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Researchers at the University of South Florida are conducting clinical trials to explore the potential of psilocybin, a compound found in magic mushrooms, as a treatment for postpartum depression and other mental health disorders.Tracey Tee, founder and CEO of Moms on Mushrooms, said, “We’ve greatly misjudged and mis-prioritized the mental health of mothers in general and we’ve gotten a lot of it wrong.”Her group educates women about magic mushrooms and psilocybin, focusing on how they can help mothers dealing with trauma or depression. Tee emphasized the potential of microdosing and magic mushrooms as an emerging solution, although she acknowledged it may not be suitable for everyone. “Studying it for postpartum in particular is like a no-brainer for me,” she said.Health researchers at the University of South Florida are investigating whether psilocybin can help treat major depressive disorders, postpartum depression, and other conditions.Dr. Ryan Wagoner, who was involved with the research, said, “What we are eventually trying to move towards are these medications that can be Food and Drug Administration-approved just like any medication you might take.” Wagoner said if psilocybin’s medical properties are proven to outweigh its risks, it could be reclassified and approved as a medication. “If you can show that the substance does have a medical property that’s valuable to it and outweighs any sorts of risks, suddenly we can move what schedule it’s on and get it approved to be a medication just like anything else,” Wagoner said.Researchers say psilocybin works by targeting serotonin receptors in the brain, enhancing sensory input and potentially disrupting neural networks involved in depression. They are exploring the use of smaller doses to activate serotonin receptors without causing unwanted side effects. “What if we use a smaller dose. What if we use a dose that activates the serotonin receptor but doesn’t cause as much of those side effects that we’re not looking for,” Wagoner said.Tee believes the stigma around magic mushrooms should be replaced with a view of them as a medical treatment. “The idea is that you’re not high and that it’s mimicking and still working in the brain and body in the same way that a large dose journey does, that’s like transformative effects, but we are doing it in smaller amounts over time incrementally so that you are able to go about your day,” she said. She added that psilocybin should be paired with other treatments. “It really needs to be paired with something because it’s not a passive magic pill in the same way an antidepressant is; you really want to work with the medicine,” Tee said.The National Institutes of Health reports that approximately 30% of patients with major depressive disorder have treatment-resistant depression. A Johns Hopkins study found that two doses of psilocybin produced rapid and large reductions in depressive symptoms. “You actually have to put into practice, and so that is why we do clinical trials to first detect if there are side effects we weren’t expecting,” Wagoner said. They are investigating whether psilocybin offers benefits beyond existing medications.”Is this something real that’s going on in the brain that’s different or better than some of the medications we already have on the market,” Wagoner said.Tee expressed optimism about the role of psychedelics in mental health treatment, saying, “I think there’s a really beautiful place for psychedelics to slide in and support a lot of people without a lot of damage we’re seeing being caused by other modalities.”Magic mushrooms remain illegal in Florida, classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance at both the state and federal levels. Possession of psilocybin mushrooms is a felony, with significant fines, probation, and potential prison time. Florida has also banned mushroom spores, despite them not containing psilocybin. Wagoner said clinical trials will continue, with more data and research being collected to potentially achieve FDA approval in the future.
Researchers at the University of South Florida are conducting clinical trials to explore the potential of psilocybin, a compound found in magic mushrooms, as a treatment for postpartum depression and other mental health disorders.
Tracey Tee, founder and CEO of Moms on Mushrooms, said, “We’ve greatly misjudged and mis-prioritized the mental health of mothers in general and we’ve gotten a lot of it wrong.”
Her group educates women about magic mushrooms and psilocybin, focusing on how they can help mothers dealing with trauma or depression. Tee emphasized the potential of microdosing and magic mushrooms as an emerging solution, although she acknowledged it may not be suitable for everyone.
“Studying it for postpartum in particular is like a no-brainer for me,” she said.
Health researchers at the University of South Florida are investigating whether psilocybin can help treat major depressive disorders, postpartum depression, and other conditions.
Dr. Ryan Wagoner, who was involved with the research, said, “What we are eventually trying to move towards are these medications that can be Food and Drug Administration-approved just like any medication you might take.”
Wagoner said if psilocybin’s medical properties are proven to outweigh its risks, it could be reclassified and approved as a medication.
“If you can show that the substance does have a medical property that’s valuable to it and outweighs any sorts of risks, suddenly we can move what schedule it’s on and get it approved to be a medication just like anything else,” Wagoner said.
Researchers say psilocybin works by targeting serotonin receptors in the brain, enhancing sensory input and potentially disrupting neural networks involved in depression.
They are exploring the use of smaller doses to activate serotonin receptors without causing unwanted side effects.
“What if we use a smaller dose. What if we use a dose that activates the serotonin receptor but doesn’t cause as much of those side effects that we’re not looking for,” Wagoner said.
Tee believes the stigma around magic mushrooms should be replaced with a view of them as a medical treatment.
“The idea is that you’re not high and that it’s mimicking and still working in the brain and body in the same way that a large dose journey does, that’s like transformative effects, but we are doing it in smaller amounts over time incrementally so that you are able to go about your day,” she said.
She added that psilocybin should be paired with other treatments.
“It really needs to be paired with something because it’s not a passive magic pill in the same way an antidepressant is; you really want to work with the medicine,” Tee said.
The National Institutes of Health reports that approximately 30% of patients with major depressive disorder have treatment-resistant depression.
A Johns Hopkins study found that two doses of psilocybin produced rapid and large reductions in depressive symptoms.
“You actually have to put into practice, and so that is why we do clinical trials to first detect if there are side effects we weren’t expecting,” Wagoner said.
They are investigating whether psilocybin offers benefits beyond existing medications.
“Is this something real that’s going on in the brain that’s different or better than some of the medications we already have on the market,” Wagoner said.
Tee expressed optimism about the role of psychedelics in mental health treatment, saying, “I think there’s a really beautiful place for psychedelics to slide in and support a lot of people without a lot of damage we’re seeing being caused by other modalities.”
Magic mushrooms remain illegal in Florida, classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance at both the state and federal levels.
Possession of psilocybin mushrooms is a felony, with significant fines, probation, and potential prison time.
Florida has also banned mushroom spores, despite them not containing psilocybin.
Wagoner said clinical trials will continue, with more data and research being collected to potentially achieve FDA approval in the future.
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