{"id":2471,"date":"2022-05-28T11:19:31","date_gmt":"2022-05-28T11:19:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/psychedelicanxiety.com\/?p=2471"},"modified":"2022-05-28T11:19:35","modified_gmt":"2022-05-28T11:19:35","slug":"magic-mushrooms-as-medicine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/psychedelicanxiety.com\/de\/magic-mushrooms-as-medicine\/","title":{"rendered":"Magic mushrooms as medicine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Psilocybin<\/a>, or \u2018magic mushrooms\u2019, belongs to a group of drugs called\u202fpsychedelics<\/a>.1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s usually eaten fresh, cooked or brewed into a tea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psilocybin has been around for a long time, and has been used by some Indigenous communities around the world for over 1000 years.2<\/sup> In fact, some researchers believe rock paintings in Western Australia show psilocybin use in Indigenous ceremonies over 10,000 years ago.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psychedelics can cause changes in mood, perception and thought,1 and in the 1950s and 60s scientists became interested in how these effects might help people experiencing mental illness.2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They began to study psychedelics to treat conditions like anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol dependence.2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 60s, the countercultural movement \u2013 or \u2018hippies\u2019 \u2013 began to experiment with psychedelic drugs,2<\/sup> creating moral panic and negative media coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, despite promising findings, psychedelic research ended abruptly in the 70s.2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that\u2019s changing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the early 2000s, there\u2019s been growing interest in the benefits of psychedelics like psilocybin \u2013 causing a research \u2018renaissance\u2019 in Australia and overseas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are we learning?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This new wave of psychedelic research has shown promising results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve learned psilocybin can have anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects that last for several months.4<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also appears to be helpful in the treatment of terminally ill people with depression and anxiety, and for nicotine and alcohol dependence.2,5<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psilocybin may also increase the brain\u2019s ability to create new emotional and information pathways.5<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While we\u2019re beginning to understand psilocybin\u2019s potential, there are also risks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psilocybin may worsen the symptoms of certain conditions like personality disorders and schizophrenia.2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also know some physical health conditions, like heart and liver disease, increase the chance of negative side-effects.2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psychedelic therapy should always take place under professional supervision to reduce risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s happening in Australia?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At first, we lagged behind other countries in psychedelic research, but we\u2019re starting to catch up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2021, the Australian Government announced $15 million worth of grants to researchers studying the mental health benefits of drugs like MDMA, psilocybin and ketamine.6<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And last year Australia became home to the Psychae Institute<\/a>, a global psychedelic research institute in Melbourne.7<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several clinical trials are underway in Australia:<\/p>\n\n\n\n