Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic chemical derived from certain types of mushrooms. Psilocybin, once consumed, is metabolized into psilocin by the liver, which is credited with producing psychoactive effects. Indigenous peoples of Central and South America have used psilocybin for religious and medicinal purposes for centuries.

Psilocybin has recently been investigated as a promising potential treatment for mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and addiction. This research has led many cities across the United States to decriminalize the substance. Oregon recently became the first state to legalize its clinical use, and the FDA has granted it breakthrough therapy status for depression.

Sometimes, the mushrooms that contain psilocybin are referred to as “magic mushrooms.”

Psilocybins, like other psychoactive compounds, are not typically considered drugs of abuse. Psilocybin tends to be well tolerated. And it does not usually produce drug-seeking behaviors, dependence, or withdrawal.

Therapeutic Psilocybin
When administered in a controlled, therapeutic setting, psilocybin, particularly when accompanied by therapy, has shown promise as a treatment for depression, anxiety, and addiction.

Other research indicates that psilocybin could bring about positive personality changes — decreasing neuroticism and increasing extraversion and openness. And some research indicates efficacy in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

References

Davis AK, Barrett FS, May DG, et al. Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2021;78(5):481–489. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.3285 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2772630?resultClick=1

Daniel J, Haberman M. Clinical potential of psilocybin as a treatment for mental health conditions. Ment Health Clin. 2018;7(1):24-28. Published 2018 Mar 23. doi:10.9740/mhc.2017.01.024 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6007659/

Carhart-Harris R, Al. E, Author AffiliationsFrom the Centre for Psychedelic Research, et al. Trial of psilocybin versus escitalopram for depression: Nejm. New England Journal of Medicine. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2032994. Published April 15, 2021. Accessed April 20, 2022. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2032994

Psilocybin. Psilocybin – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/psilocybin. Accessed April 20, 2022. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/psilocybin

Ziff S, Stern B, Lewis G, Majeed M, Gorantla VR. Analysis of psilocybin-assisted therapy in Medicine: A Narrative Review. Cureus. https://www.cureus.com/articles/85829-analysis-of-psilocybin-assisted-therapy-in-medicine-a-narrative-review. Published February 5, 2022. Accessed April 20, 2022. https://www.cureus.com/articles/85829-analysis-of-psilocybin-assisted-therapy-in-medicine-a-narrative-review

Griffiths RR, Johnson MW, Carducci MA, et al. Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 2016;30(12):1181-1197. doi:10.1177/0269881116675513https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0269881116675513

Johnson, M.W., Griffiths, R.R. Potential Therapeutic Effects of Psilocybin. Neurotherapeutics 14, 734–740 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-017-0542-yhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13311-017-0542-y

Erritzoe, D, Roseman, L, Nour, MM, MacLean, K, Kaelen, M, Nutt, DJ, Carhart-Harris, RL. Effects of psilocybin therapy on personality structure. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acps.12904

Jeremy Daniel, Margaret Haberman; Clinical potential of psilocybin as a treatment for mental health conditions. Mental Health Clinician 1 January 2017; 7 (1): 24–28. doi: https://doi.org/10.9740/mhc.2017.01.024https://meridian.allenpress.com/mhc/article/7/1/24/127704/Clinical-potential-of-psilocybin-as-a-treatment