Health - Mushrooms and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

[Powder_Reality]

The following is one man's account with psilocybin mushrooms curing his obsessive compulsive disorder. The report can also be found at the following site: http://www.maps.org/news-letters/v12n2/12217rs.html

Personal Account of Mushrooms Curing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
R.S., 21 year-old student at the University of Toronto


In 1996, at the age of fifteen, I was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). My parents had brought me to the doctor because I was having muscle twitches as well as recurrent disturbing thoughts. I couldn't seem to stop thinking about various ways to harm myself or others, yet I knew that these images in my mind were not truly me. The doctor explained to me what OCD was, and gave me some Prozac. The Prozac was effective for about two years, at which point it stopped working, and I was given a variety of other anti-depressants, as I had developed depression as well. Every medication I tried would work for a while and then lose its effectiveness, and by the end of 2000, I was taking no less than four medications at once.
Needless to say, I was not happy with this, and I felt that my doctor was making me into a pill junkie. I also began to experience side effects, including an inability to ejaculate. In early 2001, I stopped all medications, and sure enough, the depression and OCD returned full force. After a few months, I gave the medicine another try, but the side effects were even worse this time and I quickly stopped it. I decided that I would simply have to learn how to live with my disorder.
In October, 2001, a friend of mine came into possession of a large quantity of "Magic Mushrooms" (I assume they were Psilocybe Cubenisis, but I can't be sure). For about 6-8 consecutive weeks, my friends and I tripped every Friday night. My usual dose was between 2 and 3.5g of dried mushrooms. I had used mushrooms once or twice before, but this was my first time using them regularly, at high doses. My first few trips were absolutely amazing. Dazzling colors, and a general sense of happiness, with no significant hangover in the morning. By my second month of weekly tripping, the mushrooms began to lose their magic. The visuals were not as intense, and I began to feel increasingly burnt out after the effects wore off. So, I figured that I had done too much of a good thing, and stopped using mushrooms around the beginning of December. It was in early November, after I had tripped on four consecutive Fridays, that I noticed that despite being stressed from school and a bit depressed due to a break up (factors that in the past had triggered my obsessive thoughts), I was not experiencing any symptoms of OCD. I did not attribute this to the use of mushrooms, and I was intrigued as to why my disorder had vanished.
Since then, my symptoms of OCD have not returned. I still experience short episodes of depression, but they are very mild and without the agitation that used to accompany them in the past. I told my doctor that my symptoms of OCD had gone away, despite being off all medications, and he didn't know what to make of that. I also told him about my use of mushrooms, and he simply called me an 'idiot' (this was the word he used) and told me that I was going to destroy my brain one of these days. I did not make the possible connection between using mushrooms and the remission of the OCD until I visited the MAPS site last week and read about the study that was going on. That is when it all clicked in my brain, and I realized that I had inadvertently cured myself.


SWIM also is diagnosed with OCD, but finds that mushrooms just aggravate his condition. Medications never really helped SWIM, in fact they sometimes just made things worse. Although the studies that MAPS is performing on psilocybin as a cure for OCD are far from complete, SWIM still takes comfort in the fact that some day there might be a cure for it.

Reputation Comments on this post:

good post

[IHrtHalucingens]

Hmm do you have any more info on what aspect of the psilocybin exaclty helps with the OCD? SWIM has heard of people being able to cure some disorders with the use of mushrooms, but he always attributed it to the introspection aspect. People just realize they are over reacting to certain circumstances and decide that it doesnt bother them any more. This is interesting though and another step towards the use of psychadelics for medicale purposes.

[Powder_Reality]

I don't know exactly what it is about psilocybin that is supposed to help cure mental disorders (that's why they're studying it ). I think as far as anyone knows, it just flips a switch in your brain, so to speak, but I'm sure they have some other theories on the subject. But then I've also heard of people eating mushrooms and only being rid of their symptoms for a month or two before they return. Once again it all comes down to the fact that it needs to be studied a lot more before they start making any conclusions.

[Phungushead]

It has to do with serotonin...

Interesting topic for SWIM, who has a very close friend (and trip
companion) who has OCD.

