My mother-in-law did MDMA and psychedelic mushroom therapy (on separate occasions) with an experienced guide.
This occurred prior to the official training that's occurring now but after the decriminalization of drugs in Oregon. The guide was not a licensed clinician, but she had guided 100s of clients.
My mother-in-law found it incredibly helpful in processing traumas from childhood and in getting "unstuck" in thinking patterns. She described the experience as a seismic shift.
She had been in therapy for her entire life. I suspect that her prior therapy had laid the groundwork for understanding the thinking patterns that weren't serving her.
My wife and I have noticed a subtle personality change. She seems happier and more open to new ideas. This personality change seems to have faded slightly with time. These are of course just our observations, which could be completely off.
Psilocybin mushrooms grow everywhere here in the Pacific Northwest-- I see them all of the time in mulch around our city. I've had many friends take them recreationally, and none of these friends have had such an impactful experience. All of this is anecdotal of course, but it leads me to believe that working with a therapist might be essential for efficacy of the therapy.
I'm a neuroscience researcher, and I'm hopeful that these treatments will be helpful for many people. It is tragic that there haven't been more clinical trials. I'm hesitant to try them myself until there's more data. If I was suffering from intractable depression or anxiety, I'd feel differently.
If you just take them yourself it’s kind of dumb luck if it’ll be helpful. I found a large dose powerful but also kind of random and confusing. I enjoyed my time and still think about it sometimes but it didn’t cure my mental issues. I think with a professional therapist it would be a lot more efficient and directed. Less time spent on trying to figure out if I’m in the correct universe or if time is still a thing or how human food works.
With MDMA I certainly had lovely time talking with friends but again without a therapeutic goal it was just a good time.
This occurred prior to the official training that's occurring now but after the decriminalization of drugs in Oregon. The guide was not a licensed clinician, but she had guided 100s of clients.
My mother-in-law found it incredibly helpful in processing traumas from childhood and in getting "unstuck" in thinking patterns. She described the experience as a seismic shift.
She had been in therapy for her entire life. I suspect that her prior therapy had laid the groundwork for understanding the thinking patterns that weren't serving her.
My wife and I have noticed a subtle personality change. She seems happier and more open to new ideas. This personality change seems to have faded slightly with time. These are of course just our observations, which could be completely off.
Psilocybin mushrooms grow everywhere here in the Pacific Northwest-- I see them all of the time in mulch around our city. I've had many friends take them recreationally, and none of these friends have had such an impactful experience. All of this is anecdotal of course, but it leads me to believe that working with a therapist might be essential for efficacy of the therapy.
I'm a neuroscience researcher, and I'm hopeful that these treatments will be helpful for many people. It is tragic that there haven't been more clinical trials. I'm hesitant to try them myself until there's more data. If I was suffering from intractable depression or anxiety, I'd feel differently.