• Members of the previous forum can retrieve their temporary password here, (login and check your PM).

Interested in psychedelics for mental health

K

kactuskutter

Rising Star
Hi,
I am joining this website to help me search for a treatment for my depression. I believe this is an innate illness for me since it started in early adolescence and keeps coming back. I've seen countless psychiatrists and psychotherapists. I was given more antidepressant pills than I can count, all of which either had horrendous side effects or just did nothing. I even tried more advanced treatments like ketamine injections and transcranial magnetic stimulation. This illness has ruined a large portion of my life and almost drove me to end it several times. I also put my loved ones through immense suffering, which I feel very guilty about.

I discovered about 10 years ago that 3+ tabs of LSD can instantly pull me out of a severe depressive episode make me feel normal again. This discovery has without a doubt saved my life, but it's not a permanent cure. After several months, I often relapse back into depression. I would love to find deeper healing, but currently I need to re-dose periodically to keep the depression away. This has been difficult due to the legal status of psychedelics. I am the primary breadwinner for my family, and it would be devastating if I were ever arrested. I have suffered many unnecessary episodes because of this.

I am now lucky to live in the US state of Colorado, where some naturally derived psychedelics (DMT, Mushrooms, Mescaline) have been decriminalized for personal use. I finally have the opportunity to legally access the medicines that I need to survive and thrive. So far I have tried mushrooms, and they definitely help my depression similar to LSD, but unfortunately they exacerbate a physical health condition I have. I'm not sure if this is due to the psilocybin itself or other components in the mushroom. LSD doesn't cause this problem, so it may be something else in the mushrooms. I want to explore extracting the psilocybin to see if this reduces the physical symptoms. I also really want to try mescaline and DMT at some point to see if they can also help my depression without the negative effects of mushrooms.

I decided to join this community because you seem to have the most of the in-depth resources on extraction. I hope more the experienced users can help me as I search for a medicine that will work for me.
 
Welcome to the Nexus!
When I read the title of your post I was going to caution you that psychedelics can help but also harm, but I see that you already have a long experience using them to help with your mental health. I'm glad you've found something that works, and that you have access to some psychedelics legally, even if the most helpful to you so far is not available.
You may be interested in Ayahuasca-like mixtures of DMT and a MAOI. No other psychedelic leaves such a powerful afterglow in me as that combination, and as it has no tolerance, you can decide on the frequency of use you need. The effect is also much shorter than LSD (unless you redose several times), so it's easier to fit on a given day.
I hope you find something legal that helps you, and again welcome!
 
Hey kactuskutter…I too found that for myself LSD is just the best psychedelic for depression. I love mushrooms, cactus and ayahuasca but they all really aggravate some physical symptoms of an auto immune disease(mostly all just bad gastro cramping due to IBD). I learned the hard way now to just never ever drink ayahuasca again lol. For whatever reason acid does not trigger a flare really for myself so I don’t think you are alone here.

Don’t get me wrong I really love psilocybin, mescaline and DMT but I will not ingest unextracted plants like that anymore as a firm rule. Nothing good ever comes from a trip that turns into that level of discomfort.

DMT and harmine for instance I almost always use sublingual rather than oral.

I used to make psilocybin tinctures to use sublingual and snuffed. Still working out mescaline cus eating it still causes cramping.

You might also find 2cb useful if you ever come across it.

Acid is special though. I don’t think it’s just because it’s pure and seems less invasive. There’s just something about LSD that feels like it fits the human perfectly. It’s the best psychedelic in many ways.

Wishing you luck!
 
Jamie01 said:
Hey kactuskutter…I too found that for myself LSD is just the best psychedelic for depression. I love mushrooms, cactus and ayahuasca but they all really aggravate some physical symptoms of an auto immune disease(mostly all just bad gastro cramping due to IBD). I learned the hard way now to just never ever drink ayahuasca again lol. For whatever reason acid does not trigger a flare really for myself so I don’t think you are alone here.

Don’t get me wrong I really love psilocybin, mescaline and DMT but I will not ingest unextracted plants like that anymore as a firm rule. Nothing good ever comes from a trip that turns into that level of discomfort.

DMT and harmine for instance I almost always use sublingual rather than oral.

I used to make psilocybin tinctures to use sublingual and snuffed. Still working out mescaline cus eating it still causes cramping.

You might also find 2cb useful if you ever come across it.

