Psychedelics are pretty unique drugs marred by lots of misinformation and media bias. The relevant bit for this though is that you aren’t on them all the time. Habitual users may use them up to once a week, and even that is pushing it over the long term. Many users treat them with deep respect and have a more ritualized usage. For example, instead of getting high every weekend they try to make time once every month or two and it’s a very intentional experience with music or nature or both, or whatever else works for them.

So you might be high for 8 hours every month or two. That’s a pretty realistic estimate. Yet despite that tiny amount of time spent actually on the drug, people do say it changes their life for the better. It’s still not for everybody though. They can be mentally challenging in ways that are difficult to describe, but it’s a lot to get into and trying to summarize would not be helpful.

Psychedelics seem amazing. Shrooms have changed my life and I’d love to explore some others if I ever get the opportunity. It’s a crime against humanity that they’ve been so vilified.

Hearsay af but I have heard of that amount being taken. The dude was never the same again, though. Whether for better or worse is harder to say. He didn’t regret it at least, and seemed to be doing well. But he definitely saw some shit.

I get it. I’ve been down that road within the last couple years after decades of “treatment resistant depression”. The treatments aren’t pseudoscience, but it might make more sense when you realize it doesn’t do anything that can’t be done without them. It just accelerates what you can already do with therapy and positive lifestyle changes - provided you do those things. It can also help people with lingering depression whose circumstances have changed for the better. I’m not saying it’s impossible for them to help you and anything is worth a shot, but I would emphasize that you get what you put in and if your circumstances are a big contributor (like they are for many of us) it’s going to be an uphill battle.

Shrooms have high potential and they’re honestly easier to get. But mindset is still important. For some people, it’s a one and done cure. For many, they need to re dose every few months. For very few, they convince themselves they’ve messed it up and make things worse. They hold the potential for radical shifts in perspective like you never imagined, but only if you’re ready.

TMS and ketamine work by increasing neuroplasticity. Your provider should tell you: the day of and after treatment, avoid things that are stressful and upsetting. Stay off social media, or make sure the media you do use is a carefully curated feed with positivity and things like cute animal pictures. Unfortunately, in my experience, many providers are not great about giving you this information. They lead you to believe you can just go get drugged up or zapped with magnets and magically get better. It doesn’t work like that. It makes your brain more flexible so you can break old thought patterns and develop new ones. If you just feed yourself stress and ragebait during the most critical periods, it is far less likely to help.

Shrooms are different. The mechanisms are less well understood because political fuckery has set research back over half a century, but neuroplasticity is likely only a fraction of it. They also break down barriers, create new associations, suppress the ego, and enhance social connections. It is … an unforgettable experience. I can’t say it’s for everybody because mindset is so important. But for anyone who is really ready to take control of their depression, I think shrooms make ketamine seem like a complete waste of time and money.