Anyways, this is from maps.org

BRIEF RATIONALE AND BACKGROUND

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic and debilitating condition with a life time prevalence of 2 to 3 % worldwide. Some researchers estimate that OCD represents up to 10% of the population in outpatients psychiatric clinics, making it the fourth most common diagnosis after phobias, substance abuse, and major depression. OCD can have its onset in childhood and adolescence, sometimes as early as 2 years old. Males have an earlier onset than females, but in adulthood the incidence is similar in both genders. Mean age of onset is about 20 years (males 19 y/o, female 22 y/o). Most OCD patients developed the disorder by age 25 with only 15% presenting after the age of 35. Patients with OCD are commonly affected by other mental disorders. The lifetime prevalence of depression is 67%, phobias is 25%, other frequently encountered comorbid disorders include specific phobias, alcohol use disorders, and eating disorders. Most patients with OCD have abrupt onset, and most of them develop symptoms in response to a stressful event. OCD symptoms are commonly kept secret, delaying psychiatric treatment for about 5 to 10 years. Once treated, about 20 to 30% of OCD patients have a significant symptom improvement, 40 to 50% have partial improvement, and up to 40% of patients may not improve or worsen despite treatment. Common complications include: delusions, suicidality, panic, substance abuse, depression, and interpersonal difficulties, affecting productivity, and morbidity.

Although its etiology remains elusive, pharmacological challenge studies, as well as pharmacotherapy trials support the hypothesis that a dysregulation of serotonin (5-HT) is involved in OCD symptom formation. Nevertheless, peripheral and central markers of 5-HT activity (platelet binding studies, and CSF metabolite measurements) have given mixed results. Functional PET imaging studies have shown increases in metabolic rate activity in the frontal cortex, basal ganglia, and the cingulum of OCD patients. These changes are reversible after improvement with both pharmacological as well as by cognitive behavioral therapy. Structural brain studies like CT and MRI, also show decreased caudate size bilaterally.

It is now well established that 5-HT reuptake inhibitors, such as fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline are effective in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). For example, in a 10-week, placebo-controlled, double-blind study carried out in 160 patients with OCD (Goodman et al., 1996), fluvoxamine (100-300 mg/day) was significantly more effective than placebo as assessed by the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the National Institute of Mental Health Obsessive- Compulsive (NIMH-OC) scale and the Global Improvement item of the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale. The percentage of patients classified as "responders" (much or very much improved according to the Global Improvement item) was also significantly higher in the fluvoxamine group. In contrast, drugs such as desipramine which are primarily noradrenaline uptake inhibitors, are not effective (Goodman et al., 1990).

In spite of the established efficacy of potent 5-HT reuptake inhibitors in the treatment of OCD, these treatments are sub-optimal. The length of time required for improvement of patients undergoing treatment with 5-HT reuptake inhibitors appears to be quite long. Most patients that will ultimately improve do not show significant effects until at least 4 and up to 8 weeks of continuous treatment and the percentage of patients having satisfactory responses may only approach 50%, and most patients that do improve only have a 30 to 50% decrease in symptoms (Goodman et al., 1990).

Common treatments generally include pharmacotherapy, cognitive behavioral psychotherapy, or both. When these treatments fail, a series of atypical drug combination strategies may be tried with the hope of diminishing symptoms severity. ECT has limited efficacy as well. In cases where these interventions fail, such extreme measures as psychosurgery may be indicated. Psychosurgery is a dramatic, irreversible procedure with some risk of morbidity and mortality and limited clinical success rate.

Developing drugs that are more effective and faster acting for the treatment of OCD is of utmost importance and until recently, little hope was in hand. A new potential avenue of treatment may exist. There are several reported cases concerning the beneficial effects of hallucinogenic drugs (psilocybin and LSD), potent stimulators of 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors, in patients with OCD (Brandrup and Vanggaard, 1977, Rapoport, 1987, Moreno and Delgado, 1997) and related disorders such as body dysmorphic disorder (Hanes, 1996). For example, a 34 year-old male had suffered from OCD symptoms (e.g., checking compulsions, counting compulsions, having to do things a certain number of times and a variety of other rituals) since the age of 14 years. However, he had abused hallucinogens recreationally from the age of 18 and found that, during the time that he was intoxicated, he had no obsessions or compulsions. He then began chronic use of hallucinogens and found that the obsessions and compulsions actually went into remission for periods of several months after he stopped using them (Moreno and Delgado, 1997).

