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A comment on Magic mushrooms are changing the lives of terminal cancer patients. Parent comment

Re:Magic mushrooms are changing the lives of terminal cancer... by ojr on Thursday November 26, 2020 @07:54AM (#25219602)
To be honest it is more harmful than beneficial, these drugs can have a short term side effect of racing thoughts, distorted reality, increased heart rate, paranoia, etc, these effects are well known but people like riding rollercoasters. Long term harmful side effects include onset of schizophrenia, bipolar and psychosis, lung cancer, etc. More people are using drugs like shrooms and weed recreationally than medicinally and at an age where the brain isn’t fully developed. Considered yourself lucky not being exposed to anyone with problems caused by these substances.
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Re:Magic mushrooms are changing the lives of terminal cancer... by matthewdgreen on Thursday November 26, 2020 @07:57AM (#25219621)
Are these long term side effects as common with a single dose of psilocybin? Or are they mainly the result of stronger psychedelics given over multiple doses.
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Re:Magic mushrooms are changing the lives of terminal cancer... by ojr on Thursday November 26, 2020 @10:16AM (#25220690)
My friend developed a chronic mental illness after one bad trip. It is like playing Russian Roulette with your brain chemistry.
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Re:Magic mushrooms are changing the lives of terminal cancer... by lsiebert on Thursday November 26, 2020 @11:41AM (#25221439)
Chronic mental illness, for those predisposed, can be brought on by a variety of stressors, of which bad trips can be one. You can look up the stress-diathesis model (1). Of course stone cold sober people can also be at risk of chronic mental illness from stressors; Look at mental health in followers of the LDS church, who abstain from alcohol, tobacco and caffeine. (2)

That means that people who are more predisposed to mental illness or under stress should be cautious around drugs (whether legally available or not), just like people with diabetes should be cautious about their blood sugar. It doesn't mean that drugs can't have beneficial effects and be used safely.

(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diathesis%E2%80%93stress_model (2) https://universe.byu.edu/2018/02/05/mental-illness-1/

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