The Drug Enforcement Administration (US Department of Justice)classified psilocybin mushrooms or shrooms as “Schedule I Controlled Substances” (Controlled Substance Act). That is because the medical community cannot prescribe these drugs for any medical purpose. These drugs cannot be prescribed safely in any medical situation, and they are highly likely to be abused.
Psilocybin mushrooms are also known as “magic mushrooms,” They cause users to hallucinate visually and auditorily. The effects of psilocybin, when used, is that users eat these mushrooms or brew them and drink them as tea. Because psilocybin mushrooms are so bitter, some people cover them with chocolate to mask the taste. Along with disguising the taste, this concoction also makes the mushrooms appear to be candy. Lastly, people put mushrooms in batter and bake cakes.
Psilocybin mushrooms come in 40 different species or types of mushrooms from South America, Mexico, and the United States. People used psilocybin mushrooms as medicines, but they also played a role in their spiritual rituals. Today, people are using them for entirely different reasons.
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WHAT ARE THE USE OF PSILOCYBIN MUSHROOMS
Magic mushrooms are the honored guests at raves, clubs, and college campuses. The majority of mushroom users are in their teens and early 20s. The University of Michigan conducted a study that found that 9.2% of high school seniors stated that they ingested hallucinogens other than LSD. In addition, 2% of high school seniors admitted to using hallucinogens that were not LSD in the past 30 days. Many young people also take LSD and ecstasy, along with magic mushrooms.
When taking magic mushrooms, users quickly become high, and the effects last for an extremely long time. Within 30 minutes of ingesting these mushrooms, users begin to experience euphoria. This effect lasts as long as six hours, but it hasn’t been unheard of for people to feel these effects for several days.
SIDE EFFECTS OF MAGIC MUSHROOMS
Users can also experience adverse side effects of magic mushroom ingestion. These negative physical effects include the following:
- Psychosis
- Dry mouth
- Numbness
- Muscle spasms
- Lack of coordination
- Muscle Weakness
- Excessive sweating
- Insomnia
- Paranoia
- Chills
- Hypertension or high blood pressure
- Tachycardia
- Anxiety
- Nausea
- Drowsiness
- Increase in heart rate
Magic mushrooms also cause much more severe psychological consequences of psilocybin use side effects when taken at high doses and in regular use. These include the following:
- Overdose
- Flashbacks
- Panic
- Suicidal thoughts
- Depression
Magic mushrooms can also cause hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder or HPPD. This disorder is characterized by the user continuing to experience the auditory or visual hallucinations they experienced while high. These perceptions are persistent, but they only occur when the patient is not high.
THE SIGNS OF MAGIC MUSHROOM ADDICTION
Magic mushrooms have a high potential for abuse, but they may also lead to a physical addiction. Physical addiction is characterized by the following:
- You need to take larger doses of these mushrooms to feel the effects you felt the first time you tried them. This is known as “tolerance.”
- You consume magic mushrooms with other hallucinogens, like LSD or ecstasy.
- You avoid friends and family members so that you can ingest magic mushrooms on your own.
If you had dependence or an addiction to a substance in the past, you are more likely to become addicted or develop a physical dependence on magic mushrooms. You are also highly likely to develop a reliance if your peers press you to abuse magic mushrooms.
WITHDRAWAL FROM PSILOCYBIN MUSHROOMS
If you are physically addicted to magic mushrooms, you may have developed a dependence on the drug, and the dependency may be physical or psychological. With physical dependence, you cannot stop ingesting magic mushrooms because you will begin to experience withdrawal symptoms when you do. You cannot stop consuming the substance because you believe you need it to survive with psychological addiction.
Withdrawal symptoms are the body’s way of telling you that you didn’t take your drug of choice at the usual time. You can do nothing else to relieve these symptoms, so many people fall back into their drug use because of it. This is why people cannot stop ingesting their drugs of choice even though they desire to do so.
The withdrawal process is different for every person because the duration of withdrawal depends on several factors. For example, the length of time you have been abusing magic mushrooms, whether or not you are also abusing other substances, the amount of the drug you have been using, like with large doses, and the state of your physical health all determine how the withdrawal process will be for you. How old you are and whether you are a man or a woman also play a role.
SYMPTOMS OF MAGIC MUSHROOM USE WITHDRAWAL
The following are typical symptoms that people experience when they are withdrawing from magic mushrooms, which affect their mental health conditions:
- Confusion
- Irritableness
- Fatigue
- Difficulty speaking
- Rage
- Flashbacks
- Memory loss
- Panic reactions
- Psychosis
- Bad trip
The withdrawal symptoms can be so disturbing that you could put yourself or others in danger. The symptoms could also be too uncomfortable for you to tolerate, but the medical detox program at ReCreate Life Counseling will get you through the most challenging parts. In detox, you or your loved one will be monitored by our medical staff, so if you begin to experience the symptoms of psychosis, our medical team will be there to help you. It is the first step in your march toward sobriety that will give you the greatest chance of being free of drug abuse forever.
If you or a loved one have been struggling with dependence or addiction to magic mushrooms, there is help for you at ReCreate Life Counseling. We place our new arrivals in our detox program so that the toxins can be comfortably removed from your body, and this sets you up for psychological treatment of your addiction.
RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT
You or your loved one have the option of joining a residential or inpatient rehabilitation program. The residential program requires that you live at the facility, but this is an excellent option for you if you are concerned about returning home after the detox process. The residential facility will be free of all substances, and you will not be free to seek your drugs of choice while you are living there. Each day, you will follow a schedule and a structured routine, which ensures that you remain on the right track every day in the facility.
During the day, you will attend several types of therapy sessions, including individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, and support meetings. There is another benefit of living at the facility. You will be close to your medical personnel and therapists so that you can contact them at any time if you experience a problem.
OUTPATIENT TREATMENT
Outpatient treatment programs allow you to live at home. Although it is an outpatient program, you or your loved one will still obtain the same treatment you would receive in the inpatient program. You or your loved one will be required to visit the treatment center several days a week to attend your therapy sessions. You will also need to complete homework assignments and other activities on your own time at home. The drawback to outpatient treatment is that you will not be close to the staff, so if you believe you need this extra supervision, it would be better to enter the inpatient program. If you can handle being outside of the facility, the outpatient program will allow you to continue with your home, work, or school responsibilities.
SOBER LIVING HOMES
After your initial treatment in an inpatient program, you may not feel confident about going home. If the other people living in your home are still taking magic mushrooms, it will not be safe for you to return there. A sober living home is an option that is open for people after they leave residential programs. It is also a residential facility, so it is a safe place to go after inpatient treatment. Sober living homes have strict rules that you must follow to remain there. For example, you must maintain your sobriety, and you must follow all of the rules. This ensures that the sober living home remains a safe place for all of the residents.
AFTERCARE
Treatment for magic mushroom addiction is a long-term, continuous process, and it doesn’t end the day that you leave an inpatient treatment program, as simple as it is not a short-term treatment. When one treatment program ends due to substance use, it means that you need to find another type of treatment. Aftercare programs may be the continuing treatment you or your loved one need after a structured, inpatient, or outpatient treatment program. Aftercare programs will be good for you or your loved one because they will help you maintain your sobriety.
In an aftercare program, the emphasis will be on discussing the struggles you are dealing with and the successes you have each day. These meetings allow you to receive encouragement from your peers in a place where you know that you will not be judged. You can feel free to tell the group about the times that you fail to meet your expectations, and you will never be rejected because of it. This is highly important for those in recovery because it ensures that your sobriety will last a long time.
Contact us at ReCreate Life Counseling if you want to move forward toward lasting sobriety.