Another patient with body dysmorphic disorder showed similar responses after the use of psilocybin. Her concerns about facial asymmetry were relieved within four or five hours after ingestion of this drug (Hanes, 1996).

These findings may be considered to support the 5-HT hypothesis, suggesting that enhancement of neurotransmission through 5-HT2A or 5-HT2C receptors may be the a common feature of drugs with therapeutic effects in the treatment of OCD. Irrespective of the actual mechanism of action of hallucinogenic drugs in OCD, if it can be established that this class of drug can indeed lead to rapid and substantial reduction in OCD symptoms, then it opens the way for a variety of future studies with new drugs that might possibly have the anti-OCD but not the psychedelic effects. Drugs that potently block serotonin (5-HT) reuptake lead to time-delayed therapeutic effects in OCD, often taking 8 to 12 weeks.

Psilocybin, LSD, and mescaline are extremely potent agonists at 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors and their binding potency to these receptors is correlated with their human potency as hallucinogens (Glennon et al., 1984). The acute improvement in symptoms described in the published case reports (Brandrup and Vanggaard, 1977, Rapoport, 1987, Moreno and Delgado, 1997) suggests that interactions with 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors may be an essential component of anti-OCD drug action. The observations that administration of the non-selective 5-HT antagonists metergoline or ritanserin exacerbate OCD symptoms further supports this view.

The use of hallucinogens in psychiatry was greatly favored during the late 1950’s and 1960’s. The controversy and stigma about their illegal use, and the negative outcome of alcoholic treatment studies facilitated the loss of popularity of these drugs. Most of the large studies about long term safety of hallucinogens date back to the 1960’s and 1970’s. In 1971 McGlothlin and Arnold published a ten year follow study of medical LSD use. The results from surveying 247 subjects who had used LSD found little evidence that measurable, lasting personality, belief, value, attitude, or behavior changes were produced in the sample as a whole. LSD also showed to be less attractive in continued use, and almost always self limiting in the long term. McGlothlin et al., 1969 reported lack of generalized evidence of organicity following repeated LSD ingestion. Two other studies in the effects of LSD use (Blacker et al., 1968, and Cohen and Eduards, 1971) agree with these findings.

Only a fraction of hallucinogen research is accounted for by psilocybin. Although much of the information about LSD and other psychedelic drugs can be generalized to psilocybin, this drug has some specific qualities briefly described below. Sandoz pharmaceuticals first produced synthetic psilocybin. A vast review of the literature including 101 scientific publications dating back to 1950’s was made available for us from Sandoz pharmaceuticals. A selected review of those publications suggest that the doses of psilocybin proposed in this protocol (100 to 300 mcg/Kg), are safe and able to induce a psychedelic experience. That is, a potentially severe distortion of perception and thinking which can include visual, auditory, somatic, olfactory and gustatory illusions or hallucinations, and synesthesias an unusual mixing of sensations where for example sounds may be perceived as pictures, images or colors may be perceived as tastes. These experiences are usually accompanied by intense mood swings, or exaggeration of the emotional state existing at the time of ingestion of the drug. This can include elation or euphoria, depression, anxiety and panic feelings. While these experiences are described by many people as pleasant or profound, to some it may be frightening and confusing. The symptoms listed above usually begin within the first hour after taking the psilocybin and can last for up to 12 hours, although they generally resolve 6 hours after ingestion.

Psilocybin can also cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headaches, increased pulse and blood pressure, dilated pupils, slightly elevated temperature, raising of skin-hair, and increased reflexes. These symptoms usually can begin 20 to 30 minutes after taking the drug and can last up to 6 hours.

