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Depression treatment encompasses a range of interventions and approaches aimed at alleviating symptoms, improving functioning, and promoting overall well-being in individuals with depression. Treatment options can include psychotherapy, medication, lifestyle changes, and other complementary therapies. The choice of treatment depends on the severity of depression, individual preferences, and the guidance of healthcare professionals.

Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy or counseling, is a common and effective treatment for depression. Different types of psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT), and psychodynamic therapy, can be employed. These therapies help individuals identify and change negative thought patterns, develop healthier coping mechanisms, improve interpersonal relationships, and address underlying emotional issues contributing to depression.

Medication, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or other antidepressants, may be prescribed for moderate to severe depression. These medications work to rebalance brain chemistry and alleviate depressive symptoms. It's important to note that medication should be prescribed and monitored by a qualified healthcare professional, as they can have potential side effects and require careful management.

Lifestyle changes can play a significant role in depression treatment. Engaging in regular physical exercise has been shown to have mood-boosting effects and can reduce depressive symptoms. Adequate sleep, a balanced diet, and stress reduction techniques, such as mindfulness or relaxation exercises, can also contribute to overall well-being and help manage depression. Additionally, social support and maintaining a supportive network of family and friends can provide emotional comfort and assistance during treatment.

Complementary therapies, such as yoga, meditation, art therapy, or acupuncture, may be used in conjunction with traditional approaches to depression treatment. While evidence varies for these therapies, they can offer additional tools to manage depression symptoms and promote self-care. It's important to consult with healthcare professionals and ensure the integration of complementary therapies into a comprehensive treatment plan.

Psychedelic therapy: what is it?

It is a psychiatric method that uses psychedelic substances to treat various mental disorders. Our first thoughts might bring to mind drugs like LSD, which were fashionable in the 1950s and 1960s and were eventually banned.

However, science has been conducting regulated and medically recognized studies for decades. For example, there is evidence that psilocybin is an alkaloid with great mental health potential. It is the active ingredient of “magic mushrooms”, which are tropical mushrooms that could serve as antidepressants.

Research from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, highlights how psychedelic treatments could change the way we approach many disorders. We must remember that traditional approaches to severe depression or post-traumatic stress disorder are not always effective. Safe administration of psychedelic substances could be beneficial in this case.

In what areas has psychedelic therapy proven to be beneficial?

Thanks to studies by medical, academic and pharmacological institutions, the benefits of these substances are becoming increasingly known. Microdosing causes changes in the mechanisms of the brain that result in calming of emotional pain, increased mental focus, and altered perception. Significant improvements were achieved in the following areas:

Dependency

Persistent depression and anxiety

Terminal cancer with existential fears. In this case, the treatment improves the mood of patients.

Research published in The Lancet shows that treatment with methylenedioxymethamphetamine reduces symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in soldiers, police officers and firefighters, for example.

EPIsoDE - A Phase II Clinical Trial to Investigate the Efficacy and Safety of Psilocybin in Treatment-Refractory Unipolar Depression

Depression is one of the most common illnesses of all. Resistance to therapy is also common. In the approval and effectiveness studies of the various medications, a third to half of the patients do not respond to treatment lasting several weeks. Despite intensive research, there is still a lack of effective therapeutic approaches in the event that the previously approved medications do not work.

A possible approach in the treatment of therapy-resistant depression is the use of psilocybin. Psilocybin is a naturally occurring substance from special types of mushrooms. In humans, psilocybin has a psychoactive effect and can produce euphoria, physical lightness and hallucinations. In addition to findings from the 1950s and 60s, more recent Clinical Trials Using Psilocybine suggest the effectiveness and safety of psilocybin in the treatment of treatment-resistant depression, depression and anxiety associated with terminal illnesses, obsessive-compulsive disorder and substance use disorders. The aim of the project is a bicentric clinical study with patients with treatment-resistant depression. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the safety of the application and to obtain initial indications of the effectiveness of the therapy.

As is the case with psilocybin in the treatment of depression, there is no immediate commercial interest from pharmaceutical companies in further clinical development for many new, potentially effective therapeutic approaches due to a limited range of applications or high scientific and technical risks. One of the central challenges is to investigate such therapeutic approaches so that patients can benefit from them as quickly as possible. In the “Early Clinical Studies” funding measure, the BMBF therefore promotes the implementation of science-initiated early clinical studies up to Phase II and helps ensure that new therapeutic approaches are pursued further.

