I'm addicted to weed and do a lot of mushrooms as well. Never felt the urge to stop weed after a trip. As with all addictions, but especially weed, the only way to stop is to want to. The only really bad thing about quitting is the boredom from not being high. I've quite a dozen times myself, going upwards of a year sober, but I'm much less happy afterwards.

> the only way to stop is to want to ... but I'm much less happy afterwards

If you don't want to quit, nothing will help, probably.

> the boredom from not being high

Maybe this is the real problem?

That's exactly what I'm saying. Mushrooms aren't the key, wanting to quit is. Quitting weed is pretty easy if you want to. Not at all like tobacco or opioids.

The success scenarios I’ve heard about involve psilocybin + trained therapist. Some people have undirected transformative experiences, but some people need need help navigating.

> undirected transformative experiences

Going in without a therapist doesn't necessarily mean the experience is undirected.

Even during an intense psilocybin experience, people typically retain some degree of agency and control over their actions. In most cases, individuals on a psilocybe trip can still make decisions and perform basic tasks, though their perceptions and judgments might be altered.

Agree.

Absolutely, if I was still in Vancouver I'd make a stop by Granville.

I would love to stop smoking, and have taken mushrooms several times in the past couple months...

It unfortunately doesn't work for everyone.

They key with these studies is the associated therapy.

I’ve heard the effects of psilocybin described as (roughly) increasing neuroplasticity for a time, thus allowing changes that would be significantly harder to accomplish otherwise.

But I don’t think unguided trips would automatically have this effect if you don’t already have the necessary tools/frameworks going in.

Aside from the over-generalizations, psilocybin is a potent psychoactive substance. While it might not be "addictive" in the classic sense, it can lead to intense, sometimes challenging, psychological experiences. These experiences can be traumatic for some individuals, especially without proper guidance or in unsupportive settings.

> it can lead to intense, sometimes challenging, psychological experiences

True.

> These experiences can be traumatic

Agree, but many people who experienced them still describe them in a positive light. Some don't.

> without proper guidance or in unsupportive settings

Agree. Set and setting are very important and can influence those experiences. A knowledgeable guide is essential too.

The best tip for handling a bad trip (without a guide) that I've heard is: "If experiencing something scary, go towards it and communicate with it. If that doesn't help, start singing."

I'll note that "proper guidance" and "supportive setting" are very much undefined terms here and also do not preclude a traumatic trip.

There's no situation in which using a significant dose of a psychoactive substance as powerful as psilocybin is without risks. That's not to say the risks aren't worth it for anyone, and experienced, supportive guidance can minimize some risks, but it's never without any risk at all.

It's interesting to see mushrooms on the same ride as marijuana 5-10 years ago. Almost identical.

It's illegal -> "This probably shouldn't be illegal, it's not as bad as the government has suggested" -> "___ will cure ____" -> "___ can be used to treat almost anything" -> ___ is legalized in some capacities -> ___ isn't nearly as impactful as the original medicinal claims and also presents its own set of issues.

I'm very curious to see what psilocybin presents in the final phase of this ride.