Learn more about PTSD treatment at Options Behavioral Health System in Indianapolis, IN
Experiencing a traumatic event can cause a great deal of pain. For some individuals that have experienced a traumatic event, over time, the associated fear and anxiety eventually dissipate. For others, however, the fear and anxiety remain constant, or even worsen, as time passes. In such instances, it is possible that these individuals are suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
Posttraumatic stress disorder is a mental illness that is caused by being exposed to a traumatic event. A traumatic event can be anything that invokes feelings of helplessness and fear, or that may cause an individual to believe that his or her life, or the life of a loved one, is in danger. Examples of traumatic events include domestic violence, car accidents, natural disasters, rape, and military combat.
At Options Behavioral Health, we understand the complexities of PTSD and the degree of anguish that this disorder can cause. We also know that facing the emotions that result from experiencing a traumatic event may seem unbearable. However, we are proud to have helped many people at our center learn to manage the symptoms of PTSD by offering state-of-the-art treatment that is provided by an experienced team of professionals. Options Behavioral Health is an 84-bed, free-standing psychiatric hospital devoted to providing a full continuum of care for adolescents, ages 12 to 18, adults, and older adults who are battling the symptoms of any number of mental health concerns, including posttraumatic stress disorder. At our hospital, individuals can learn the tools they need to successfully achieve a brighter future.
Magic mushrooms are a group of fungi. They aren’t actually “magic,” and you can’t buy them at a grocery store like other mushrooms. Magic mushrooms are more difficult to find, and people usually access them illegally in Canada. They contain a mind-altering substance called psilocybin (info from the Government of Canada). Psilocybin is a chemical found in the cap and stem of over 200 different types of mushrooms. They belong to a category of drugs called hallucinogens (info from The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), which are also called psychedelics.
Why do people use them?
People may use magic mushrooms:
to boost their mood
to cope with their emotions
to treat a mental health disorder
as a recreational (party) drug
in religious / spiritual practices
etc.
How do people use them?
There are different ways to use magic mushrooms. Some of these include:
eating them, cooked or raw (dried)
grinding them up to drink in a tea
sniffing them in a powdered form
swallowing them in pill form
Are magic mushrooms legal in Canada?
Magic mushrooms are illegal to grow, make, buy, sell or have in Canada without a license or special exemption.
There’s some interest in the use of magic mushrooms to treat mental health disorders. This is called psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. For example, to support people experiencing a mental disorder who don’t feel better with other treatments, psilocybin may be used. This isn’t legal for everyone across Canada, though.
Only some health-care professionals have approval to offer psychedelic-assisted treatment. They’re often only able to offer it to select patients through things like clinical trials and Health Canada’s Special Access Program (SAP). If you have questions about the use of psychedelics for the treatment of mental health concerns, you can ask a health-care professional for more information.
Psilocybe cubensis
Singer noted that Psilocybe cubensis had psychoactive properties in 1949.
In Australia, the use of psychoactive mushrooms grew rapidly between 1969 and 1975.
In a 1992 paper, locals and tourists in Thailand were reported to consume P. cubensis and related species in mushroom omelets—particularly in Ko Samui and Ko Pha-ngan. At times, omelets were adulterated with LSD, resulting in prolonged intoxication. A thriving subculture had developed in the region. Other localities, such as Hat Yai, Ko Samet, and Chiang Mai, also had some reported usage.
In 1996, jars of honey containing Psilocybe cubensis were confiscated at the Dutch-German border. Upon examination, it was revealed that jars of honey containing psychedelic mushrooms were being sold at Dutch coffee shops.