Acid is special though. I don’t think it’s just because it’s pure and seems less invasive. There’s just something about LSD that feels like it fits the human perfectly. It’s the best psychedelic in many ways.

Wishing you luck!
Click to expand...
Can you send me any resources on sublingual preparations for psilocybin or DMT? This is exactly the stuff I'm looking for
 
Hi!
The fact that LSD can pull you out of depression for months make me think that there is some underlying reason for your depression that is not strictly genetic/biochemical. I'm not a mental health professional but i think that innate major depression is rare. I found that most therapists aren't equipped to deal with many kinds of depression. For example, depression linked to being neurodivergent or depression from C-PTSD. These depressions become apparent in adolescence as well, like most mental health struggles. Most therapists nowadays use cognitive-behavioral therapy that works by trying to change a person's distorted negative thought patterns, but that isn't the primary cause of the problem for many people.
So maybe this is true for you or maybe it isn't, but I guess that from psychedelic use you already had some hints about the causes of your depression. If any of this were to be true for you, it would be worth to explore it so that you can make that positive change permanent.
All the best
 
Kactuskutter.. I am far from the expert around here on psilocybin extraction. I was making very simple tinctures with alcohol etc and reducing it down as much as I could. I was only making small batches and using them quickly to avoid too much loss over time.

It’s a huge interest personally. I know atm sublingual psilocybin strips as well as nasal sprays are in development for medical use in Canada. It should work in a nebulizer as well I assume.

Not sure what the best tech for extraction is atm..but the info is here somewhere. Ethanol and acidic water seem to be the east go to for crude extracts.

4-AcO-DMT worked for me up the nose and sublingual as well.
 
I recently read that aqueous citric acid with a bit of ascorbic acid does a pretty good job of extracting psiloc(yb)in from mushroom material. This aqueous liquid extract could then be processed/preserved for storage in various ways:
  • Place in light-proof dropper bottles and store at low temperature.
  • Add pure ethanol to raise the alcohol content to ca. 30%. Store as before.
  • Carefully reduce off the water and mix into honey or glycerin.
  • Carefully neutralise with something suitable (harmine freebase?) Convert into solid dose units (chocolate?)
Just a few ideas anyhow. Hope it helps!
 
CosmicRiver said:
Hi!
The fact that LSD can pull you out of depression for months make me think that there is some underlying reason for your depression that is not strictly genetic/biochemical. I'm not a mental health professional but i think that innate major depression is rare. I found that most therapists aren't equipped to deal with many kinds of depression. For example, depression linked to being neurodivergent or depression from C-PTSD. These depressions become apparent in adolescence as well, like most mental health struggles. Most therapists nowadays use cognitive-behavioral therapy that works by trying to change a person's distorted negative thought patterns, but that isn't the primary cause of the problem for many people.
So maybe this is true for you or maybe it isn't, but I guess that from psychedelic use you already had some hints about the causes of your depression. If any of this were to be true for you, it would be worth to explore it so that you can make that positive change permanent.
All the best
Click to expand...
Depression is definitely caused by a combination of innate and environmental factors. I am neurodivergent and also very emotionally sensitive. These are innate traits that make me vulnerable to stressful stimuli and prone to obsessive thinking. I get emotionally hurt very easily and then stuck in a negative thought loop that self-reinforces to the point of suicidality. Psychedelics can instantly break me out of these thought loops. It's shockingly reliable and the type of experience doesn't seem to matter much. I've had terrifying experiences, spiritually transcendent experiences and mundane experiences. So long as I take a large enough dose, it's worked every time.

I feel like other treatments like CBT and antidepressants are too slow and thus aren't capable of generating the necessary "escape velocity". It's like these treatments are a drop in the bucket compared to the uncontrollable round-the-clock torrent of negative thoughts that push me deeper and deeper into depression.

Obviously the best solution would be to develop better mental resilience so I don't become depressed in the first place. Living a physically healthy lifestyle seems to help but isn't enough. There is probably some deeper problem with my mindset. Even when I'm not stuck in depression, I tend to have a pretty pessimistic outlook on life. I'm not sure how to change it, but it's definitely something I want to explore further.
 
kactuskutter said:
Depression is definitely caused by a combination of innate and environmental factors. I am neurodivergent and also very emotionally sensitive. These are innate traits that make me vulnerable to stressful stimuli and prone to obsessive thinking. I get emotionally hurt very easily and then stuck in a negative thought loop that self-reinforces to the point of suicidality. Psychedelics can instantly break me out of these thought loops. It's shockingly reliable and the type of experience doesn't seem to matter much. I've had terrifying experiences, spiritually transcendent experiences and mundane experiences. So long as I take a large enough dose, it's worked every time.

