Change Your Brain Every Day - Psilocybin for Mental Health: The Hype, The Hope, and the Unknown Risks

Episode Date: December 23, 2024

Psilocybin—the active compound in magic mushrooms—is being hailed as a game-changer for mental health. But what’s the truth behind the buzz? In this must-see episode, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen share brain imaging insights, discuss the potential benefits for depression, and raise important questions about safety and long-term risks. Is this psychedelic drug the breakthrough people hope for—or another psychiatric misstep? 00:00 Intro 00:43 Psilocybin 05:00 Why Take Mushrooms? 8:44 Transcendental Experiences 11:15 The Negative Effects of Psilocybin 15:06 Sponsor 16:20 The Neuropsychological Effects of Nicotine 21:19 What are the Drawbacks? 23:23 Second Hand Smoke 27:33 Quitting Smoking 29:09 Wrap Up

Google is manipulating you by what it shows you. They're heavily invested in the pharmaceutical industry. And so they make more money if you're taking antidepressants. And now all these companies are coming to invest in psilocybin because it's sort of the same thing as the tobacco companies. They're going to make money by making you dependent. Every day you are making your brain better or you are making it worse. Stay with us to learn how you can change your brain for the better every day.

So this is the last episode in the You Lied to Me series. In this episode, we're going to talk about psilocybin and nicotine. I have to tell you, it's the most common question I get asked these days. What about magic mushrooms? Good for me, not good for me. I'm very concerned. And I think they can be helpful for some people with resistant depression. But the problem, and I feel like I've seen this party before. Right. It's, yes, I've seen this party before. When I was a resident at Walter Reed in Washington, D.C. in 1982, Xanax came onto the market. Everybody was so excited about Xanax and Mommy's Little Helper and it was another benzo, but it was non-addictive.

It was a lie. Benzos are not good for your brain and they increase the risk of addiction and dementia. And then in the early nineties, our first clinic was in Fairfield outside of the Napa Valley in Northern California. And all the noise started coming out that alcohol is a health food. And I'm looking at the scans of people who are drinking every day, not necessarily alcoholics, and their brains look older than they do. And then in the late 90s, pain is the fifth vital sign. And you have to treat it. And you need to get people on long-term opiates. And that just turned out to be a disaster. And then marijuana is innocuous.

And people are legalizing it. And I'm actually a fan of legalization. But the idea that it's innocuous is just a lie and so i feel like with magic mushrooms i've seen this party before but haven't we i mean mushrooms aren't new i feel like they've cycled in their popularity a few times now right this is not a new thing it's just now that they're new and how they're sort of, I don't want to call it marketing, but in a way, how they're being presented. Well, they were used and then they were made illegal. And I feel like the street drugs of the 60s.

Right, are making a comeback. Marijuana, ketamine, and magic mushrooms are the big innovation in psychiatry as opposed to get your brain healthy and your mind will follow. Right? Brain health, manage your mind, build your relationships, and live with a sense of meaning and purpose. But let's talk about it. But I mean, kids were doing mushrooms in school when I was in school. And the research on psilocybin is very little. Like I've done deep dives into, so how much research is it? And it's about 600 patients are in the literature. Now, ketamine, it's much more. With ketamine, it's about 3,000 people. And ketamine seems to have good research showing that it can decrease depression. And my personal experience with the patients I've sent,

it's not awesome. But for some people who are suicidal, it can get them out of a suicidal state. But I don't have much experience with it fixed somewhat. And with all of the hype, the incidence of mental health problems in this country are skyrocketing. They're not better. They're not better. And so let's talk about why people use. They use psilocybin because they believe it's healing to treat depression and trauma for pain relief, to increase neuroplasticity.

And there's some evidence it does that. flexibility, because it's cognitive rigidity that often creates so much emotional pain when you just think the same thing over and over and things have to be a certain way or I get upset. It works by activating the 5-HT2A receptors, which are one of the serotonin receptors in the brain and it increases dopamine which helps people feel good so i i just find this interesting because this has become such an accepted thing um such a almost a almost chic in a way you'll get parties and it's we actually had friends weird okay so like remember we like- Remember we were on the boat? Like billionaire friends. Yeah.

