PTSD(Post-traumatic stress disorder) is a psychiatric disorder that comes after a person experiences a traumatic or life-threatening event such as kidnapping, terror attack or an accident. There are two types of treatment for PTSD;
- Psychotherapy, which is the use of psychological methods on personal and regular interactions, through a therapist.
- Use of antidepressants.
These methods have not proven to treat PTSD completely over the years, hence the emergence of magic mushroom research as a possible cure for PTSD.
Here is how it works.
How does it work?
Canada Magic mushrooms contain psilocybin, a psychedelic compound that acts by stimulating nerve cell regrowth in parts of the brain responsible for emotion and memory. It simply stimulates the growth and repair of brain cells in the hippocampus, which is the brain’s center for emotions and memory. Psilocybin can definitely help break the traumatic cycle that occurs in patients with PTSD, as it quickly brings relief from distress. When combined with other treatments such as therapy, patients can have more energy and can engage in external activities, relate well with family members and perform better at work and school.
Why use it as a cure for PTSD?
Over the years, researchers have been looking into magic mushroom uses to treat PTSD, and it has not let us down as there have been a lot of positive outcomes. So why consider this drug over all the other cures?
- The magic mushroom is not chemically addictive like other drugs- Being chemically addictive is when the cells of someone’s body cannot function without a particular drug. Psilocybin does not have this characteristic, thus giving it a great headstart.
- Patients go through experiences that are intense and meaningful under the influence of psychedelics, and this may shift their mindset causing them to behave differently.
- Patients become more responsive to positive suggestions from a therapist when this drug has been administered to them.
- Psilocybin act on chemical messengers in the brain known as neurotransmitters, to change the brain’s behavior and improve mood.
Effects of psilocybin
- Euphoria.
- Distorted thinking.
- Peacefulness.
- Visual alteration and distortion.
- Spiritual awakening.
- Dizziness.
- Change of emotions.
- Disengagement from surroundings.
- Muscle weakness.
- Confusion.
- Impaired concentration.
The effects vary between people in terms of their differences in mental state, the personality of the user, and the environment in which they use the drug. Most people use psilocybin as an addictive drug due to some of the effects that come with it such as the feeling of euphoria, but most of its other effects are the reason it has been considered as a treatment for PTSD.
Risks
- Bad trip experiences- This is where the patient has a scary experience when they feel the psychoactive effects of the drug, especially when they feel uncomfortable or unsafe. This is however based on the environment and feeling the patient is in when they enter the trip. When they enter an anxious state of mind, their anxiety is likely to be heightened on their trip.
- There is a risk of poisoning if one of the many varieties of poisonous mushrooms is confused with a psilocybin mushroom.
- The patient is likely to experience flashbacks and this may be dangerous especially when driving a motor vehicle.
Conclusion
While other treatments are falling short day by day, magic mushroom uses to treat PTSD is rising and is being greatly considered as the better cure, and although it is still being tested in clinical trials, the magic mushroom has already been accepted as the better drug.