I feel like other treatments like CBT and antidepressants are too slow and thus aren't capable of generating the necessary "escape velocity". It's like these treatments are a drop in the bucket compared to the uncontrollable round-the-clock torrent of negative thoughts that push me deeper and deeper into depression.

Obviously the best solution would be to develop better mental resilience so I don't become depressed in the first place. Living a physically healthy lifestyle seems to help but isn't enough. There is probably some deeper problem with my mindset. Even when I'm not stuck in depression, I tend to have a pretty pessimistic outlook on life. I'm not sure how to change it, but it's definitely something I want to explore further.
Click to expand...
Hits very close to home.
From what i read online, CBT and antidepressants don't work at all for most neurodivergent people. Furthermore IMO being overwhelmed by the world is something that just can't be really understood in its full extent by people who have never experiended it, including therapists.
What i said doesn't exclude psychedelic use, it was just something more. And i'm glad you want to explore it further
 
Hi and welcome here.
It's worth to mention here that not all "magic'" mushrooms are the same, there is quite a difference how various species of mushrooms affect your body.

Simplest extraction method is an infusion, made from powdered dried mushrooms and slightly acidic water.

Another possibility for you could be some legal LSD analogue, which could be easier and not so risky to acquire.
 
Jamie01 said:
Hey kactuskutter…I too found that for myself LSD is just the best psychedelic for depression. I love mushrooms, cactus and ayahuasca but they all really aggravate some physical symptoms of an auto immune disease(mostly all just bad gastro cramping due to IBD). I learned the hard way now to just never ever drink ayahuasca again lol. For whatever reason acid does not trigger a flare really for myself so I don’t think you are alone here.

Don’t get me wrong I really love psilocybin, mescaline and DMT but I will not ingest unextracted plants like that anymore as a firm rule. Nothing good ever comes from a trip that turns into that level of discomfort.

DMT and harmine for instance I almost always use sublingual rather than oral.

I used to make psilocybin tinctures to use sublingual and snuffed. Still working out mescaline cus eating it still causes cramping.

You might also find 2cb useful if you ever come across it.

Acid is special though. I don’t think it’s just because it’s pure and seems less invasive. There’s just something about LSD that feels like it fits the human perfectly. It’s the best psychedelic in many ways.

Wishing you luck!
Click to expand...
Hi. I am new here but I was interested in this post. I have been through depression symptoms but I no longer deal with them. If I do I am unable to notice the contrast. I felt I could offer some advice on your auto immune symptoms. I have had psoriasis (rash/inflammation) for a while. I have done lots of research and found that most auto immune disease is really a symptom of parasites in our body. Ivermectin and Fenbendazol. Can be purchased at tractor supply here in the US. They are completely safe. But please do your research and you will find their is information readily available.

Also, for the depression, hypnotherapy could be an option. I have been providing hypnotherapy for some clients but mostly friends and family over the past year. I am a certified hypnotherapist. I don't want to take anyone away from Psychedelics, but I am going back to school to add some psychology aspects. My school requires me to see 25 pro bono clients over the next 12 months. If anyone is interested in further info let me know. I hope I haven't violated any guidelines. I have a lot of tricks and brain hacks to help with depression and anxiety. I am eager to try something I have heard, the story goes; Charles Manson used to hypnotize people in jail to experience the highs of stimulants, psychedelics, and other substances. If anyone would like to give it a shot I would be willing to try.
 
burningitagain said:
I have done lots of research and found that most auto immune disease is really a symptom of parasites in our body.
Click to expand...
This requires substantiation. Can you provide a source for it? As far as I know, it's definitely not true that most auto immune disease is a symptom of parasites. Not only that, but an experimental treatment for certain auto immune diseases is precisely the introduction of certain parasites (helminthic therapy).
 
burningitagain said:
I have done lots of research and found that most auto immune disease is really a symptom of parasites in our body.
Click to expand...
Oh, very interesting. You'll need to provide your sources and reasoning, though.
“I've done my research” might work on school kids, but it won't work here.
burningitagain said:
I have been providing hypnotherapy for some clients... If anyone would like to give it a shot I would be willing to try.
Click to expand...
dr oz fox GIF by Animation Domination High-Def
 
burningitagain said:
Hi. I am new here but I was interested in this post. I have been through depression symptoms but I no longer deal with them. If I do I am unable to notice the contrast. I felt I could offer some advice on your auto immune symptoms. I have had psoriasis (rash/inflammation) for a while. I have done lots of research and found that most auto immune disease is really a symptom of parasites in our body. Ivermectin and Fenbendazol. Can be purchased at tractor supply here in the US. They are completely safe. But please do your research and you will find their is information readily available.

