Experiences - Psychosis From Mushrooms

[WhoAmI]

I took magic mushrooms around april and ive been in and out of mental hospitals about 3-4 times since then. I had full blown psychosis where i was hearing voices and seeing things like aliens in space ships a dark figure, beams of light coming from the sky and many other things. I had many delusions like i thought i was god for a while,i thought i was been chased by aliens,i thought i was a jedi and many other things. The last hospital i was in labeled me as schizophrenic and but me on risperdal. The drug had me feeling very disconnected from the world. When I ran out i went to go to a private doctor who took me off of it and put me on abilfy and lamictal,cause he thinks im not skitzo and im just bi-polar,I dont think im bi-polar cause I dont have bad mood swings and I dont get manic. Oh yea one time when i smoked pot I started acting real weird that was around the time I thought I was a jedi. Could my problem be the magic mushrooms the whole time or do i really have a mental illness,could the magic mushrooms set off a mental illness in me. Now that im on ablify i feel more connected to the world,but i dont feel the same as i felt before the mushrooms.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Please do not self incriminate in the future as it is against site rules. Make sure to use swim or something similar su...

[cra$h]

Avoid self incrimination by using swim.

You wer definitly not the person to use mushrooms in the first place. By the lack of research, you brought this on yourself. If marijuana had you thinking you were somethin you're not, how the hell could you think mushrooms would be ok? The mushrooms didn't cause any kind of illness, it was always inside you. Mushrooms expose the inner being, and your inner being sounds like a dilusional schizophrenic. Sorry to sound harsh, but your ignorance is why psychedelics have a bad name, and ruin it for people like swim.

[WhoAmI]

swim has smoked weed for 4 years and had no problem its just now swim has been having problems, so you believe swim is a dilusional schizophrenic.

the doctor says swim is not because swim can think clearly.

[cra$h]

Ever become something else while stoned?

[Phungushead]

What was the dose, and what kind of mushrooms?

[WhoAmI]

no swim never become something else,swim dont know what kind but swim took 1/8. What do you mean mushrooms bring out your inner being.

[thirteenthfloor]

If swiy had a bad trip, it could be ptsd. If swiy has not told thier doc about the mush use it could be helpful to do so, also ask about the ptsd.

[cra$h]

from every trip, swim has realized something about the world he knew all along, somewhere deep in consiousness, and after a trip it brings this knowlage out and becomes practice. Any history of mental disorder, even in the family?

[Potter]

I walked a long hard trail through the psychiatric establishment, best advice I can give you is this. Everyone is crazy, the only difference is some have a little stamp that says "not crazy".

When mental irregularities becomes an identity, it becomes an illness, or when they keep you from living day to day.

Bi-polar is WAY over diagnosed, why? Well ask anyone to sum up their emotional experiences for a month in a 10-15 minute session with a psychiatrist. There ARE people who are bi-polar, who can not control their emotional shifts, or who loose touch with reality due to emotional shifts.

Do not take these labels as the word of god, do not think that you will never be normal again. Shit happens and you get through it. I was labeled with all sorts of crazy by a mad doctor, it took a long time to become stable, now I'm med free and reasonably well functioning, sure as hell not what he thought i was. I got out because I stopped believing my self to be "sick", I knew i had problems, and that problems can be solved.

From what you've described, it sounds like you do need professional help, maybe even some medication to stabilize you, to give you the chance to start to work through these issues (do not take medication with out regular consoling sessions, it is RARELY effective on it's own). Schizophrenia is a long term permanent state of mind, not something to be labeled with after only a few weeks of symptoms.

You'll be fine, it may be a while, but you'll be fine. Unless you keep telling people you have super powers, then you'll only be fine if you can get paid for it.

[g666d]

this is all opinion based on the opinions of others, but,
swim would advise you to be very careful with the anti-psychotics, one can get trapped in the mental health system for sure. Self esteem (i think, and i'm not a doctor and have no formal qualifications in anything) is key to your recovery here, swim needs friends he can trust and talk to. Swim knows how hard they can be to find sometimes, but always in swims life there has been at least one person he trusted.

For reference, SWIM has had about 4-6 mushroom trips and none of them have been exactly positive. This is opposed to LSD where swim has taken 20+ and enjoyed every one - even the darker trips. Swim doesn't know about the inner being stuff, and regards it as metaphorical. Swim hopes swiy doesn't take any judgment given in this thread too much to heart - swim thinks that while it may hold some truth swim finds it hard to see.

People taking drugs without education? swim doesn't know who's fault this is. There is a whole world of mis-information out there. Live and learn, but some lessons (thalidomide anyone?*) aren't immediately obvious.
*swim knows this isn't proper metaphor, swim can't think of any better

Swim doesn't recommend self diagnosing with mental disease.