Psychotherapeutic depression treatment

At best, depression should be treated with psychotherapy and, in more severe cases, with medication. Various psychotherapeutic therapy methods are suitable for treating depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy has proven to be particularly effective in bringing about a rapid reduction in symptoms. This is a therapeutic procedure that specifically addresses the patient's symptoms and addresses the patient's individual problems so that personal suffering is reduced and an active everyday life is possible again. To this end, various steps are taken in structured therapy sessions to treat the clinical picture of depression. The patient should increase their activity, work on their social contacts, learn to give up false beliefs about themselves and learn problem-solving strategies for everyday life and for future crises. During therapy, problems are analyzed, exercises are carried out, homework is assigned and discussed.

Pharmacological depression treatment

Depression is treated medically with so-called antidepressants. In Germany there are around 30 approved active ingredients2 that are used for this purpose. Most antidepressants do not work immediately, but usually take effect after three to six weeks. The drugs aim to increase the concentration of the important messenger substances (neurotransmitters) norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain. However, their mode of action and their side effects differ greatly. An exception is the newly approved esketamine nasal spray, which has a significantly faster effect via NMDA receptors in the brain. Depending on the situation, other illnesses and medications taken, a specific antidepressant is selected for the patient in consultation with psychiatric professionals.

Treatment-resistant depression – When treatment doesn’t work

If there is no improvement in depressive symptoms as a result of psychotherapeutic and drug treatments, it is referred to as therapy-resistant depression. Depending on the definition, treatment-resistant depression can also exist if two attempts at drug treatment have failed.3 In some cases, it may happen that the therapy was not carried out correctly and therefore did not work. In such cases one speaks of “pseudotherapy resistance”.

“The world urgently needs a new way to treat mental health issues, and at PsyRx we believe psychedelics are a big part of the solution,” says Itay Hecht.

Hecht is CEO and co-founder of this Israeli company, which is developing standardized pharmaceutical grade psychedelics from natural sources — not synthetics — as active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Using an agro-medical bioreactor invented at the Hebrew University Faculty of Agriculture, PsyRx produces psychedelic botanic extracts psilocybin (from “magic” mushrooms) and ibogaine (from the root bark of the iboga shrub).

Psilocybin has been shown to have positive effects in treating depression, anxiety and addiction, and has been suggested as a potential treatment for obesity, PTSD, cluster headaches and more.

Ibogaine has shown promise as an anti-addiction drug, among other indications. PsyRx is focusing on its potential to improve current SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressants.

“SSRIs have some very bad side effects on libido and appetite, and patients often stop using them. We believe adding a microdose of ibogaine will counter those effects and make a better drug,” Hecht says, emphasizing that microdoses of psychedelic substances do not cause hallucinations.

“We are starting small animal trials soon to check safety and efficacy. Hopefully, in a year’s time, we can start human trials” to test this ibogaine application, he tells ISRAEL21c.

ON-TREND

Adding psychedelics to mainstream drugs may seem a bit “out there,” but in fact it’s on-trend.

According to market intelligence report CB Insights, funding for psychedelic medicine companies is growing rapidly as traditional pharma giants see declines in return on investment for drug R&D and are interested in exploring alternative products. Consumer interest in hallucinogenic drugs also is growing, according to this report.

“The world urgently needs a new way to treat mental health issues, and at PsyRx we believe psychedelics are a big part of the solution,” says Itay Hecht.

Hecht is CEO and co-founder of this Israeli company, which is developing standardized pharmaceutical grade psychedelics from natural sources — not synthetics — as active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Using an agro-medical bioreactor invented at the Hebrew University Faculty of Agriculture, PsyRx produces psychedelic botanic extracts psilocybin (from “magic” mushrooms) and ibogaine (from the root bark of the iboga shrub).

Psilocybin has been shown to have positive effects in treating depression, anxiety and addiction, and has been suggested as a potential treatment for obesity, PTSD, cluster headaches and more.

Ibogaine has shown promise as an anti-addiction drug, among other indications. PsyRx is focusing on its potential to improve current SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressants.

“SSRIs have some very bad side effects on libido and appetite, and patients often stop using them. We believe adding a microdose of ibogaine will counter those effects and make a better drug,” Hecht says, emphasizing that microdoses of psychedelic substances do not cause hallucinations.

“We are starting small animal trials soon to check safety and efficacy. Hopefully, in a year’s time, we can start human trials” to test this ibogaine application, he tells ISRAEL21c.

ON-TREND

Adding psychedelics to mainstream drugs may seem a bit “out there,” but in fact it’s on-trend.

