Can Psilocybin Mushrooms Help With Anxiety

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Psychedelic drugs have a long history of recreational use in the U.S. This includes psilocybin, which is one of the active compounds in magic mushrooms. Psilocybin and other psychedelics are technically illegal in the U.S. But there's growing research on their potential for treating many different mental health conditions. So far, a lot of the research on psilocybin has been in depression. But this also has many people exploring their effects on anxiety.

What is psilocybin?

Psilocybin is a chemical found in hallucinogenic mushrooms, often called "magic mushrooms." There are many different types of mushrooms that contain psilocybin. These mushrooms have been around for centuries, and many ancient cultures have used them for medicinal or spiritual purposes.

People ingest psilocybin in several different ways. The mushroom can be eaten fresh, dried, brewed into tea, or taken as a capsule.

How does psilocybin affect the brain?

Researchers are still trying to figure out exactly how psilocybin affects the brain. But experts know that psilocybin works on serotonin receptors. Serotonin is often called the "happy" neurotransmitter because of the way it affects mood. This is why drugs and medications that affect serotonin are particularly helpful for symptoms of anxiety and depression.

But psilocybin likely impacts the brain in many more ways beyond serotonin. For example, a recent study looked at people's brains in an MRI machine after they ingested psilocybin. Researchers noticed a big change in brain activity, and the way different parts of the brain connected. There was a shift in the way brain cells communicate with each other.

The most profound changes occurred in a part of the brain that controls memory, and someone's sense of self. This is likely why people report that psilocybin changes the way they see themselves, and their past experiences. This may be one of the ways it helps lessen people's anxiety.

Does psilocybin help with anxiety?

There's more research about psilocybin's effect on depression than anxiety. And there's a good amount of evidence that psilocybin does seem to provide positive and long-lasting improvements for depression.

Many of the studies on depression also note a secondary improvement in anxiety. This means the researchers weren't necessarily looking at the effect of psilocybin on anxiety, but they noticed an improvement in anxiety symptoms anyways. For example, when study subjects were given questionnaires that rate their anxiety before and after psilocybin, scores were significantly improved.

There are few studies that looked at psilocybin's direct effect on both anxiety and depression:

• In two studies of people with terminal cancer, psilocybin improved their anxiety (along with depression and overall mood). This effect lasted at least 6 months after treatment.

• One small study looking at the effects of psilocybin on people with depression saw an improvement in both anxiety and depression.

There's also some early research on the effects of psilocybin on obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Even though the study didn't look at psilocybin's effect on anxiety specifically, anxiety is a major component of OCD. And in this study, psilocybin showed a reduction in anxiety symptoms of OCD.

More research is needed on psilocybin's effect specifically on anxiety in the general population. But given the promising evidence that psilocybin helps treat some overlapping mental health conditions like depression and OCD, there's a strong movement to explore the use of psilocybin to treat anxiety as well.

What are the other side effects of psilocybin?

Psilocybin can lead to both positive and negative side effects.

One of the main mental effects of psilocybin are hallucinations. This means you experience things that are not really there. This can happen through any of the senses. You might see, touch, hear, feel, or smell hallucinations.

Psilocybin can affect everyone differently and people report other changes apart from the hallucinations. After ingesting psilocybin, people may report feeling:

• Euphoric or very happy

• A sense of awe

• Connected to a spiritual world

• Giggly or playful

On the other hand, people can also feel some negative effects, such as:

• Confusion

• Fear

• Paranoia

• Agitation

Any of these side effects can be distressing and actually increase feelings of anxiety after ingestion.

Psilocybin can also lead to physical side effects. Most of these symptoms are temporary. And many of them may be a physical reaction to the hallucinations, rather than a direct effect of psilocybin on the body. These side effects can include:

• Feeling weak

• Lightheadedness

• Poor coordination

• Muscle twitching

• Numbness of the face

• Dry mouth

• Nausea and vomiting

• Increased heart rate or blood pressure

• Sweating

• Not being able to control urination

What are the risks of using psilocybin for anxiety?

The main risk of taking psilocybin for anxiety is the psychological distress from some of the unpleasant side effects. Many people describe this as a "bad trip." These negative experiences are more likely to happen at higher doses of psilocybin. "Bad trips" can look like:

• Panic attacks

• Paranoia

• Disorientation

• In rare cases, psychosis

Another risk is that psilocybin can lead to injury or bodily harm from impaired judgment. If someone is disoriented, they may unintentionally put themselves in danger. For example, they may think they can fly and jump from a tall structure. This is why it's important to only take psilocybin in a supervised medical setting. Psilocybin treatment centers provide a trained guide to help people through any unpleasant experiences.

When it comes to the physical side effects of psilocybin, the most important one to note is the increase in heart rate and/or blood pressure. Research hasn't found any long-term effects on the cardiovascular system from psilocybin. But some of these studies don't include people with pre-existing heart disease, so it may be risky to take psilocybin if you have heart problems.

It's also important to know that in rare cases, psilocybin can be addictive. But compared to other recreational drugs, the risk is considered much lower. In fact, psilocybin is sometimes used to treat substance use disorder with positive results. So many experts don't consider dependency to be a big risk.

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