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Thought I would start a separate thread for this one. I have tried many many supplements over the years. Lions Mane mushroom, which I started 3 weeks ago seems to be making the most difference. I had 2 teaspoons in my coffee a week ago, but felt 'nauseas and lightheaded'... not taking into account I wolfed down my breakfast and cycled 3 miles quickly as I was late.. At that time I had a small but significant shift in DR symptoms. More depth, more colour, more embodied.

Today I did this again, and wow. Feel less DR again, but without the nausea (was probably exercise related). FYI there is a kappa agonist called Erinacine E that is released from the broken down polysaccharides.. I take wood grown, double extracted (water and alcohol), 30% polysaccharide powder in my coffee. A teaspoon is approx 3g, so I will now take 2 as all the studies used 5g. Also, Lions Mane interestingly is a FOOD so seemingly lower risk than herbs etc

One symptom of it 'working' is itchy skin, which is attributed to the increase in Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) growing new nerves. I think there may be more at play though. Kappa agonists are extremely effective at STOPPING itching. So, I believe it may in fact be a sign that the Kappa opioid receptors are downregulating, altering our 'itch threshold'. Just a theory, very out there, but who knows. All I know is it helps, and continues to help (as does CBD oil which I also take- but the effect has plateaued).

Also, wanted to discuss MICRODOSING magic mushrooms. Taking 0.2g every 4 days is meant to help lift depression, ptsd etc. Big doses have also been shown to transform these conditions, but in my state seems like a big risk, and microdosing anecdotally brings immediate relief. Psilocybin increases connections, in the brain and neurogenesis. People curing stammers, depression, ptsd, anxiety in one trip is not unheard of.. after some months microdosing I may try this. I am in the uk however, and it is a class A drug... so I am pretty scared about that. The 'snoopers charter' means all internet history is recorded in the uk. Finding access to some is going to proove very difficult as I have more or less given up on socialising as I am so dysfunctional. Thoughts, feelings, anyone in uk?

 

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Just guna put some links to people helped by psilocybin, more for my benefit than anyone else:

http://www.dpselfhelp.com/forum/index.php?/topic/27895-magic-mushrooms-cured-me/

http://www.dpselfhelp.com/forum/index.php?/topic/43257-i-found-the-cure-im-150-recovered/

https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/18721956

http://hppdonline.com/topic/2114-mushrooms-and-a-cure-for-dpdr/

https://www.reddit.com/r/dpdr/comments/2j89bn

FYI there are as many bad trip stores that started peoples DPD as there are good ones that cured it... rarely see 'weed cured my dpd' tho... but psilocybin could be helpful I believe, it starts neurogenesis and switches off brain regions, specifically the vmfc- believed to be suppressing emotions in PTSD and more importantly DPD. I am going to start low about 1g truffles and wait four days, then 2g... seeing how I feel and go from there. Going to try meditation during these times. My new meditation is 'don't change a thing'... dont change where my attention is or my thoughts.. any thoughts are fine, if I try and change how I feel or think, it never turns out how I want, it just adds more stress. Anyway, will update that here. Should be starting next week hopefully

 

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This goes on to say about the default mode network being switched off by magic mushrooms, 'similar to what happens during meditation'... as I say I will be taking the mushroom and then meditating, silently in a dark room. The DMN includes the temporo parietal junction as well as the medial prefrontal cortex.. both overactive in DP.. Transcranial magnetic stimulation lowering the activity of the Temporo parietal junction ALONE helped some peoples DPD. But I think that is a very reductionist view of DPD.. theres far more going on than that one region. None the less, this is a similar theory I had to CBD oil working, the issue being the cost of having enough for a long enough period could potentially run into the hundreds of pounds..