P. cubensis is probably the most widely known of the psilocybin-containing mushrooms used for triggering psychedelic experiences after ingestion. Its major psychoactive compounds are:
Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine)
Psilocin (4-hydroxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine)
Baeocystin (4-phosphoryloxy-N-methyltryptamine)
Norbaeocystin (4-phosphoryloxytryptamine)
Aeruginascin (N,N,N-trimethyl-4-phosphoryloxytryptamine)
The concentrations of psilocin and psilocybin, as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, are in the range of 0.14–0.42% (wet weight) and 0.37–1.30% (dry weight) in the whole mushroom 0.17–0.78% (wet weight) and 0.44–1.35% (dry weight) in the cap, and 0.09%–0.30% (wet weight) and 0.05–1.27% (dry weight) in the stem, respectively.[17] For quickly and practically measuring the psychoactive contents of most healthy Psilocybe cubensis varieties, it can generally be assumed that there is approximately 15 mg (+/- 5 mg) of psilocybin per gram of dried mushroom.[18] Furthermore, due to factors such as age and storage method, the psilocybin and psilocin content of a given sample of mushrooms will vary.
Individual body composition, brain chemistry and psychological predisposition play a significant role in determining appropriate doses. For a modest psychedelic effect, a minimum of one gram of dried Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms is ingested orally, 0.25–1 gram is usually sufficient to produce a mild effect, 1–2.5 grams usually provides a moderate effect and 2.5 grams and higher usually produces strong effects.[19] For most people, 3.5 dried grams (1/8 oz) would be considered a high dose and may produce an intense experience; this is, however, typically considered a standard dose among recreational users. Body composition (usually weight) should be taken into account when calculating dosage. For many individuals, doses above three grams may be overwhelming. For a few rare people, doses as small as 0.25 gram can produce full-blown effects normally associated with very high doses. For most people, however, that dose level would have virtually no effects.
There are many different ways to ingest Psilocybe cubensis. Users may prefer to take them raw, freshly harvested, or dried and preserved. It is also possible to prepare culinary dishes such as pasta or tea with the mushrooms. However, the psychoactive compounds begin to break down rapidly at temperatures exceeding 100 °C (212 °F).[20] Another method of ingestion known as "Lemon Tekking" involves combining pulverized Psilocybe cubensis with a concentrated citrus juice with a pH of ~2. Many users believe that a considerable amount of the psilocybin will have been dephosphorylated into psilocin, the psychoactive metabolite, by citric acid. However, this claim is not substantiated by the literature on the metabolism of psilocybin, as dephosphorylation is known to be mediated by the enzyme alkaline phosphatase in humans.[21] It is therefore more likely that citric acid mostly helps in breakdown of mushroom cells, aiding in digestion and psilocybin release.[citation needed] The "Lemon Tekk" method of consumption results in a more rapid onset and can offer easier digestion or reduced "come-up pressure" associated with raw consumption.[22] Psilocybe cubensis can also be taken in conjunction with other botanicals such as turmeric, ginger, and black pepper. A 2019 study observed turmeric to act as a mild MAOI, which, when combined with psilocin, potentiates the biochemical interactions between serotonin receptors and psilocin, creating an entourage effect.
Upon ingestion, effects usually begin after approximately 20–60 minutes (depending on the method of ingestion and stomach contents) and may last from four to ten hours, depending on dosage and individual biochemistry. Visual distortions often occur, including walls that seem to breathe, a vivid enhancement of colors, and the animation of organic shapes.[citation needed]
The effects of high doses can be overwhelming depending on the particular phenotype of cubensis, grow method, and the individual. It is recommended not to eat wild mushrooms without properly identifying them as they may be poisonous. In particular, similar species include mushrooms of the genus Galerina and Pholiotina rugosa—all potentially deadly—and Chlorophyllum molybdites. All of these grow in pastures, a similar habitat to that preferred by P. cubensis.
Medical Treatment
Medical treatment is a term for systemic treatments that travel through the bloodstream (either by IV administration or by pills that are absorbed in the gut). This type of treatment can reach cancer cells anywhere in the body. A lung cancer treatment plan can include systemic treatments such as chemotherapy, targeted therapies, or immunotherapies administered by a specialized lung cancer medical oncologist.
