Posted by Flash (195.171.218.197) on July 08, 2000 at 17:32:54:
In Reply to: AA's Bill W. and LSD ... posted by Q on July 08, 2000 at 11:18:32:
My personal experience is that taking LSD or Psilocybin infrequently, say twice a year, and certainly no more than quarterly does lift depression. At the very least it makes you feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders. A weight you didn't realise you had until it was gone. I'm not one who suffers from much depression, but on a couple of occasions I was defineately on a downer, and after (immediately) taking the LSD I thought about my problems - they seemed completely irrelevant, humerous, hysterically funny even. In one case I embarked on a self character assasination, this was also funny, not in the least bit destructive like you might imagine. That particular time I made the observation that I had worn the same Codey Coyote tie to work every day for a year! I almost died laughing. In those instances I felt completely cured of the downer the next morning, I felt ready for the world, like the tape had been wiped clean again. This feeling persisted, and became my new state of mind.
All this happened on an extremely low dose, used to combat CH. There was no visual effects, or hallucinations, it was pretty low key stuff apart from a lot of giggling. I was on my own at the time.
I enjoyed it so much, I tried it again a month later. The next morning I felt normal, but a little groggy. I did it again a month after that, and it gave me a downer, it also brought on what felt like CH shadows, although these didn't come to anything. I was left in no doubt that had I taken it again the next month I would probably have entered a depressed state and perhaps the CH would come back. That was all October 1996-New Years 1997. I don't usually admit to the 2 extra doses because they were self indulgant and I'd class them as recreational use. Since then I have continued to use Psilocybin to combat CH. I have never taken it more frequently than at 6 monthly intervals. Latterly I have discovered that I can actually go 12 months between doses with no CH. I now only take the Psilocybin when the CH episode commences.
The upshot of all this is that, I believe yes LSD etc can treat depression and CH, however over use can bring about a depressed state, and possibly trigger CH.
There ya go.