At times psychedelic sensations or memories of these sensations may be re-experienced in the future. These are called "flashbacks", it is not well established how often they occur. Studies done in LSD users (McGlothin and Arnold 1971) suggest that subjects with less than 10 exposures report flashbacks at a rate of 12%, and they were less common in the medically controlled used when compared to street users. Psychosis has been associated with the use of hallucinogens, and studies on psilocybin are limited. Cohen 1960 estimated the incidence of LSD related psychosis to be about 0.8/1000 experimental subjects. McGlothin and Arnold in 1971 reported 1 case in 247 LSD users surveyed. Other complications such as prolonged, suicide, or homicide have been attributed to use of hallucinogenic drugs. It is unclear to what extent this effects can be caused by hallucinogenic drugs, but it is clear that if psychosis or exaggerated mood conditions occur, individuals may be at higher risk for these complications. Addiction to psychedelic drugs is for the most part considered unlikely

Reputation Comments on this post:

Nice read!

[FrankenChrist]

What does psilocybin (sp) do to your dopamine levels?

As far as I recall, drugs that trigger the release of dopamine, stimulants, can also lead to episodes of obsessive-compulsive behaviour.

[thedoorsofperception]

my first time taking mushrooms was absolutely incredible! my friends and i experimented with "mind linking", and it actually kind of worked. we listened the song "peacebone" by the band animal collective over and over and over again, because each time we would hear it, all of this amazing energy would start building up, and we could all feel it.

then we would start getting these huge smiles on our faces like we knew something that no one else knew, but we weren't exactly sure what that thing was. then, when i went outside to lay down in the grass and look up at the stars, the sky shot up really really high in the air. the clouds in the sky then started to form words, but i couldnt quite figure out what they were trying to spell out.

All of a sudden, it felt like a tiny ball had rolled out of my hand. i had no clue what it was, so i started feeling around in the grass for whatever i had lost, but i found nothing. i walked back inside the house and started wondering what i could have possibly lost, because it was really starting to bug me. i asked my friend for his car keys and started walking towards his car to get my hoodie.

after i had gotten the hoodie, i clicked the lock button on his keys, and discovered that i didnt have to click it two times (what i normally had to do because of my OCD). i was so astounded. i ran back to my friends house and excitedly asked my friend for a pen and piece of paper. i started writing whatever was on my mind and i noticed that i didnt have to stop one time to erase any mistakes i had made with the way i wrote my letters (what i normally had to do when i didnt like the way something was written, weird..i know). i was so happy the trip just went better from there.


so does anyone think mushrooms could be used to cure obsessive compulsive disorder? because i really really do.

[Alfa]

Yes, I do think magic mushrooms can cure OCD, but in first place only while experiencing the effects of magic mushrooms. In second place it will show the OCD sufferer how it is to not feel OCD and how to do without it. maybe from that example the person can learn and implement it into his her life.

Not for everybody, but many people loose their blockades, ticks, compulsions and other psychological distortions while under the influence of a full on psychedelic. To me it seems as if the masks and layers of normal character fall of and the true self is allowed to manifest without these barriers. Or at least with less barriers and blockades.

There is an old thread on this site about people that do not experience their erectile disorder under the influence of LSD. I think this might be related.
Maybe the effects of magic mushrooms on cluster headaches are be related as well, though I do not think the chance is big.

[spacelord]

Have a look at the MAPS' hp for info on OCD and psilocybin. http://www.maps.org/research/

More info is provided in the 'psychedelic library', where you can view studies.

[Coconut]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16304852/

[Jatelka]

For more on this subject please type "obsessive" as a search term into the archive search function here...

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/loc...?action=search

What has happened? Why can't I link to specific PDF's anymore?

Adobe Updates Pfff!

[psyche]

Yes, I do think magic mushrooms can cure OCD, but in first place only while experiencing the effects of magic mushrooms. In second place it will show the OCD sufferer how it is to not feel OCD and how to do without it. maybe from that example the person can learn and implement it into his her life.

Exactly so. This is how the drugs for depression "cure" depression. Braking old routines and learning new ones. Not as absolute medicine as, say, antibiotics, but more like a helping hand. Ofcourse.

