Are magic mushrooms addictive?

Can the experience of a cosmic, transforming voyage inspire a desire to undertake it again, and again, and again? Psilocybin, the principal active ingredient in mushrooms, is officially classified as a Schedule I narcotic in the United States, indicating that the government believes it has a significant potential for abuse. DEA scheduling, on the other hand, lags behind the most recent clinical evidence. Are magic mushrooms addictive?

A recent study emphasizes psilocybin’s minimal potential for misuse, and one growing field of psilocybin research is focused on how the molecule might be utilized to treat various addictions. In other words, psilocybin is more likely to aid in the cessation of an addictive habit than to initiate a new one.

Let’s discuss if psilocybin is addictive, psilocybin tolerance, and why it may be ideally suited for addiction treatment.

What is addiction? 

Humans may get hooked to almost anything that makes them feel good or alleviates tension and suffering, including candy, shopping, and even jobs. Substance use disorders, on the other hand, are the most frequent form. According to the DSM, these arise when an individual continues to use a substance despite the negative effects on their relationships, health, employment, or capacity to engage in daily life, among other criteria.

Experts on addiction usually believe that addiction is a cyclical phenomenon with three distinct phases.

• The user becomes inebriated by a drug, causing a rush of feel-good dopamine to flood the brain’s reward regions. Dopamine, according to most addiction specialists, plays a significant impact in the development and maintenance of addiction.
• Second stage: The user suffers withdrawal symptoms, which might result in unpleasant consequences such as panic or anxiety.
• Third stage: The user is preoccupied and has a strong sense of anticipation, making it difficult to resist the impulse to use or ingest the substance. Consuming the drug alleviates this strong preoccupation/anticipation while simultaneously allowing for a flood of dopamine (as seen in stage one). Are magic mushrooms addictive

Related: How to dose psychedelic mushrooms

Are magic mushrooms addictive?

Classic psychedelics that predominantly affect the brain’s serotonin receptors, such as psilocybin, are not considered addictive, owing to the fact that their effects endure a long time—a psilocybin trip, for example, can last up to six hours. This prolonged activity can desensitize the brain’s serotonin receptors, resulting in quick tolerance and reducing the risk of misuse. It’s also worth mentioning that traditional psychedelics have no direct effect on the brain’s dopamine system; as previously stated, dopamine stimulation is required for a drug to cause dependency.

Animals taught to self-administer psilocybin—a popular method of assessing whether a chemical is likely to be misused in human populations—have revealed that the substance has a very low abuse potential in research on psilocybin addiction.
The vast majority of these animals declined to engage in a specified activity, such as pressing a lever, in order to be rewarded with psilocybin. Large-scale population surveys of people who have used magic mushrooms produce comparable results, showing no link between lifetime psilocybin usage and addiction.

In light of this findings, researchers are pushing for psilocybin to be reclassified from Schedule I to Schedule IV—substances known to have a minimal abuse potential and a low danger of physical or psychological dependency.

Psilocybin mushrooms, according to Nicholas Levich, Co-Founder of Psychedelic Passage, a platform that promotes psychedelic trip-sitting experiences, provide an experience that is basically opposed to addiction. “Psilocybin, especially in high doses, produces effects that are so profound and typically uncomfortable that the common sentiment is something along the lines of, ‘Well, that was intense, and I don’t need to do that again for a while—if ever,'” he told me. Are magic mushrooms addictive

However, Levich warns that any chemical may be abused, so it’s critical to utilize psilocybin with caution and intention. “It’s more about establishing healthy psilocybin use patterns versus whether psilocybin is chemically addictive.”

According to Mike Ljubsa, Business Director and Facilitator at MycoMeditations, a firm that offers psilocybin-assisted health retreats, chemicals like alcohol frequently induce addiction because they may hide suffering. This is not the case with psilocybin.

Can you develop a tolerance to psilocybin?

While experts and academics agree that psilocybin is not addictive, data shows that repeated psilocybin usage over a short period of time can swiftly establish tolerance. But tolerance is not the same as addiction, abuse, or dependence, and it is not always a bad thing.

Tolerance to a chemical implies that the amount you’ve been taking stops functioning as well as it used to, and you need to take more to receive the same advantages or effects as before. It is frequent in many drugs and can develop after only a few exposures to a chemical. Tolerance to psilocybin can be acquired after just one session. Are magic mushrooms addictive

“From my perspective, this is the other reason psilocybin is not addictive—your tolerance builds up so quickly that you’d need to consume 2-3 times the prior day’s dose to experience any effects,” Levitch said. He advises travelers to wait at least a day or two between dosages.

“Breaks allow users to guard against tolerance and ensure that the slightly altered states they experience are actually altered states,” said Derek Chase, creator of Psilouette, an entheogenic health startup located in Los Angeles.

He believes that the benefits of microdosing stem from the ability to switch between a psilocybin-affected state and a sober state of awareness, which allows for insights into alternative ways of being.

Related: How long do magic mushrooms stay in your system?

Can you overdose on magic mushrooms?

An overdose of magic mushrooms can cause terrible hallucinations, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, or coma. Mushroom toxicity levels are too low to be lethal even in large quantities.

To be lethal, you must ingest a thousand times the typical dose of magic mushrooms. This almost eliminates the possibility of someone dying from an overdose.

An overdose event of shrooms lasts around 8 hours, however, the user may continue to suffer adverse effects for many days.

The best techniques for consuming magic mushrooms

Always take the correct dose of magic mushrooms when tripping to avoid psilocybin tolerance. Do not overdose or consume the mushrooms on a regular basis. Once or twice a month is enough to meet your spiritual, recreational, therapeutic, or religious requirements.

Ascertain that you are in the correct frame of mind and that the set and atmosphere are conducive to mushroom intake.

Can psilocybin treat addiction?

Some of the most intriguing psilocybin research now being conducted is at its capacity to cure drug use disorders such as tobacco and alcohol addiction. Many people use mushrooms to help them recover from addiction.

In a recent clinical trial of people with alcohol consumption disorder, psilocybin combined with psychotherapy reduced excessive drinking by 83%, compared to a 51% drop in people who got an antihistamine placebo. (For women, heavy drinking was defined as four or more drinks per day, and for males, five or more drinks.) Nearly half (48%) of individuals who had psilocybin stopped drinking entirely eight months following the initial dosage.

The methods by which psilocybin can aid in the treatment of addiction are unknown. Researchers have discovered a number of causes, including enhanced capacity to deal with cravings, changes in neural networks that can help reset the brain’s reward system, and the transformational potential of a “mystical experience” while tripping.

Mystical experiences tend to be a particularly helpful component in the treatment of addiction, eliciting emotions of oneness, transcending of time and space, tremendous optimism, amazement, and the idea that what has been revealed is true and valid. While studies are still trying to figure out why mystical experiences are so powerful, experts believe that the profound feeling of personal significance they may provide may help people quit smoking.

“Psilocybin is incredibly helpful at inserting space between us and our compulsive patterns,” he stated. “Plus, it can often illuminate the root cause of those compulsive behaviors.”

Psilocybin’s capacity to help people deal with trauma may contribute to its effectiveness as an addiction therapy. Is psilocybin addictive?

“Trauma is at the root of most addiction issues,” Ljubsa observed. “When psilocybin is taken in safe settings with proper intention and reliable support, a person can address the traumas underlying their addiction.”