 

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So I started microdosing truffles yesterday.. I experienced far more nausea than I anticipated so for the next dose am making a tea and not eating it as the chitin in the cell walls can supposedly cause most of the nausea... that was yesterday though

I am currently probably going through the most difficult time of my life. I am not going to get into details, but the psilocybin has definitely had an impact on me. I feel slightly clearer headed and the DR/colours look better. Bear in mind I am also taking Lions Mane mushroom as well which has had an effect. I have also progressed a lot further with my therapy so that is also a bonus. It is day 2 so nothing much to write home about and I wasn't expecting there to be. But all in all positive, and won't expect to see much until after a week or two. Will update here

 

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Took some more today and will aim to dose every other day within the 1g-2g region. Made tea but still felt quite nauseas so had to lie in bed for a couple of hours, so 2g fresh truffles is too high for me. However, after the nausea passes I do feel in a better mood. I feel more embodied, and am enjoying listening to music more. Less intrusive thoughts. Bit more energy to do things. No tripping although again some slight weirdness when I close my eyes and the nausea is a bit intense so will be dropping the dose to 1g the next day.. this should mean I have enough for 3months now if I dose every other day 1g and don't trip.

Tripping is still quite a scary idea to me for now, but I am open minded to doing it further down the line as there have been many stories I have read that really do sound like miracles (recovering from ptsd or 30 years of depression, stopping a stammer after many years, tinnitus disappearing, suppressed memories).. equally there are stories of psychosis or HPPD so I am just dipping my toes in for now but have to say it is looking positive.. also weirdly the day after the dose seems to be 'the sweet spot' for me. One theory says that 5HTP2a receptors down regulate after Psilocybin - these receptors have also been found to be too HIGH in depressed patients and patients who committed suicide

 

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OK took 7g of truffles last night. While I would not say that I 'tripped' it was still an amazing experience. My body felt heavy and I could really FEEL it. I felt genuinly happy and comfortable, no psychosis, paranoia or visuals so nothing to write home about. There was a whoozy effect but oddly still felt more repersonalized and less DR.

But even today I feel better. Clearer headed and in a better mood and less tense. Also my hearing improved when listening to music du ring the trip. Hard to explain but it's like I'm always listening in mono (in my head). But then something switched and I could simultaneously listen to all the instruments at once.. just a really relaxing and anxiety free experience.

I will be tripping properly when I can next.. might be after Xmas though. I'm hoping this will give me the 'reboot' they talk about. Psilocybin switches down the mpfc which is overactive in dp. It also switches down the hypothalamus which might be involved in dpd. After one really positive experience and days of good experiences microdosing I am looking forward to it.

 

[davinizi]

At that time I had a small but significant shift in DR symptoms. More depth, more colour, more embodied.

That's interesting in reference to lion's mane, because I just read an article that says:

You may not experience the effects of supplementing with Lion's Mane Mushroom immediately. But many users report with continued use of Lion's Mane, a boost in mood and mental energy.

Some report it increases depth perception. And an improvement in sense of smell.

So I immediately thought this may help people with DR to which you also testify.

Lion's Mane also helps:

• Nerve Growth Factor. Lion's Mane Mushroom prevents and treats nerve damage in the brain. Once past the blood-brain barrier, Lion's Mane stimulates enzyme production that release Nerve Growth Factor (NGF). Nerve regeneration helps relieve neurodegenerative disease symptoms such as Alzheimer's, dementia, and Parkinson's Disease.
• Neurogenesis. Lion's Mane stimulates the repair and creation of neurons. Boosting neurotransmitters and signaling that effects memory, learning, recall, and mood.
• Brain Optimization. Lion's Mane helps eliminate brain fog. Restoring memory and mental alertness. And improves anxiety and depression symptoms.

BTW let us know how your shroom trip went down. ;-)

Psilocybin switches down the mpfc which is overactive in dp. It also switches down the hypothalamus which might be involved in dpd.

I had to look that up (mpfc=medial prefrontal cortex? ) which is involved in memory and decision making and I just learned that lion's mane is also good for that. I'm currently trying lion's mane which I feel helps me sleep better, but also modafinil for more energy. I'm not sure if both may work against one another a bit, so should try them separately..

BTW are you sure that mpfc is overactive in DP or is it underactive? Because I just read that depression and schizophrenia is linked to lower activity of the mpfc.

 

[davinizi]

About psilocybin:

Nutt's group is looking into using the drug to treat depression, and this week in The British Journal of Psychiatry, he and colleagues report that psilocybin can increase neural activity in brain regions related to memory when people recall events from their past. The drug also improved people's ability to access personal memories and related emotions, which the researchers say could be helpful during psychotherapy.