SWIM has himself found that his OCD tendencies are indeed relieved and especially understood better. In his case it's only OCD related, or rather OCPD. He has awful tendency to start looking his own thoughts as someone else's before they have time to fully develop. He jumps easily out of his train of thought and many times can't get back, especially if it's a social situation. It's like he'd jump to the position of the person listening to him, he knows as little what point he was making as the person listening to him and starts rather contemplating on what he has already said. Oh well, SWIM's getting better, slowly but surely, now that he has to be in the civil service. It's an alternative to the compulsory army service that still sadly is in place in Finland. It forces him to be around unfamiliar people.

[Swimmortal]

You might want to watch out for self-incrimination next time. Other than that, I've never heard of shrooms as being a remedy for OCD. Did the symptoms come back the next day?

[raven3davis]

Shrooms could be a cure for your OCD but only time will tell. You behavior and mental processes while under the influence of the shrooms will be drastically different than when you come down. Report back in a few days though SWIM is interested in your results. He remembers someone asking if it was safe to take shrooms if you had OCD. Maybe you can now help shine light on that subject.

[Panthers007]

While I don't have access to the article/link, I did read same. It did postulate a link between cluster-type headaches and OCD. And it had found that psilocybin was proving quite valuable in their treatment. For some reason, McLean Hospital (Harvard Medical) rings a bell. Whoever - it should prove very interesting as studies progress. Allow me to toss a breadcrumb at you:

Bongo was privy to a person who had suffered from Cerebral Palsy all his life due to lack of oxygen during birth (so it was claimed as causative). He had been sent to "special schools" for retarded children - though he was not retarded. But the school department said there was no difference - he had to go to the retarded school because that's all they had to offer. He was never taught to read or write. Do simple math. Or even tie his shoes. He was considered hopeless and could look forward to being institutionalized for his entire life. His idiot mother believed the school department, and kept the guy locked in the attic (really) of the house.

One night, when he had been kidnapped (his mother's version), he was offered LSD by one of Bongo's cohorts. Guess what? He went from a stuttering, quivering, convulsive victim - to speaking clearly, his shaking stopped, and he started to verbally analyze his true condition. For the next 12 hours, he was a normal human being. And plenty pissed-off at his treatment. Much of the time was spent helping him offload his traumatic treatment. With anger - which was a very healthy sign indeed.

Unfortunately, due to legal ramifications, the treatment ended. But he never forgot what he now knew. That underneath the mask of incurable illness, there was a perfectly normal person. And plenty of righteous indignation. It truly was all in his mind.

Studies such as the ones with OCD and cluster-headaches are, in my opinion, truly just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. The sky's the limit. And our lawmakers have stolen over 40 years of invaluable time. As I've said before: If another Timothy Leary stands up - please shoot him.

Reputation Comments on this post:

	quite a dramatic improvement
	thx for sharing. incredible!

[Heretic.Ape.]

21 Year Old Student Cures his OCD with Magic mushrooms
o.c.d. treatment by psilocybin
Research: Psychedelic mushrooms ease OCD symptoms

A few other threads that might be of interest

[Rattle]

Very interesting stories, especially Bongo's!
Just shows how much more there is for us to understand about SWIM's favourite substances..

Do you think the symptoms are reduced due to a physical changes or pschological changes in the brain?

[Panthers007]

Which came first - the chicken or the egg?

Which caused what: Did the release of serotonin cause the thought/feeling? Or did the thought/feeling cause the release of serotonin? Etc.

[chickchick]

Swim heard shrooms were meant to be good for depression. Any ideas on that?

[Destiny_JL]

SWIM has had OCD and depression for several years, and a particular illness related closely to OCD which is called Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), and after he researched the drug, he found that several people claim complete remissions of the illnesses. Does anyone have any advice to give to SWIM for his first time experience with a psychedelic? What particular strains should he look out for and how is the easiest way to identify them? Since he has only used soft (or should I say softer) drugs before.

Thanks for any replies.

[Coconut]

Set and setting are most important. As SWIY suffers from depression (SWIM has been there too) and BDD it would be best for him to wait until he is in as good a mood as possible, preferably with someone he trusts and in a familiar, comfortable environment. Having depression doesn't exclude one from being able to use psychedelics properly, however it may increase the likelihood of a negative experience so caution is advised.