According to market intelligence report CB Insights, funding for psychedelic medicine companies is growing rapidly as traditional pharma giants see declines in return on investment for drug R&D and are interested in exploring alternative products. Consumer interest in hallucinogenic drugs also is growing, according to this report.

They couldn't stop him. An 18-year-old consumed psilocybin mushrooms, also known as magic mushrooms, with friends. Two people also took mushrooms, and another person limited himself to smoking weed. During the session, the 18-year-old initially isolated himself from the others in the bathroom. Suddenly he came out naked, behaved unusually aggressively and showed a strong urge to jump from the balcony.

The other two people, who were also on a mushroom trip, were too busy with themselves to intervene. The person, who was just stoned, tried to stop him, but couldn't prevent the accident. The 18-year-old did not survive the fall from the second floor.

Fatal accidents following psilocybin are rare, but do occur

How could that happen? Examinations of the stomach contents as well as further blood and urine analyzes led to the conclusion that he was actually only under the influence of psilocybin. The cannabis active ingredient THC could only be detected in low concentrations. This suggests that the last joint was some time ago and did not play a role at the time of the accident.

The 18-year-old grew the mushrooms himself in his apartment. His friends said he had consumed the mushrooms in the past to overcome his shyness. But that is certainly not enough to explain his behavior. There were no other signs of psychological problems.

The medical team reporting on the case has researched other cases. According to the research, fatal accidents appear to be rare, but they do occur from time to time. According to the authors, the case of the 18-year-old demonstrates that a trip can be associated with incalculable risks even under seemingly safe conditions, such as consumption with friends.

Low toxicity, but exceptional psychological situation

The immediate toxicity of psilocybin, however, is rather low. Based on animal experiments with rats, it can be estimated that an adult human would have to eat around 17 kilograms of fresh psilocybin mushrooms to absorb a potentially fatal dose. Since the body usually reacts with nausea and vomiting at this amount, it is not to be expected that users will die from the immediate effect. Above all, it is unexpected behavior that can lead to life-threatening accidents when intoxicated.

However, the dose can play a role. The higher the amount of psilocybin consumed, the higher the likelihood of particularly intense intoxication. Intoxication can cause exceptional psychological situations, particularly in inexperienced people, but also in experienced people. This is shown by a survey among consumers in which almost 2,000 people took part.

Horror trip even for experienced consumers

Study leader Roland Griffiths and his team from Johns Hopkins University in the USA asked those surveyed to remember their worst mushroom horror trip and to provide information about it. As was to be expected, the majority of participants took part who had had multiple experiences with hallucinogenic mushrooms. Her worst horror trip was preceded by between six and ten episodes of mushroom consumption. At the time of the survey they were on average 30 years old.

Around three quarters of those surveyed said that they were actually in good spirits before their horror trip. Most of them consumed with friends and felt that they were in good hands. However, only three percent of those surveyed had a “tripsitter” on their side. This is a person who stays sober and can help if the worst comes to the worst.

The small village of San José del Pacifico doesn't actually have much to offer. Nevertheless, thousands of backpackers are drawn to the highlands of Oaxaca every year. The reason is psychedelic mushrooms. The "magic mushrooms" are an integral part of the indigenous culture, which is why their consumption is tolerated here. In the rest of the world, “magic mushrooms” are currently making a comeback. On the one hand, as a lifestyle drug that allows stressed managers to experience their limits without much effort. But also as a research object: The active ingredient psilocybin contained in the mushrooms is said to help with depression or anxiety disorders.

Tourists come for the psychedelic mushrooms

In San José del Pacifico they are everywhere. And many come – especially for her. "Why am I here? Because of the mushrooms. And the mountains," says a German tourist. "Actually all backpackers who come here take them. But I don't know yet. We were still skeptical. And we actually decided no," say two other tourists. Psychedelic mushrooms. Or magic mushrooms. "We came here to take the mushrooms. We did that yesterday," says a young woman. Another said: "We thought it all made some sense. That our hostel was designed specifically for this. Everything was so... forest-like. You can see why people do it here of all places."

