Alterations in glutamate and the experience of ego dissolution with psilocybin

Re:Alterations in glutamate and the experience of ego dissol... by el_nahual on Thursday May 28, 2020 @11:21AM (#23338369)

All medications have two kinds of effects: therapeutic effects, and any number of side effects.

The "problem" with compounds that can alter our state of mind is that, by definition, they can be fun/weird/recreational if taken in meaningful doses. And this, of course, scares the government and the pharmaceutical industry. They are not allowed to sell things which can be used for disorder (read: "recreation").

So the pharma industry must select against these compounds. What we're left with is medication where the active, psychoactive effect is so small that it's of the same magnitude as the side effects. This prevents "abuse".

Hence why antidepressants are basically constipation/headache/libido killing pills that kinda maybe change your frame of mind.

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Re:Alterations in glutamate and the experience of ego dissol... by lostlogin on Thursday May 28, 2020 @11:25AM (#23338416)

> And this, of course, is what scares the government and the pharmaceutical industry.

The opioid epidemic has shown that not all pharmaceutical companies feel constrained in this way.

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Re:Alterations in glutamate and the experience of ego dissol... by el_nahual on Thursday May 28, 2020 @11:32AM (#23338478)

This is an excellent point and seems to torpedo my entire argument.

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