Swim says if you recently stopped taking the pharmaceutical drugs the effects swim is noticing could well be a result of that. Some pharmaceutical drugs stay active for weeks, or at least you can notice the effects for weeks.

Swim says swiy probably should have been clearer about jedi incident, this was after the offending dose of mushies?

Swim has friends in mental hospital due to psychedelic (mushies) abuse.

Swim would like it if swiy used paragraphs (just press enter twice every time you start new subject )

Swim thinks the best quality drug information you can possibly get is on this website, do a few searches and try to stick to the drier material, look for posts from members with large post-counts/rep, or posts which have been well received.

Swim will repeat the disclaimer about opinion, all of the above was opinion, from someone not especially experienced or knowledgeable.

Swim didn't even know psychedelics had a bad name...

[Matt The Funk]

Psychedelics do seem expose you to yourself, specifically they put you inside your own brain. The OP sounds like a delusional paranoid schizophrenic, it is possible that SWIY is just manic though, and experiencing a psychosis. Depending on the length of course. I know the feelings of psychotic paranoia very well...eventually you have to get over it on your own, I'm not sure if the paranoia ever really goes away. I suggest the OP seek psychiatric help and specifically work on anxiety problems.

[sasafrass]

SWIM tells me:

Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys has had auditory hallucinations since his first dose of lsd. I'd bet it was chemical manufacturing company grade.
(Sigma, etc.) Thats what the college professors, around where my friends lived, squirreled away and it lasted into the mid 1070"s. They stocked up just before it was pulled from open sales. Glory days ...
Your more than likely fine, as others have stated. I just would not consider products in that class your product of choice. They can open up many introspective "doors" in your mind. They can open up some scary shit too. Anyone who has ever been truly sleep deprived, or has had a 4-5 day meth binge really knows what the statement, "clinicly the same as a fucking scitzo" really means. I had true auditory and visual trips, and I was not over medicating. I really needed some benzo's or whatever my doc would scipt me. By the time of my appt. it had broke, and I was sleeping again. But at its peak my body, in an attempt to save me, put me to sleep while I was awake to get some rem's. Whatever neuro we dump that shuts down our muscles when we sleep, left me frozen in my bed, listening to "people" talking all around me. Or gave me the most vivid dreams.They felt like stored historical info in my dna or something. Instinct like, as if I knew this stuff, or it was memories from my ancestors. While I would not trade the experience, I would never want to live it again.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Relevant and inspiring story. Swim feels will help swiw much

[g666d]

In a dark foreboding ocean, we should all SWIM on the surface...

[Blank_Face]

SWIM has moderate experience with various psychedelics (inclusive of mushrooms).

Although SWIM has never personally experienced post-trip delusions, he has had a substancial amount of anxiety after a few trips (more common with acid for SWIM).

If SWIY is sure that SWIY is not schizophrenic, and does not have any other sort of psychological disorder unrelated to psychedelics, then it seems that SWIY may be suffering from HPPD, or, (Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder). HPPD is characterized by persistent disturbances in daily life due to delusions and altered states of awareness which are reminiscent of experiences and perceptions experienced during a trip. HPPD can last up to a year or so, but typically goes away within a couple months. HPPD is similar to PTSD, or, (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), but PTSD does not usually develop directly due to the use of psychedelics, unless a trip happens to be particularly traumatizing. Also, PTSD does not really relate to the symptoms which you have described, the symtoms of PTSD are more similar to things like Borderline Personality Disorder. SWIM suggest that SWIY bring up the possibility of HPPD with your psychologist.

You should also be aware that psychedelic substances are known for bringing latent psychological and mental illnesses to the surface, but THEY DOES NOT CAUSE THEM!

SWIM suggests that in the future SWIY excercises much stronger caution in the future when using psychedelics, for they are very powerful tools for enlightenment, and should be respected as such. If SWIY is going to use psychedelics, he/she should do his/her research, and be well aware of the risks of reckless use.

Also, SWIM certainly agrees with CRA$H. Using psychedelics irresponsibly, thus bringing such troubles upon SWIY only contributes to the unfair, and unrealistic reputation of psychedelics amont the general public.

Know what SWIY is doing. Trip smartly

[Phungushead]

While it does not sound this is the case for the OP, doses which are just
way too high and overuse can lead to some horrifically psychotic trips.
Labrat has experienced a truly psychotic drug-induced episode only once,
and once was enough for a lifetime:

In Labrat's words -

On what may have been the single most terrifying night of my life, I chose
to take 5 grams of psilocybe cubensis mushrooms. At this point in my life,
I had already experimented with this dose many times (along with a
countless amount of other mushroom and acid trips), and had always had
a good time. So that is why this came as such a surprise...

I had the blacklight on, and was tripping out on the blacklight posters and
listening to music on my MP3 player. Things were all going as planned, until
suddenly I went into that zone. You know, the zone of dark thoughts.
What I think of to this day as the "let's not go there" zone. The whole
atmosphere suddenly seemed to have more sinister tones, and I began to
get a little anxious.

