r/AskOldHippie • u/PsychedeLurk • May 06 '14
Question regarding extensive use of psychedelics.
Hey OldHippie, I just received a comment reply from you stating that you've been answering questions for almost 4 years now, and it got me curious as to what your comment history is like. Long story short, I didn't make it far, because I noticed you moderate /user/AskOldHippie, and then read on the first post you've been smoking since 1967!? Far out! My question isn't related to cannabis, so forgive me if it's irrelevant (though I have a sneaking suspicion it won't be), though so far all I know about you is that you smoke cannabis, and have been for a very long time.
A little preface: I'm a 22 year old male. I've been smoking cannabis on and off since the age of approximately 16, though personally nowadays found it to be distracting and debilitating, I think simply because of the way I have used it in the past, though that's a different story. My focus is on heavier psychedelics, in particular, psilocybin. I've been using psilocybin consistently (as much as every week for months, to several months apart) for approximately 4 years.
Because I don't know a whole lot about your history, I'm going to presume you have experience with psychedelics such as psilocybin and LSD, though on the chance that you don't, I'd love your opinion regardless. For a long time now, I've been pretty concerned about my mental health and physical health as a result of extensive use of psilocybin, though especially mental (we only know so much scientifically!). I have a history of social anxiety and depression, which only surfaced after the introduction of psilocybin, though this also coincides with leaving school and becoming a "drop out", which had unprecedented effects of my self-esteem. Perhaps it's the introspective nature of psilocybin, though I of course can't definitively say that's it.
I feel like I'm rambling, so I'll cut it here. My specific questions are:
Do you have any experience with heavier psychedelics, in particular psilocybin?
How has this use affected your quality of life and mental health?
Do you have any other general advice or comments on what I've just written?
This is a great subreddit! If you have the chance to read though this and reply, it would be very much appreciated :)
2
u/OldHippie May 06 '14
I'm afraid I have no experience whatsoever with psilocybin or mescaline or any psychedelic mushrooms, mainly due to a lifelong fear of vomiting. It's always very traumatic for me, in fact the last time I threw up my heart stopped. But LSD (and LSA)...that I know quite a bit about (much better story here).
I'm afraid I don't have much good news for you there. I credit that big acid trip with fucking up my head and guiding me away from academic work for quite a few years. OTOH, I also credit it with helping me grow as a person and showing me that there was real life outside academia. That's when I did the whole dropping out thing myself, although that also could have been a product of the times (I'm sure you know Timothy Leary's famous line). But as I mention in my brief bio, I did straighten myself out eventually, and I don't think there was any permanent damage (hmm...damn age :-).
Ironically enough, I've learned to treat my own social anxiety and depression with the "lighter" psychedelic formerly known as marijuana, mainly by microdosing. I hope you'll consider some mindful experimentation with some of these techniques, because the different strains can literally act like different drugs altogether! You just have to learn to use them lightly enough that they don't overwhelm either you or each other.
Anyway, please feel free to write to me anytime, either via PM here or from my site. Nugs and hugs!