I Need a New Drug: And Yes, You Could Die From Adding Mushrooms to the Mix

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Reader’s Question

I am 19, I take a combination of three medications daily (Adderall, Celexa, Buspirone) and I was wondering what the level of risk would be if I took Psilocybin mushrooms. I know that mushrooms are bad, but could you realistically tell me what the chances are of things like Serotonin Syndrome. In other words, will I die or give myself permanent brain damage?

Psychologist’s Reply

In a word, yes, you could die. Would you necessarily die? No, but why take the chance? The chance that you will have a terrible time is very high, so why risk it? That is an honest question: what do you hope to gain from taking psychedelics?

If you want to experience something fun, something mystical, then consider that you are the drug, you are the effect, and the substance is just a way to learn the mental pathway to get there.

One story tells of the Beatles taking a yogi some LSD. They all took it and, while the Beatles were high as kites, the yogi was just sitting there asking “when is this supposed to start?” The point is, he was already high. The substance didn’t affect him because he was already there.

Consider this in a very personal way. Perhaps there is someone you can talk to about your goals in this regard, and also the reasons you need to take Celexa and Buspar.

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