And so these people made it their mission. Like they're convinced this is part of their success. It's why they have their best ideas in business and like really hyping this up. And I'm like, okay, I feel like I'm in an alternate universe right now. They're like talking about how awesome. And then they started in with they're going to make it their mission to get you to macro dose. I'm dying the whole time. Like, this is just crazy. I feel like what is happening right now? Because it's become not only accepted, but like, it's like, this is what you're supposed to do. Like, this is just the cool

thing to do for your business and for your mind. And I, it's confusing to me. It's very strange. Well, and some very wealthy, innovative people have gone on ayahuasca trips or psilocybin journeys. And they do a good job of selling it. Like they, like they make you curious about it, but I'm terrified. I'm terrified because of the drug addiction in my family, but I'm just like, they do this really good job of like, your whole life is going to change. Like everything's going to be better. And the problem that I have is I see people who've used it and became

psychotic and were never the same. Right. That's what I'm terrified of. And so the idea that it's innocuous, probably not. It's terrifying. Not for everybody. So people also use stress relief to enhance their emotions and self-awareness, to alter their sense of reality because they don't like it, to treat depression, trauma, and rebellion. Don't say I can't. I think creativity is a big one.

So I think with mushrooms, what I have seen, the social part of it, especially with the younger generation, they're drinking less and doing mushrooms more because they feel like it doesn't make them act as aggressive. They act out less. They don't drink. So they're not, they don't get the aggression. They're not getting the calories. Like there's all these benefits that they talk about and they feel like they're more social, but without all of the downside of alcohol, without the hangover and all the other things. So they do a really good job of like making you think it's healthier.

And oh, by the way, it's natural. Again, we're back to that. It's natural. Yeah. Cyanide is natural. I know. That's my point. Arsenic is natural so you know i don't want to demean it because there are studies showing it

can be incredibly helpful for some people and people use it for transcendence for an altered state of consciousness they have mystical, this ego dissolution where they just don't feel so attached to themselves. It helps to connect with nature. Well, and I do want to, like you said, I don't want to diminish it because I've actually heard people say they had massive breakthroughs with their trauma. And who am I to say that they didn't, that they had massive breakthroughs with their trauma. And I, who am I to say that they didn't, um, that they had massive breakthroughs with their trauma and they never went back to being in that stuck place again. And I guess there's a difference. I would, I couldn't tell you the difference cause I don't know. Um, but there's a big difference between micro dosing and macro

dosing. I'm not sure like what that is. Well, and they're all over the place with microdosing and macrodosing whether microdosing is a milligram or 25 milligrams and somebody told me they were microdosing with 500 milligrams and i'm like it's not microdosing because the therapeutic studies and this is the concern i have is there just not that many people in the studies, but there's a whole bunch of hype and now we have a whole generation using it. The studies are 25 milligrams, which is small. When someone does a hero dose, it's more like five to seven grams. So 5,000 to 7,000 milligrams. Hero dose means macro dosing. Hero dose is macro dosing. And that means like 5,000 milligrams or 7,000 milligrams. We're micro dosing. And so it's so sort of new that the terminology is all over the place. And it's still illegal in virtually every state. by a certified provider. You know, somebody who has a mental health license

that also has special training in it. So let's look at the biopsychosocial spiritual trouble with psilocybin. So nausea and vomiting, increased heart rate, hypertension, impaired coordination. So from a biological standpoint. Psychological, there's a persistent psychotic risk. It's called hallucinogen persisting perceptual disorder. So people who go to the emergency room because they had a bad psilocybin trip have three times the level of developing schizophrenia. Persistent psychotic disorders.

Brand new research that just came out. That all by itself tells me caution. Wow. That you may be genetically vulnerable and we don't know the gene yet to test. And we heard a couple of people talking about how they had really scary trips and they worked through it. And I'm like, what does that mean? Why do you want, I'm confused. Because they don't like how they feel. But yeah, they didn't do 40 sessions of EMDR because we're going after the quick fix, right? They didn't change their diet. They didn't learn how to kill the ants, the automatic negative thoughts. And I'm like, can we do the basic things first before we start getting people high? I think in my mind, this hallucinogen persisting

perceptual disorder, psychotic risk, is something that should go caution. We need thousands of people in studies before we unleash it on this generation. We have persistent anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, flashbacks, depersonalization, where you feel like you're not yourself anymore, derealization, where you feel like you're not yourself anymore. Derealization, where you feel like you're living in an environment that's just not real. And you can become emotionally dependent on it. There's social issues like isolation, can cause problems in your relationships, and it's illegal. Just saying.

And yet, you know, know i have patients are like going to the bahamas where it's not illegal or going to mexico um and they can end up with fragmented beliefs which you talked about earlier ego inflation or false enlightenment. I have so many patients that are highly accomplished writers, producers, and they go, oh, I just do my best work when I'm high. And then I read it later and I'm like, it's not my best work when I'm high. So I think the research is really interesting and that we should follow it. But I'd be cautious. the right therapy, and it's still not working, then it might be something under supervision to see. But it's something we should be cautious about. And it totally fits to you lied to me, which is this is the next best thing. Let's get everybody to do it. Interesting.

