Here’s Why You Want To Know About Mushrooms and Depression

Dr. Tracey Marks, psychiatrist, explains:

A magic solution?

Psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in certain mushrooms, activates 5HT-2A serotonin receptors, and historically has been used recreationally to broaden thinking, relax users, and amplify emotions. And that “amplify emotions”?

Useful for combatting depression!

It’s been researched since the 1950s; it was approved as Indocybin in 1960, banned in the US in in 1966, and classified as Schedule I in 1970 (high abuse potential, no accepted medical use).

However, in more recent years: since the 1990s, studies are giving promising results vs anxiety, depression, and alcohol dependence; most use microdosing (one to two doses).

Psilocybin was eventually granted status for treatment-resistant depression (Compass Pathways, 2018) and major depression (Usona Institute, 2019) to speed approval; both are currently (at time of writing) in phase 2 trials and still recruiting participants. This may seem slow compared to some medicine R&D timelines (look at vaccines, for example, which often have to be produced as quickly as possible because of the death toll while waiting), but it could be worse: Spravato took two and a half years from breakthrough designation to approval; typical drug development can take 10+ years, so fast-tracking does shorten the process.

One of the main benefits (aside from “it can work when other things fail”) is that often a single dose can provide relief for months.

For more on all of this, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

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Take care!