Medical treatments for lung cancer include:
Chemotherapy: Powerful medications that kill rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells, and can be used before or after surgery
Targeted therapies: Medications that target specific mutations in cancer cells that are not found in normal cells
Immunotherapy: Drugs that boost the immune system, enabling a patient’s own white blood cells to recognize cancer cells and destroy them
Surgery for Lung Cancer
Often, early-stage lung cancer can be treated with surgery alone or in combination with medical treatment or radiation therapy. We can perform advanced, minimally invasive surgery – such as robotic lobectomy – that can successfully treat lung cancer.
Types of lung cancer surgery include:
Segmentectomy or wedge resection: Removal of part of a section (lobe)
Lobectomy: Removal of an entire lobe of a lung
Pneumonectomy: Removal of the entire lung
The type of surgery we recommend depends on the size and location of the tumor, as well as the patient’s overall health.
Robotic Lobectomy for Lung Cancer
Lobectomy, or the surgical removal of a cancerous lobe in the lung, is the standard treatment of early-stage, non-small cell lung cancer. Robotic surgery is performed with the surgeon sitting at a console, manipulating small instruments in the patient’s body. Because the instruments are so small, robotic lobectomy is performed through a few tiny incisions between the ribs, which means that patients can avoid a large incision in the chest.
Benefits of robotic surgery include:
Less pain
Faster recovery
Reduced chance of infection
Quicker return to normal activity
Less scarring
Lung Cancer Symptoms
While lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States, it’s not often detected early.
Unlike some other cancers, lung cancer usually presents no noticeable symptoms until it’s in an advanced stage. When the tumor grows large enough to press against other organs, it causes pain and discomfort. Sometimes, though, earlier warning signs can be a signal to call the doctor.
Often, before patients receive a lung cancer diagnosis, they have been experiencing symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, recurring respiratory infections or chest pain for a while. But since these symptoms have other, more common and less serious causes, the person may wait to see a doctor.
“While every cough or case of bronchitis isn’t a reason to believe you have lung cancer, if you are at high risk of developing lung cancer, paying attention to the early warning signs is critical,” says Russell Hales, a radiation oncologist and director of the Lung Cancer Program at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins.
Respiratory symptoms of lung cancer include:
Chronic cough: People with lung cancer often have a cough that won’t go away. A cough that lasts for at least eight weeks is considered chronic.
Repeated respiratory infections: Lung tumors can block the airway, causing frequent infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia.
Coughing up blood: Even if it’s just a small amount, coughing up blood or bloody mucus is a reason to call your doctor.
Shortness of breath: Lung cancer can cause the airway passage to narrow, which leads to difficulty breathing.
Hoarseness: Chronic coughing or a tumor that interferes with the vocal cords can cause people with lung cancer to have a raspy voice.
Chest pain: Lung cancer pain is due to a tumor causing tightness in the chest or pressing on nerves. You may feel pain in your chest, especially when breathing deeply, coughing or laughing.
Generalized symptoms of lung cancer include:
Bone pain
Headaches
Lumps in the neck or collarbone area
Weakness or numbness in the limbs
Swelling in the face, neck or arms
Jaundice
When to Talk to Your Doctor About Lung Cancer Screening
The best time to catch lung cancer is when it is not causing symptoms. Consequently, those at an increased risk of developing lung cancer should talk to their doctor about having routine screenings, Hales says. Screenings can offer hope for early detection, when treatment is most likely to result in cure.
People considered at high risk for developing lung cancer:
Have a history of heavy smoking (for example, smoking at least one pack a day for 30 years);
Are current smokers or former smokers who quit within the past 15 years; and
Are between the ages of 55 and 80.
Learn more about lung cancer risk factors.
If your doctor detects anything abnormal during a lung cancer screening, diagnostic tests such as imaging scans and biopsies (lung tissue sampling) are the next step.