It's Hard To Be Depressed While Tripping on Psychedelics
You know what sucks? Depression. I say that with some flippancy for someone who isn't depressed. As far as I can tell, I am extremely lucky in all things and that includes having pretty serviceable mental health. I have known and loved people who are not so lucky in that arena. I have seen the ravages of depression on the human spirit over years. I have seen it and little understood it. I have seen it and felt what must have been the barest sliver of the hopelessness my loved one felt, and that was quite more than enough for me.
The many factors of achieving health include, of course, mental health. That is a message I've seen more popularly embraced recently. There have been campaigns to remove any stigma from seeking counseling or mental health help. Overall, I think that is very good.
For being a brain, myself, I know very little about how brains work. I don't know much, I admit, about why mental health even is a thing for humans when it seems to not be a thing for, say, any specie of bird or lizard or rodent. Maybe it is a thing. I have heard that cats and dogs and dolphins may develop depression, but my knowledge is so limited, I have only been able to read such headlines and wonder. I do know that humans suffer with what we call depression, though, and I have often been frustrated that a treatment may work well for one individual and completely fail another.
For all of my limited knowledge, this Science News article does offer a little insight. Mental illnesses like depression degrade the neurons in the brain and repairing those cells has been a focus of treatment. Surprisingly, seems psychedelic drugs have some positive effect on the brain by promoting nerve cell growth.
So, should you advise your depressed friend to take a magic mushroom and see how they feel in the morning? Probably not yet... and probably not ever if you're not a doctor. But more information is always good, in my book. And a reason to be hopeful.
What does this mean for the future treatment of mental illnesses? We don't know yet, but we're learning more every day. Maybe one day we'll be able to really, successfully treat depression so that everyone can enjoy getting high on life.