What Are Magic Mushrooms? Are They Addictive?
Magic mushrooms may sound harmless, but their mind-altering properties warrant concern. Sometimes called shrooms, these mushrooms contain psilocybin or psilocin. Both are compounds that may cause hallucinations. Magic mushrooms can create psychological side effects and carry a high risk of overdose.
How Do Magic Mushrooms Work?
Typically eaten as a traditional mushroom or purchased in a capsule form to swallow, inject, or snort, magic mushrooms impact the function of the central nervous system. Some people add them to cooked foods, juice, or teas as well. It’s illegal to grow or sell these kinds of mushrooms. Some mushrooms that look like psilocybin are actually poisonous and can cause sudden death.
Magic mushrooms create a sensation of being high. They can also create an out-of-body experience, much like the drug PCP can. This may include having hallucinations and feeling disassociated from reality. These substances can cause a number of sensory effects during the high, including:
- Changes to the way you see things around you
- Feeling like you can “see” music or “hear” colors
- Experiencing changes to taste and touch
- Feeling as the body is too heavy or very light
- Thinking you’re having a magical experience or a transcendence
Some people feel excited yet confused. Others feel anxious and overwhelmed. The effects of using magic mushrooms differ from person to person as well as from one batch to the next. In some cases, a person may experience a mental break from the intensity of the substance.
What Are the Risks of Using Shrooms?
They may seem harmless and simple enough, but magic mushrooms create a number of changes in the body. When using them, a person may experience:
- A very fast heart rate
- High blood pressure
- Dizziness and lightheadedness
- Stomach pain and nausea
- Shivering
- Anxiety and agitation
- Numbness of the mouth and tongue
A “bad trip” may also occur, in which a person may find themselves experiencing pain and mental anguish.
It’s also possible to develop a tolerance to magic mushrooms. When this happens, a person feels the need to increase how much they are taking or how often they use them to get the same high. With these substances, tolerance can build in just 3 to 4 days of use.
Can You Become Addicted to Magic Mushrooms?
Most sources agree that mushrooms are not addictive. However, they can lead to psychological risks, including anxiety, paranoia, psychosis, and long-term changes to personality. In some cases, mushrooms can cause convulsions.
The danger of addiction and severe physical consequences increases when mushrooms are combined with alcohol or other drugs. Also, mushroom products carry the risk of contamination; some producers sell regular, non-hallucinogenic mushrooms laced with LSD or PCP. Addiction can quickly form when mushrooms are used with other drugs.
How to Get Help for Substance Addiction
If you believe that you or a loved one has developed an addiction to alcohol or drugs, whether it began with the use of mushrooms or not, the first step is to reach out to a treatment center designed to provide outstanding support and guidance.
With the help of professional detox and therapy, it’s possible to break addiction and start working on a healthy future.
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