Psychedelics and OCD: Key Things to Know About OCD and Treatment Options

Psychedelics and OCD

Statistics show that 1.1% to 1.8% of the worldwide population struggle with OCD. The prevalence in adults is 1 in 100, and in children, it’s 1 in 200. Statistics also show that China has the highest OCD rate, and Taiwan has the lowest. Continue reading to learn more about psychedelics and OCD and what research says about using psychedelics to treat the condition.

What is OCD?

OCD is short for obsessive-compulsive disorder and features patterns of fear and unwanted thoughts (obsession). Obsession leads to the development of repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Basically, obsession and compulsion alter our daily activities and cause distress.

Trying to inhibit or control obsessions is not always easy, and this can cause further distress and anxiety. Eventually, compulsive acts while trying to ease the stress becomes common in affected individuals. This is irrespective of the efforts they make to get rid of the obsessive urges and thoughts. Basically, the more they try, the harder it gets, and these thoughts only keep returning.

OCD is mostly associated with different themes. For instance, it can be linked to the fear of germs or similar fear. To ease this fear, the affected person will always wash their hands compulsively to the point that it gets chapped or sore.

People with OCD are usually ashamed and sometimes feel embarrassed about their condition. However, there are treatment options that give effective results.

Symptoms of OCD

The symptom of OCD includes obsessions and compulsions. However, there are people that only have one of these symptoms. Many people don’t realize their obsessions and compulsions are unreasonable and excessive. Also, this can take much of your time and interfere with your school, work, and social functioning.

Obsession Symptoms

Obsession symptoms are characterized by persistent, unwanted, repeated thoughts, images, or urges that cause anxiety and distress. As mentioned earlier, obsessions usually have themes, and examples are:

• Needing things symmetrical and orderly
• Horrific or aggressive thoughts about harming yourself
• Doubting and finding it hard to tolerate uncertainty
• Unwanted thoughts, including sexual, religious, and aggression
• Fear of dirt or contamination

Signs and symptoms of obsession include:

• Unpleasant sexual images
• Images of driving into a crowd
• Avoidance of situations that can cause obsessions
• Thoughts about acting inappropriately in public
• Intense stress
• Fear of contamination

Compulsion Symptoms

The compulsion symptoms are associated with repetitive behaviors. These behaviors mostly seek to reduce stress and anxiety caused by obsessions, but they aren’t always effective. Compulsions only relieve the symptoms of obsessions momentarily. The themes of compulsions include:

• Demanding reassurance
• Following a routing
• Orderliness
• Counting
• Checking

The main signs and symptoms of compulsions include:

• Counting in a certain pattern
• Handwashing till you injure your skin
• Silently repeating a word or phrase
• Arranging items in the same pattern

Psychedelics and OCD

OCD can consume a sufferer’s life, and patients spend many hours on meaningless and repetitive tasks. Also, it’s not always easy for them to break free from these tasks. The general idea is that the default mode network plays a key role in OCD. Basically, the DMN is overactive in patients with depression, and this causes repetitive negative thoughts in them. With that, it’s likely that the DMN is overactive in OCD patients.

Fortunately, psychedelics are believed to help control DMN and relieve people of their obsessive thinking. During the 60s and 70s, case studies showed that LSD helped reduce OCD symptoms in affected patients. Additional research during the 80s and 90s show that psilocybin has the same potential to reduce OCD symptoms.

Modern Studies on Psychedelics and OCD

In 2006, the first multi-patent trial on the use of psychedelics for treating OCD was performed. This study used 9 OCD patients, they were placed on different doses of psilocybin. The patients were then placed in a room for up to 8 hours. These patients experienced significant improvements in their symptoms, even though they declined after 8 months.

The researchers concluded that there’s a need for larger and long-term studies to explore the benefits of psychedelics. There’s still no large study, but some researchers in 2009 made an interesting finding. In their study using mice, they showed that after giving the mice psilocybin, their likelihood of burying marbles reduced.

Another brain imaging study in 2005 also highlights the potential for psychedelics to treat OCD via the serotonin system. According to this study, psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD could reduce OCD symptoms by increasing serotonin signaling in the brain.

Anecdotal Reports from OCD Sufferers

In addition to the preliminary evidence, many anecdotal reports show that psychedelics can help reduce OCD symptoms. The story of Adam Strauss is a popular story that highlights the use of psychedelics for OCD.

There are many other anecdotal accounts showing the use of psychedelics for treating OCD compulsions. You can find these accounts on different forums, including Reddit, Bluelight, and even on Microdose Bros.

While there are many positive findings on using psychedelics for OCD, there are also some negative feedbacks. However, this feedback only highlights the need to use the substances in a controlled and therapeutic environment.

Final Thoughts

While there are many promising findings, it’s worth noting that they are still inconclusive. However, there’s a steady progression in understanding how psychedelics can help treat people with OCD. New findings highlight how these substances can help people break from restrictive and obsessive thinking patterns.

Also, anecdotal reports show that people actively use psychedelics to manage their OCD symptoms. It’s only a matter of time before extensive evidence supporting these anecdotal benefits suffice.

Are you curious to learn more about your mental health through the use of psychedelics? Check out our blog now to learn more.

A key thing to remember is that this is a constantly evolving field. If you think we have missed out on any important information, feel free to let us know via our contact page. Also, visit our Microdose Bros store to buy magic truffles now. Truffles contain psilocybin, and we ship discreetly in Europe.