[Spare Chaynge]

It could increase you ocd. Its not good to take drugs with pre existing mental disorders

[dirk]

Once SWIY has optimised the mind-set and setting, it could be usefull to write a short note outlining the reasons SWIY is trying mushrooms, perhaps SWIY could include some re-asuring phrase like "don't worry, everyday reality will return within a matter of hours".

Then seal this in an envelope and tell SWIY to remember to read it when they are fully in the trip. This way SWIY doesn't have to think about OCD at the start of the trip, SWIY can just sit back and enjoy the beauty of it.

Also SWIY should keep a pen and paper hand for any revelations that might arise during the trip.

Regarding strains - in the UK, the liberty cap (psilocybe semilanceata) grows wild in the autumn. Don't bother with "fly agaric" (amanita muscaria) it doesn't contain the active chemical that SWIY seeks.

Good Luck to SWIY, it would be good to hear how you get on.

[Destiny_JL]

Originally Posted by Spare Chaynge

It could increase you ocd. Its not good to take drugs with pre existing mental disorders

I understand this.. but as much as SWIM tries to avoid drugs to ensure the condition(s) are not made worse, he noticed several cases where this particular drug improved the condition drastically, which is the only reason he is interested in it.

Originally Posted by dirk

Once SWIY has optimised the mind-set and setting, it could be usefull to write a short note outlining the reasons SWIY is trying mushrooms, perhaps SWIY could include some re-asuring phrase like "don't worry, everyday reality will return within a matter of hours".

Then seal this in an envelope and tell SWIY to remember to read it when they are fully in the trip. This way SWIY doesn't have to think about OCD at the start of the trip, SWIY can just sit back and enjoy the beauty of it.

Also SWIY should keep a pen and paper hand for any revelations that might arise during the trip.

Regarding strains - in the UK, the liberty cap (psilocybe semilanceata) grows wild in the autumn. Don't bother with "fly agaric" (amanita muscaria) it doesn't contain the active chemical that SWIY seeks.

Good Luck to SWIY, it would be good to hear how you get on.

That sounds like a great idea, SWIM will definitely try it if he manages to find some liberty caps. Thanks for the advice.

Originally Posted by Coconut

Set and setting are most important. As SWIY suffers from depression (SWIM has been there too) and BDD it would be best for him to wait until he is in as good a mood as possible, preferably with someone he trusts and in a familiar, comfortable environment. Having depression doesn't exclude one from being able to use psychedelics properly, however it may increase the likelihood of a negative experience so caution is advised.

Would it be good to recommend SWIM to have a few alcohol drinks beforehand to try and improve his mood? I think SWIMs mood could be improved enough to temporarily forget about the problems with the use of other soft drugs if this wont interfere with the psychedelic effect.

Thanks a lot for all the replies, i'll report back if SWIM has any results.

[Coconut]

Originally Posted by Destiny_JL

Would it be good to recommend SWIM to have a few alcohol drinks beforehand to try and improve his mood? I think SWIMs mood could be improved enough to temporarily forget about the problems with the use of other soft drugs if this wont interfere with the psychedelic effect.

SWIM would advise against mixing mushrooms with alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant (both nervous system and mood) and unpredictable especially if combined with other psychoactives. By itself it may relax SWIY but with mushrooms it may induce a bad trip. SWIY should just wait until the perfect time to take them (good mood, comfortable setting, trusted sitter) - he should let this time come naturally and try with a low dose which ranges from 1.0 to 1.4 grams dried Psilocybe cubensis.

He should take Panthers007's advice also.

[Spare Chaynge]

Swim thinks that the point of mushrooms is to have life changing experiences and all studies done that show a decrease in ocd just involve mushroom.
Who knows you could end up making your bed the whole trip or washing your hands and then after 5 hours of this realize how silly it is and come to a whole new understanding of what life is about and how It does not matter about all these silly things..

Swim has ocd and phobias and would also like to try this. Swim would keep around some benzo just in case it did go terribly wrong. but swim would try to ride it out as long as possible.