Here in the highlands of Oaxaca, psychedelic mushrooms are part of the indigenous culture. Therefore their consumption is tolerated. And almost the entire village lives from the tourists' borderline experiences. Navarro too. He offers mushroom trips in his garden. And in the way that corresponds to the indigenous ritual. Only after a sweat treatment in the Temazcal, the traditional Mexican sauna. "If you want to do it right, you first have to cleanse your body and your mind," explains Navarro Temzcaliero. "My Temazcal is medicine. It makes you breathe better, hear better, it relaxes you, you're no longer tired, you're no longer in pain. It brings you into the moment." Be in the here and now. In harmony with nature. That is the goal. But tourists keep coming to him who just want to experience the crazy mushroom trip. Without ritual. Without Temazcal. In the village the mushrooms are sold like chewing gum. But here the Temazcal is part of it. If someone only wants the mushrooms and no Temazcal, then I say: the drug dealer is waiting on the street. I am a medicine man.

THE PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC POINT OF VIEW OF PSYCHEDELIC-ASSISTED TREATMENT

The psychotherapeutic setting offers a highly controllable and supportive environment that most likely differs from the patient's other past and present environments. As time passes, the patient regularly exposed to this therapeutic environment gradually adapts to it. In doing so, it slowly updates its high-level forecasts that were formed in less controllable environments and therefore indicate large uncertainty. Because the therapeutic environment strongly contradicts the rigid prediction of uncontrollability and uncertainty, the sensory prediction error becomes larger and larger. At a certain point, the sensory inputs that signal safety and support can no longer be explained, initiating an updating process.

Psychedelics appear to amplify the restorative effect of real relationships. From a psychological point of view, we have already said that psychedelics tend to increase feelings of connection with the therapist. The socializing effect of MDMA is typical.

Psychedelics (to some extent) give us what we expect to get from them, like a placebo. This is not a new idea. Weil (1972) described psychedelics as a kind of active placebo: while they certainly do something, most of what it is may come from the users themselves.

Grof (2008) argues that “psychedelics function more or less as nonspecific catalysts and amplifiers of the psyche.” Finally, Matthew Johnson, quoted by Pollan (2018) says about psychedelic treatment: “Whatever we are delving into here, it is in the same realm as placebo. But a placebo on a rocket.”

Psychotherapy has also been described as a placebo (open-label). Consequently, we can say that a psychedelic session enhances the placebogenic effects of psychotherapy, making psychedelic-assisted treatment a sort of super placebo.

Psychotherapy (co)defines a patient's set and setting, i.e. his internal and external environment: it induces expectations of repair and provides a safe environment. When the brain enters an anarchic state due to the supposed effects of psychedelics, the bottom-up signals sent from these internal and external environments become more influential. In this way, the patient should be able to transfer the safety and controllability of the therapeutic environment to his own generative model, enhancing the path of the real relationship. Similarly, psychedelics also appear to enhance the expectation pathway.

On the one hand, it is hypothesized that the impact of restorative expectations is less limited by higher-level forecasts. Any positive basic feelings and attitudes a patient may have towards a psychedelic experience tend to be amplified with psychedelics.

Magic mushrooms and mental health

The effects of psilocybin and psilocin on the brain may have therapeutic potential for treating mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Psilocybin mushrooms may help people break free from rigid and negative patterns of thinking and behavior by increasing creativity, flexibility, and openness. Psilocybin may also help people access and process traumatic memories and emotions by reducing the fear response and increasing empathy and compassion. Several studies have shown that psilocybin can produce lasting improvements in mood, well-being, and quality of life in patients with depression 3 , anxiety 4 , addiction 5 , and PTSD. Psilocybin may also induce mystical or spiritual experiences that can have profound and positive effects on a person's worldview, values, and meaning in life.

Addiction and dangers of magic mushrooms

Magic mushrooms and psilocybin are non-addictive and have very little risk of physical harm or toxicity. However, Magic Mushroom can cause unpleasant or challenging effects such as anxiety, paranoia, confusion or psychosis. These effects are influenced by the dose, personality, conditions of use, expectations and psychological state of the individual.

Therefore, it is better to use Magic Mushroom with caution and under professional guidance in a safe and comfortable environment. Research on the effects of psilocybin on the body continues, but no serious physical risks have been reported in the use of magic mushroom, and there is no possibility of overdose with this mushroom. For more information on this topic, is it possible to overdose with magic mushrooms? read the

Magic mushroom and treatment of depression

In a 2012 study, David Knott, a neuroscientist at Imperial College London, found that in depressed people, connections between brain circuits in certain areas were stronger. In an interview with Psychology Today, Professor Nott says: "People who suffer from depressive thinking, their brains are over-connected, and they experience obsessive and overwhelming negative thoughts and feelings of self-criticism. Professor Nutt explains that the psilocybin mushroom can provide powerful relief by loosening these connections and creating new connections.