But OP is right on one thing: it is not a substance the body needs. It's an artificially induced condition, and it's why it's important to take days off. Sometimes I take a week, not just the 1/2 days of the most popular protocols.
This way you can see if you are improving deep inside, and that it's not just the drug saying you are fine. Plus those substance allow it: no hard in stopping cold turkey. It's beautiful how positive this stuff is.
Up to now, I can attest than, yes, even when I'm not taking it, I'm better. Mostly because when I take it, I live a better life.
I think of all the illicit activities one can discuss with friends/neighbors/coworkers, magic mushrooms is the least concerning and most likely to result in a positive connection. At least here on the west coast anyways, lots of people have access to mushrooms and consume them occasionally. You just have to develop trusting relationships with people around you, and that's generally regarded as a good thing anyways.
It's not too difficult to ask some people if they want to go camping, and while out in the woods bring up a curiosity about magic mushrooms. Anyone who goes camping with you is very likely to be open to the idea if not pull a bag of shrooms out of their backpack on the spot.
Obviously, I'm happy that you're suffering less. However, I'm highly skeptical that hallucinogens "solve" problems, instead of merely masking them. Hallucinogens may provide you with a feeling that you have a place in the universe, but they cannot provide an actual place for you. It takes work to find and create purpose in life. You can't create purpose with pills anymore than you can create strength with synthol injections.
Which is better -- a feeling backed by reality, or a feeling based on chemical reactions in your brain induced by a substance?
There are a hell of a lot of assumptions packed into this sentence.
I encourage you to go research the current understanding of mental health. There is a lot we don't understand, but I think what we do understand certainly doesn't support the perspective you are presenting.
People who experience depression and anxiety often times have ingrained negative or counter-productive thought patterns and micro reactions that are very difficult to overcome. Sometimes even noticing these patterns is quite tricky.
It makes a ton of sense to me that psilocybin, especially with the guidance of skilled therapists, can have this kind of incredible impact.
Hallucinogens can be (ab)used as a tool, like many others. The benefit is insight. (again, ymmv)
But really, they're more like a trailer or advertisement for mindfulness.
If you get lucky, you only need to take them once.