know that might sound weird coming from a stranger, though!
Put it this way-- if you’ve ever gotten seriously hammered, you’ve had an experience that was way more risky and way more of a hazard to your health than microdosing on chocolate covered mushrooms.
No pressure, but please feel free to email me at karlstraub@hotmail.com if you want to ask more detailed questions.
Good luck! You do important work, and you always come across as a lovely guy, so if you’re having any problems with anxiety, I hope you can find some relief. Microdosing is becoming more and more mainstream, and it could help you with a minimum of muss and fuss.
Cary Grant used to do it, if that helps at all!
Ayelet Waldman (wife of Michael Chabon) wrote about her experience with microdosing at least ten years ago. She found it very beneficial. The
They live in Berkeley, so it wasn’t too hard to get without a doctor.
What is she microcodosing with? That is, what drug is she using?
This was years ago, but I’m going to guess it was LSD.
Thanks.
I remain pissed off that the government has moved so slow on this. And that the communications from the scientific community has been so tepid.
If the numbers I'm seeing are accurate, this stuff should be fast-tracked. One supervised trip has longer impact that therapy and modern SSRI drugs. Government: Get out of the way.
My daughter got me involved in family counseling, and it's been brutal. Microdosing mushrooms had helped me to maintain, and be less weepy.
Go for it! Stay where you are. Stay in the box or get out of it. Our basic individual mental identities, how we perceive our situations, to a large degree are formed by the social structure in which we find ourselves-family, economics,religion,etc. As we age these structures, mostly, harden.Fear of loss of the defining aspects of our beings, family,social status, economics, health etc. restrict our outlooks.
As you have experienced-certain experiences lift us out of ourselves, like deaths, births,health issues and so on and some of them have lasting affects. These prove that our mental universes mutable and can grow, yours too.Take a breath and go for it!!
I am getting ahead of the Friday mailbag....I want you to do a comparison to “CLOWNS” (and yes, I do mean the real and scary Clowns of our past) and drag queens, because I think there is a close connection to their perceived “entertainment” value. There aren’t many clowns around now, but they did basically the same thing Drag Queens do...wonder what the FAR right would think about clowns reading to children in a library....
I highly recommend Michael's book!
I wouldn't touch them. Never have, never will.
You may find this interesting.
https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/36226140/magic-mushrooms-psychedelics-pain-hope-science-collide
“How to Change Your Mind” by Michael Pollan is an excellent book. There is also a Netflix series based on the book.