Next thing I know, I'm hearing voices in my head. Crazy voices which are
talking about how you should be very afraid, because there are aliens
heading toward the earth at this very moment, and when they get here
they are going to kill us all. I even began to hear their little space ships
landing (which later turned out to be cars driving by on the road).

My mind began telling me that even though everyone tells you that the
things you experience during a trip are not real, that this is just a ploy by
"them" (aka the government, I suppose) to keep you blind to what is really
going on. That the absurd things you think of are true, and that there
really is a lot to be afraid of in your life. Due to my state of mind, I
believed this voice and the things that it told me... such as all this alien
shit...

I began to get visions - everyone on earth was dead except me, killed by
the invaders. I was the only one left, and was being chased down a
familiar road by my house. There were several beings chasing me. They
were dark, and small. The stereotypical alien that you see in the movies.
They were chasing me with sharp weapons to kill me with. And laughing.

After the visions passed, I was convinced that it was true that this would
be happening, and that it would happen soon. My reasoning was that if
I was going to be killed by aliens, I might as well kill myself before they
could. This thought rolled around in my mind for awhile, but luckily the
voice of reason was still there at least in part, and I managed to talk
myself out of it.

At this point, it was like I was not in control of my body. I was
experiencing painful over-stimulation, and every movement I made felt like
I was being pulled by strings controlled by someone else. Like some kind
of maniacal puppet or something. My movements were incredibly jerky and
over-exaggerated. I am sure I looked absolutely insane, and come to think
of it, at the time I think I was.

The next few hours are still a blur, but what I remember is basically running
around the house, yelling and talking to myself like a lunatic, grabbing a
piece of paper and trying to write down some of the thoughts that were
going through my mind, puking my guts out, and finally spending most of
the rest of the trip in bed, hiding under a bunch of blankets. This was a
very rough time to say the least.

Eventually, I came to my senses enough to look back on the experience,
read some of the notes to myself, and calm my nerves. I turned the TV on
to some stupid show which helped bring me back to reality even more. I
recognized that I had probably just experienced a psychotic break, and
what really scared me more than anything was how I had been balancing
on the brink of being suicidal.

I did not do drugs again for 2 years.

I do not have any underlying mental disorders to this day, and believe that
this experience was merely a message that I had done too much too often
and it was time to take a break. This period of abstinence really gave me
some time think about drugs, and the huge role that they had been playing
in my life. Now, I make sure to space trips at least a month or two apart,
and usually stick with lower doses. I have not gone back to "that place"
since...

Note that I am not proud of the events in this story, and understand that
they unfolded due to lack of responsibility and respect. I have never
really shared this with anyone before, at least not to this detail, but the
OP's post really reminded me of this, and I thought it was somewhat
relevant.

Anways, if you made it through, thanks for reading...
-Labrat

Every lab animal is different, like many may respond differently to different
drugs, many may respond differently to different treatments for incidents
like this.

It's all about finding what is right for you.

Peace.

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Excellent information posted

[DimethylTimmy]

Originally Posted by WhoAmI

I had many delusions like i thought i was god for a while...and I don't get manic

Sounds exactly like mania to me. Not to say that SWIY's symptoms weren't drug-induced, but mania is often characterized by feelings of exaggerated importance. SWIM loves shrooms but he IS bipolar and sometimes they induce a manic state in him. Sometimes on shrooms SWIM just feels so euphoric and energetic that he wants to break things but doesn't do so because he knows he's tripping. SWIM used to think that mania meant that you'd feel really good but for him it can also mean extreme agitation, paranoia, anger, or feelings of invincibility which lead him to high-risk behavior.

SWIM has been this way for as long as he can remember, but there are some people that, for whatever reason, seem to lie dormant. Intense stress can bring dormant traits out in people and psychadelics are more than a bit stressful for someone teetering on the edge. I sincerely hope that SWIY isn't not one of those people, but if SWIY is, then sadly, mushrooms aren't for SWIY.

Go to an open-minded doctor that will listen. A good doctor will check your family history as well as your subjective state of mind and determine the level of distress that you are in due to your circumstances. If SWIY and the doctor are confident that SWIY doesn't have any underlying mental conditions, then as others have said, you may have HPPD. Benzodiazepines are often prescribed to curb the anxiety caused by persistent hallucinations (but note that they are extremely addictive). Whatever you choose to do or believe, DON'T take the doctor's word if you are uncomfortable with the diagnosis or medicine prescribed. If your sense of well-being is compromised by a stigmatizing label then you are better without it. Also I feel that even some very knowledgeable doctors are pressured into prescribing flavor-of-the-month medicines for people that don't need them. Just be honest and straight-forward and if you have a good doc then ultimately you'll figure out where to go next.

Oh, and remember: today's schizo was yesterdays prophet