Magic Mushrooms
For individuals in tune with drug culture, the aesthetic of bright, colorful mushrooms can be found on posters, t-shirts and on album covers of CDs and records. Shrooms, or magic mushrooms are a commonly recognized, natural hallucinogen. It is also considered to be one of the least dangerous narcotics that you can ingest. So what is it really?
What are Psychedelic Mushrooms?
Mushrooms containing the chemical psilocybin are considered to be ‘magic’ mushrooms. Ingesting these fungi produces intense hallucinations in the user. Historians hypothesize that psychedelic mushrooms were used in religious ceremonies and rituals around the world as far back as 6,000 years ago. Evidence of use has been found on cave rock art, and in sculptures in nearly every continent. Many users, even today, describe using mushrooms as a spiritual experience. In fact, in some countries, its use is still legal if it is used for religious ritual or for spirituality.
Psilocybin is a natural psychoactive, hallucinogenic substance that is found in hundreds of species of mushrooms. Though this magical formula has been used for hundreds of years, the compound was first isolated in 1958. Ingestion is the primary method of intake. Typically, the mushrooms are dried out and put on food to overcome the bitter taste, though they can also be brewed in tea or made into an oil. This chemical is converted into psilocin by the body, which has hallucinogenic effects that are similar to DMT or LSD. The intensity of the high is dependent on the species of mushroom and how much is ingested. As with any substance, the user’s physiology plays a role. It has a low toxicity and typically does not cause harm to the body.
Abusing Mushrooms
Psilocybin is a non-addictive substance. This means that despite it having powerful effects on the body and mind, there is no craving or withdrawal. Despite there being no actual cravings, many users do enjoy regular recreational use. While it is very rare, it is possible to overdose on magic mushrooms. Psychologically and physically, it is considered to be one of the safest drugs to use. There can be uncomfortable side effects, though, they are not devastating.
To identify the rare but possible risks of overdose, you should be aware of the following:
Panic Attacks
Paranoia
Psychosis
Seizures
Vomiting
Being in a high stress mindset, or in a volatile place that you are not comfortable in can all impact whether or not you experience difficulties while using mushrooms.
Common Symptoms of Lung Cancer
There are several lung-related symptoms of lung cancer that appear after the cancer has been growing for some time, including:
Coughing. Coughing that doesn’t go away or gets worse and is not related to a viral or bacterial infection affecting your lungs.
Shortness of breath. Feeling out of breath, tightness in the chest, feeling like you can’t breathe, or feeling you can’t get enough air. There are non-cancerous conditions that can also cause this symptom. Either way you should have a doctor check your lungs.
Coughing up bloody mucus. Coughing up blood-tinged or rust-colored phlegm or mucus.
Chest pain. Pain that gets worse with laughing, coughing, or deep breathing.
Wheezing. Wheezing is that high-pitched whistling sound that happens when exhaling.
Lung infections that won't clear. Repeated infections such as pneumonia or bronchitis, or a lung infection that won't go away will likely be evaluated further by your doctor for another cause.
Hoarseness. If your voice becomes hoarse for no apparent reason you should have this evaluated by a doctor.
What's Next if You Receive a Lung Cancer Diagnosis?
If the symptoms you noticed and reported to your doctor were caused by lung cancer, you're likely to visit with an oncologist who specializes in lung cancer treatments. They will determine the type of lung cancer, stage, and other factors that allows them to create a personalized treatment plan. If you're in the Colorado Front Range, the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers team is here to guide you through the process every step of the way.
16 Unexpected Lung Cancer Symptoms You Should Know About
Lung cancer doesn't always show obvious signs or symptoms until it's become more advanced. A cough that won't go away or shortness of breath without another cause are some of the more common symptoms you hear about. But, did you know there are several other surprising signs and symptoms that can indicate lung cancer?
What Causes Lung Cancer and Who Can Get It?
It's probably no surprise that smoking is one of the main causes of lung cancer.
Smoking causes 80% of the lung cancer deaths in women and 90% in men.
Men that smoke are 23 times more likely to get lung cancer.
Female smokers are 13 times more prone to develop lung cancer.
What is lung cancer?
Lung cancer starts when abnormal cells grow and multiply in an uncontrolled way. Cancer that begins in the lungs is called primary lung cancer. If cancer begins in another part of the body and spreads to the lungs it is know as secondary or metastatic cancer in the lung.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death and the fifth most common cancer diagnosed in Australia excluding non-melanoma cancers. It is responsible for almost one in five cancer deaths in Australia.
It is estimated that more than 14,700 people were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023. The average age at diagnosis is 72 years old.
Lung cancer is the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, and it is estimated that one in 20 people will be diagnosed by the time they are 85.
There are two main types of lung cancer:
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer, accounting for around 85% of cases. There are sub-types of non-small cell lung cancer. The most common are:
adenocarcinoma - begins in mucus-producing cells and makes up about 40% of lung cancers. While this type of lung cancer is most commonly diagnosed in current or former smokers, it is also the most common lung cancer in non-smokers.
squamous cell (epidermoid) carcinoma - commonly develops in the larger airways of the lung.
large cell undifferentiated carcinoma - can appear in any part of the lung and are not clearly squamous cell or adenocarcinoma.
Lung cancer signs and symptoms
Symptoms of lung cancer may include:
· shortness of breath
· changes to the voice such as hoarseness
· chest pain
· coughing or spitting up blood
· a new cough that does not go away
· chest infection that lasts more than three weeks or keeps coming back
· enlarged fingertips
· loss of appetite
· unexplained weight loss
· tiredness.
epressive disorder (also known as depression) is a common mental disorder. It involves a depressed mood or loss of pleasure or interest in activities for long periods of time.
Depression is different from regular mood changes and feelings about everyday life. It can affect all aspects of life, including relationships with family, friends and community. It can result from or lead to problems at school and at work.
Depression can happen to anyone. People who have lived through abuse, severe losses or other stressful events are more likely to develop depression. Women are more likely to have Depression Treatment than men.
An estimated 3.8% of the population experience depression, including 5% of adults (4% among men and 6% among women), and 5.7% of adults older than 60 years. Approximately 280 million people in the world have depression (1). Depression is about 50% more common among women than among men. Worldwide, more than 10% of pregnant women and women who have just given birth experience depression (2). More than 700 000 people die due to suicide every year. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in 15–29-year-olds.
Although there are known, effective treatments for mental disorders, more than 75% of people in low- and middle-income countries receive no treatment (3). Barriers to effective care include a lack of investment in mental health care, lack of trained health-care providers and social stigma associated with mental disorders.
Symptoms and patterns
During a depressive episode, a person experiences a depressed mood (feeling sad, irritable, empty). They may feel a loss of pleasure or interest in activities.
A depressive episode is different from regular mood fluctuations. They last most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks.
Other symptoms are also present, which may include:
poor concentration
feelings of excessive guilt or low self-worth
hopelessness about the future
thoughts about dying or suicide
disrupted sleep
changes in appetite or weight
feeling very tired or low in energy.
Depression can cause difficulties in all aspects of life, including in the community and at home, work and school.
A depressive episode can be categorized as mild, moderate, or severe depending on the number and severity of symptoms, as well as the impact on the individual’s functioning.
There are different patterns of depressive episodes including:
single episode depressive disorder, meaning the person’s first and only episode;
recurrent depressive disorder, meaning the person has a history of at least two depressive episodes; and
bipolar disorder, meaning that depressive episodes alternate with periods of manic symptoms, which include euphoria or irritability, increased activity or energy, and other symptoms such as increased talkativeness, racing thoughts, increased self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, distractibility, and impulsive reckless behaviour.