Every thought, every decision, every success is created by your brain. And the one thing I've learned from looking at over 250,000 brain scans over the last 30 years is that you are not stuck with the brain you have. You can make it better and I can prove it. This is why I created Brain Fit Life 5.0 to help you assess your brain and then help you optimize it by knowing your brain type and giving you access to the tools you need

to have a better brain and a better life. It includes a 30-day happiness challenge, brain and mental health trackers, hypnosis audios, brain enhancing music, and tools to conquer stress and anxiety you can feel better think sharper and live happier go to the app store and download brain fit life 5.0

today so let's talk about nicotine I mean while we're getting people mad at us let's talk about nicotine. I mean, while we're getting people mad at us, let's talk about nicotine. And nicotine works by activating acetylcholine receptors in the brain. So when you use, your memory might actually be better because that's the neurotransmitter that helps you learn. It also activates dopamine. You get energy, focus, calms people, especially if you're addicted to it.

Can increase reaction time, suppresses your appetite. The problem is it's incredibly addictive. So addictive. Once you start, it's really hard to stop how about from a psychological standpoint why do people use um so it gives them focus and it's something to do so it's the you know they get this addiction to having something in their hands and that smoking so people who are more oral yes and they have that fixation. It's a mood boost. It decreases stress. So major smoking addiction in my family. And so I've seen a lot of this.

It alleviates boredom, I think. It's a habit, but it's more than a habit. It's a habit, but it's also addictive. But it's a bad habit. It's a craving. I mean, they're dependent on addictive. But it's a bad habit. It's a craving. I mean, they're dependent on it. And it's rebellion. I think maybe it starts that way, but it becomes way more than that.

Because most smokers I know wish they didn't have it. And they're stuck with it now. Yeah. Don't tell me I can't do it. Now I have to do it. Now I have to do it. And so this is something that I grew up with that was just an ongoing fight between me and my mother. Like ongoing.

And my mother and my stepfather. Well, and, you know, people do it for peer pressure. Bonding, socialize, the advertising, marketing, and it's the image of being cool. And this is just one of the worst things Philip Morris ever did is they went after children. Yep, and now they're still going after children with the vaping. Joe Cool, right? The camel, Joe Cool, is smoking, is cool.

And it's clearly not cool. I'm reading this very interesting book called Catalyst, and it's about helping people change. And the state of Florida was just failing at getting kids to stop smoking and stop vaping. And they hired this one person who was so smart because rather than tell kids not to smoke, they got a bunch of kids together and they just gave them the truth about smoking. Right.

Which is these companies like Philip Morris are manipulating your mind to make money off of your addiction and your early death. And so rather than, because kids have to rebel, right? It's part of individuating. It's part of separating from your parents.

Your parents tell you, don't do it. It's like, oh, no, I have to do it. So I have to be my own person. But when they got the truth, they got angry. And smoking went down 30% with this program, which is tell them the truth. Which is why I think if more people really understood social media and the algorithms, the same thing could happen. And Google, how Google is manipulating you by what it shows you. Right.

And it's not your friend, right? They're heavily invested in the pharmaceutical industry. Right. And so they make more money if you're taking antidepressants. They make more money. And now all these companies are coming to invest in psilocybin because it's sort of the same thing as the tobacco companies they're gonna make money by making you dependent and but if you've ever that makes me mad if you've ever taken care of someone with lung cancer, you'd think twice.

You have experience with that. So nicotine is not so much a spiritual drug except the ritualistic use. So what's the trouble with nicotine? It's one of the most addictive substances on the planet. And it prematurely ages almost everything, your skin, your brain, your lungs, everything in your body prematurely ages. In part because nicotine constricts blood vessels. And so I have a brother-in-law that smoked for a long time and we're the same age. And if you look at my skin versus his skin, mine's so much healthier because I'm not

chronically constricting the blood flows. And if it's doing that to your skin, it's doing it to every other organ. Lowers fertility, increases hypertension, heart disease, bad breath. And as you said, cancer. So what are the psychological problems? Cravings makes you dependent. Anxiety, mood swings. When you don't have it, you get very anxious.

When you need a cigarette, you get very anxious. When you need a cigarette, you get very anxious. People can get depressed because nicotine is so addictive. Cognitive issues as it ages the brain. So obviously there's social stigma. And I actually think that alcohol is going to go the same way. At least that's my prayer. That when you see somebody now that smokes, so many people in their heads are like, really? Don't you know that's bad for you? But they don't do that with alcohol. But I think there's this huge movement to be alcohol-free. And I'm very excited about that because I just want people to have better brains, better brain, better life, better families, better jobs, better community. People get ostracized when they smoke, so more isolation. And I hate this for you. You have a huge secondhand smoke risk.

