NEW STUDY SAYS MUSHROOMS CAN FIX BRAIN DAMAGE FROM SEVERE TRAUMA
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New study: Magic Mushrooms Repair
Brain Damage from Extreme Trauma
"A new study by The
University of South Florida has found that low doses of the active ingredient
in magic mushrooms repairs brain damage caused by extreme trauma, offering
renewed hope to millions of sufferers of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).
The study confirms previous
research by Imperial College London, that psilocybin, a naturally occurring
compound present in “shrooms”, stimulates new brain cell growth and erases
frightening memories. Mice conditioned to fear electric shock when hearing a
noise associated with the shock “simply lost their fear”, says Dr. Juan
Sanchez-Ramos, who co-authored the study. A low dose of psilocybin led them to
overcome “fear conditioning” and the freeze response associated with it faster
than the group of mice on Ketanserin (a drug that counteracts the receptor that
binds psilocybin in the brain) and a control group on saline.
An estimated 5 percent of
Americans – more than 13 million people – have PTSD at any given time,
according to the PTSD Alliance. The condition more often associated with combat
veterans, is twice as likely to develop in women because they tend to
experience interpersonal violence (such as domestic violence, rape and abuse)
more often than men.
PTSD is not just psychological.
Common symptoms, such as hyper-vigilance, memory fragmentation, flashbacks,
dissociation, nightmares and fight or flight responses to ‘triggers’, are
generally thought to be psychological and therefore treatable by learning to
change thought processes. But new research suggests that they may in fact be
the result of long term physiological mutations to the brain.
In the South Florida University
study, the mice treated with low doses of psilocybin grew healthy new brain
cells and their overactive medial prefrontal cortex regions (common in PTSD
sufferers) were restored to normal functionality.
Further independent studies
(http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com) have shown that the hippocampus part of
the brain is damaged by extreme stress and that this is specific to PTSD and
not associated with anxiety or panic disorders.
Dr. Sanchez-Ramos acknowledged
that there was no way of knowing whether the mice in the experiment experienced
altered states of consciousness or hallucinations – commonly experienced with
magic mushrooms, but he believed the doses were too low to cause psychoactive
effects.
Decriminalization of psilocybin
could help millions
Previous studies have shown that
low doses of psilocybin produce no consciousness state altering effects.
Administered in the correct amount, psilocybin could therefore be assumed to
safely treat PTSD with minimal risk of adverse side effects. Magic mushrooms
could help millions recover from the debilitating cycles of fight and flight
and other conditioned biological responses caused by extreme trauma, if only
they weren’t listed as a dangerous Schedule 1 drug with no medical benefits.
Meanwhile, doctors are authorised
to dispense powerful, side-effect laden pharmaceutical drugs to army vets and
others suffering from the symptoms of PTSD without any evidence that these
treatments actually work, according to a major review by the committee of the
Institute of Medicine on the topic.
The situation is so bad that an
average of 18 American veterans commits suicide every day
(http://www.naturalnews.com), linked to the sharp rise in prescription drugs,
depression, and other psychological conditions. Safe, natural alternatives to
pharmaceuticals such as homeopathic and herbal remedies have been found to
alleviate symptoms (http://www.naturalnews.com). Meditation has also been shown
to reduce high activity levels in the amygdala (the brain’s emotional centre)
experienced in PTSD sufferers as anxiety, stress and phobias.
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