Psilocybin has a similar chemical structure to serotonin - a hormone involved in regulating mood - and therefore binds to serotonin receptors on nerve cells in the brain. The drug may have therapeutic potential because the serotonin system in nerves is also a target for existing antidepressants.

A study earlier this year by Charles Grob at the University of California, Los Angeles, showed that people with end-stage cancer had significantly less anxiety and better mood after receiving psilocybin

Franz Vollenweider, who works in a similar field at the Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, says that the immediate effects of psilocybin are not as important for clinical benefit as the longer-term effects. That's because psilocybin increases the expression of genes and signalling proteins associated with nerve growth and connectivity, he says: "We think that the antidepressant effects of psilocybin may be due to a possible increase of factors that activate long-term neuroplasticity."

 

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Strangely I experienced some effect from lions mane immediately (less DR).. but also took theanine at the time but have had that before. That immediacy wore off but still taking it 4 weeks on and expect it to help.. little by little I think it's helping, but the effects are so gradual it's going to creep up on me I think and will be better to compare how I felt 3 months ago rather than days/weeks. Smell is also improving.. something that has been weaker since dp for me.

I will update the trip here yes. The 7g dose was just a really pleasant experience. And quietened down my mind allowing me to actually feel, hear and see what was happening as opposed to thinking, comparing and ultimately resisting what my senses are telling me (which I believe makes them worse!). That analytical judgement of senses as opposed to purely being there with them as they are.. I've understood that for a long time but supplements and meds didn't help and meditation only marginally stopped that over thinking mental energy as opposed to the emotional direct sensing of my environment.

Good to know lions mane helps you too! It brings people's sense of smell back and heals depression/anxiety. It's subtle effects need to be felt overtime. I took too much once and it isn't nice; anhedonia, fatigue, restlessness and irritability. What you would expect from a kappa agonist, but it did slightly improve DR.. The issue being that it isn't worth those side effects so a gradual approach is best I feel.

Modafinil is in my cupboard, I keep meaning to go back to it but the insomnia sucked and I couldn't eat a thing whilst taking it. Maybe I should try and push through that.

I've read mpfc is overactive in DP Yeh and also ptsd which I believe more correlated with dpd. People with ptsd get dissociation and DP fairly commonly, depression not so much. The mpfc is involved with self and suppressing emotions supposedly. But memory and other things..

Yeh accessing memories on psilocybin is true. I had a small dose of 2g and the next day had a repressed memory come up that was quite bad and significant to why I have dpd I think.

Wow I like the sound of the last paragraph. It's 2 days since I took 7g and I still feel the effects today. Unlike weed it is a clean high and I just feel more emotionally attached and embodied and my hearing and concentration are better. Also I am having some small insights into my personality and why I am stuck this way.. meditation has also improved

 

[derda]

Which magic mushrooms were your taking?

 

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A type called hollandia truffles but the type doesn't matter. Psilocybin is in all magic mushrooms/truffles. Just do your own research and be fully aware of the risks and what to expect from a trip.. also have some idea of what bad memories or thoughts etc could come up for you

 

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Had another amazing experience last night. Took 7g but hadn't microdosed the previous 4 days so my tolerance was back to normal. Was watching a documentary called 'natural world'.. had some bad nausea prior to it hitting. Then had some fits of laughter, proper laughter til I cried... I haven't laughed like that in years. Then had some amazing visuals aka 'fractals'. Impossible to describe but basically really colourful geometric shapes. I felt incredible compassion and awe at this documentary I was watching.

My body felt heavy and relaxed and just warm and cozy. I felt imbodied and safe rather than scared and detached. The visuals were moderate and dealable for me,I really enjoyed them. But if you don't know what to expect could be quite scary I guess.. I mean you could convince yourself you've lost your mind so you totally have to be comfortable with whatever they throw at you.. it was a really incredible experience and again am feeling the afterglow effect.

Today DP and DR seems lessened. Not gone away. But I think a major part of it is my general mood. Having incredible experiences like that on a semi regular basis can't be a bad thing. I am still quite hopeful about this. Had amazing insights into myself and personal relationships as well during the trip. Was able to think about things from a new perspective, in a compassionate and empathetic way. Not the usual myopic narrstive all about 'me'.. will update again here in a week or two