And when you were 25, you got diagnosed with cancer. And that could have been it. I mean, yes, it could have been the chronic stress. It could have been the terrible food, but all of those risk factors stack. And it's like, don't tell me what to do. Well, it's not just about you. Right. It's about generations of you. And back then, I mean, my mom smoked when I, I think she smoked a little bit when she was pregnant,

but she smoked when I was an infant for sure. So you don't have a choice. I mean, when you're, you know, back then we were kids and, you know, parents were smoking. Um, but there's one, there's one thing on the social list that's not really mentioned here. And that is sometimes there's like huge fighting in families. There was huge fights between me and my mom, but she wasn't allowed to come in my room when I was a kid. I couldn't stand the way it smelled. I couldn't stand anything about it. I would fight with her. There's a lot of issues with people who are smokers, like even in

relationships, smokers and non-smokers. And it's not fair when someone gets sick. It's a sad thing. It hurts when someone you love gets sick because you love that person so much. And it's like you don't want that to happen to them. You know, it's really hard. It's just and then, you know, you know, they have the guilt and it's just an awful thing. So we have a course called Brain Thrive by 25, where we teach high school students to love and care for their brain. And before we do the course, we always have parent night first, because we're going to teach your kids how to have a healthy brain. We're going to teach them what to do and what not to do. And so if you're doing the what not to do things at home, they're probably going to talk to you about it.

And so you don't have to change your behavior. But I want you to know this course is and we felt like we had to warn parents because if they're smoking or smoking marijuana or drinking a lot, the kids are going to mention it. And it's like it's up to the parents if they want the kids to take the course. But we're going to be as honest as we can from a neuroscience standpoint, which things are good for your brain and which things are not good for your brain. And I found almost all the parents who showed up to parent night, right? Not all parents do that, supported us. Yeah, and I should say, my mom stopped,

the thing that made my mom stop smoking, she stopped smoking when I was, right after I moved out of the house. Right after I moved out of the house. Because she finally, I moved out early because I couldn't stand the smoking. That was one of the biggest reasons I moved out of the house. Because she finally, I moved out early because I couldn't stand the smoking. That was one of the biggest reasons I moved away from home. And so she felt really bad about that.

And she ended up stopping smoking. And the really sad part was, and she came to the realization, her big why was, why do I want to keep doing something that could take me away from the one person I love most on the planet and so she stopped smoking right and she stopped smoking and what was so hard when she was diagnosed with cancer um no one would or wouldn't tell her if it was from the smoking you know what I'm saying because now it had been so many years later she went many years, she went, you know, 35 years without smoking. So maybe it wasn't from that, but in the back of her

mind, she was never sure. And that's what was really hard. Well, and I think with cancer, things stack over time. It was the chronic stress she was under. Yes, it was in part the smoking, but it's also the environmental toxins we live with. When I was a young psychiatrist, I loved hypnotizing patients. I still love it. I just, you know, I'm sort of more known for my brain imaging work now, but I used it a lot with smokers and I found it to be very helpful. Now, sometimes I would also use Wellbutrin and found that combination to be really helpful. Wellbut buterin's an antidepressant that increases dopamine that's been found to help people decrease or stop smoking. But I think with all of these things,

it's know your why and give me an alternative. Give me something else to do and make the withdrawal bearable. Right. And so I'm not a huge fan of Nicorette gum and nicotine gum, just because you're not really stopping. I mean, you're getting rid of some of the other chemicals. And for some people that are able to wean down on it, but some people just get stuck on the gum. use that a lot hypnosis plus okay how much you're really using of whatever substance and let's just cut it down by two and a half percent yeah and then she quit cold turkey

three packs a day to nothing it was crazy i don't know how she did it. And some people can do it. And she had a very strong constitution. Yeah. Yeah. So as we come to the end of the, you lied to me series, what would make me super happy is for you just to become aware of how society is programming your mind to make other people money based on your illness and early death. To just sort of start watching when you're watching television and you just see alcohol is ubiquitous. It's just everywhere. For what good reason? And that marijuana, the messaging around it is it's innocuous or vaping is a healthier form of smoking or mushrooms are in. I just want you to be aware. And in my book, The End of Mental Illness, I talk about if I was an evil ruler and I wanted to create mental illness, what would I do? It's sort of a joke, right? There's also if I was a benevolent ruler, what would I do? But we're living in a time that promotes illness and early death

so that other people can make money and that should piss you off.