Around the world,  depression and anxiety are at all-time high levels and it has become a global crisis. Anxiety can range from very mild or occasional, to totally debilitating – and everywhere in between. Even at moderate levels, anxiety can impact our physical health (such as: breathing, gastrointestinal and heart issues, reduced immunity, sleep problems, addictions, weight loss/gain, and more).

As we know, anxiety and depression are mostly treated through pharmaceutical medications, which come with a long list of unwanted (sometimes dangerous) side effects, as well as a big price tag. There must be a better way, right? Well, luckily there is something exciting on the horizon, psychedelics! Let’s learn what the science says about magic mushrooms and if they help reduce anxiety other mental health issues.

For decades, the medical community has viewed depression and anxiety as an imbalance of brain chemicals (such as serotonin), which is why people are prescribed pharmaceuticals that try to stabilize those chemicals.

However, new research is finding that using hallucinogenic products like psilocybin help reduce anxiety and depression in a different way. They essentially “help the neurons in the brain talk with each other via neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers” (Medical News Today).  In other words, psychedelics help rewire an anxious brain to improve pathways, instead of trying to artificially increase or alter brain chemicals temporarily.

In the past several years, researchers have been given approvals to study psychedelics for the treatment of different mental health conditions, even though these substances are still considered illegal. While it’s still early and more large-scale research is needed, they are seeing great potential for helping reduce anxiety, depression and more. What’s really exciting is that for many of the people in these studies, they only had one macrodose of the psychedelic and experienced lasting impacts – even up to 3 and 4 years later they reported decreased anxiety and depression (CTV News).

Psychedelic therapy is another growing field where we can expect learn more about the uses of psychedelics like psilocybin to treat a variety mental health issues. Working one-on-one with a professional therapist in a controlled setting, patients receive a low or moderate dose, and are supervised during their trip or experience. They can have just one, or several sessions where they ‘integrate’ or search for meaning from their journey with their therapist in a safe space.

Microdosing psilocybin has been a growing trend in Canada for some time, and as more people share their experiences, it’s hard to deny that it has real, positive benefits. The medical/scientific community is taking notice, so expect to hear of more research findings in the months to come.

By taking just 1/10^th of a ‘standard’ dose of magic mushrooms a few times a week, people reported having less anxiety, more energy, focus, creativity and happiness. Others say that microdosing helps them with battling addictions, OCD and depression. For those who may be curious to try it, be sure to check out these microdosing tips for best results.

As magic mushroom enthusiasts, we are constantly following the news, research and discoveries around psychedelics. What we do know is that, when taken properly, there is great potential for treating anxiety, depression and more. It’s exciting to think that plant medicines like psilocybin may one day be widely used to help people live better, healthier lives.