Each year, an estimated 200,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a mental illness characterized by obsessive thought patterns and repetitive behavior. A new study now links psilocybin to decreases in OCD symptoms.
After trying unsuccessfully to cure his OCD with antidepressants, ketamine, and anti-inflammatory medication, a 30-year-old man found relief in psilocybin. His symptoms vanished for approximately one hour while he was under the influence of two grams of dried psychedelic mushrooms.
He then began to use mushrooms about twice a month. Six months later, his score on the OCD scale had dropped from 35 to 13, indicating that his symptoms had gone from extreme to mild.
“His obsessive thoughts and compulsions had significantly been reduced, as well as the rumination, worry and anxiety, and checking behavior,” the case report reads. “He is now able to perform most of his daily tasks and work without interruptions, meaningfully improving his wellbeing and quality of life.”
This report builds on the findings of a 2006 study that linked psilocybin to decreases in OCD symptoms. A new study of psilocybin’s effects on OCD is now under way at Yale University and the Heffter Research Institute.
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