Also, for the depression, hypnotherapy could be an option. I have been providing hypnotherapy for some clients but mostly friends and family over the past year. I am a certified hypnotherapist. I don't want to take anyone away from Psychedelics, but I am going back to school to add some psychology aspects. My school requires me to see 25 pro bono clients over the next 12 months. If anyone is interested in further info let me know. I hope I haven't violated any guidelines. I have a lot of tricks and brain hacks to help with depression and anxiety. I am eager to try something I have heard, the story goes; Charles Manson used to hypnotize people in jail to experience the highs of stimulants, psychedelics, and other substances. If anyone would like to give it a shot I would be willing to try.
Click to expand...
Claiming that autoimmune diseases are caused by parasites and recommending livestock dewormers as treatment is absurd. Stop spreading misinformation!

If you truly care about helping others, start by educating yourself beyond YouTube and Facebook. Until then, do humanity a favor and stop projecting your own cognitive shortcomings onto others.
 
blig-blug said:
This requires substantiation. Can you provide a source for it? As far as I know, it's definitely not true that most auto immune disease is a symptom of parasites. Not only that, but an experimental treatment for certain auto immune diseases is precisely the introduction of certain parasites (helminthic therapy).
Click to expand...
Never heard of the helminthic therapy. I would have to look that up. As far as the research, I am not here to convince anyone that I am right. Everyone's reality isn't the same. I just know at one time I was passing parasites, and I was told that they were mucus. I took it upon myself to deworm myself. And the "mucus" that I seen freaked me out. I felt like crap for a couple weeks then it got better, so did my psoriasis and a lot of other crap that I had been dismissing as getting old. Since then I have heard lots of others saying the same thing about the de wormer. Maybe it was from the parasites being gone or the medicine does a lot of other things besides deworm. I don't know. I do know I don't use doctors anymore unless I cut the end of a thumb off or something.
 
I don't want to backseat moderate, but I think it's better to give @burningitagain a chance to explain themselves before going all out on them. Sometimes people are able to properly qualify this type of statements instead of doubling down on them. It's not what usually happens, but it's also unfair to dogpile on someone without giving them a chance :)

Edit: well, my comment came too late, but pretend it was there before the reply.
 
Varallo said:
Claiming that autoimmune diseases are caused by parasites and recommending livestock dewormers as treatment is absurd. Stop spreading misinformation!

If you truly care about helping others, start by educating yourself beyond YouTube and Facebook. Until then, do humanity a favor and stop projecting your own cognitive shortcomings onto others.
Click to expand...
My mouth is closed and I am quiet. Have a wonderful day.
 
burningitagain said:
Never heard of the helminthic therapy. I would have to look that up. As far as the research, I am not here to convince anyone that I am right. Everyone's reality isn't the same. I just know at one time I was passing parasites, and I was told that they were mucus. I took it upon myself to deworm myself. And the "mucus" that I seen freaked me out. I felt like crap for a couple weeks then it got better, so did my psoriasis and a lot of other crap that I had been dismissing as getting old. Since then I have heard lots of others saying the same thing about the de wormer. Maybe it was from the parasites being gone or the medicine does a lot of other things besides deworm. I don't know. I do know I don't use doctors anymore unless I cut the end of a thumb off or something.
Click to expand...
So is it something you found "after lots of research", thus with enough evidence to support recommending it to people you don't know, or is it your anecdotal experience and hearsay as your second comment says?

It's not about convincing anyone. You can believe whatever you want, but then you should state that as your personal beliefs. In your first comment you're implying that you found solid evidence that "most auto immune disease is caused by parasites", in the second said evidence turns out to be your personal experience taking a dewormer (how's your personal experience "most auto immune disease"?). Thus, your first comment was misleading and potentially harmful if someone were to trust you.
 
Back
Top Bottom