[bikotreats]

long time lurker but created an account to reply here. i've taken plenty of psychedelics from around 18 y/o on a regular basis (once or twice every other month with frequent breaks of several months and then more intense periods of heavier usage) until i was about 29 and lost interest. i've tried DMT, LSD (my favorite. have done large doses of 800 microgram), different kind of shrooms...

drugs have repeatedly given me profound and connected experiences. it makes you feel connected with people and the world because your ego is reduced and you let everything in your surroundings fill you up instead. your mental barriers and preconcieved notions fall apart and you just accept what is happening around you.

I know several people with hereditary mental health disorders who's ailments have been trigger by drug use but i don't think you can blame the drugs here. a traumatic experience could trigger it too.

while i would not call my self and addict, i was a thrill seeker in my younger years for sure. today i'm a successful SWE, homeowner in a major western city and have a loving partner. plenty of my friends who were with me doing these drugs have similar lives today.

[greygoo222]

> I know several people with hereditary mental health disorders who's ailments have been trigger by drug use but i don't think you can blame the drugs here. a traumatic experience could trigger it too.

If they had a 50% chance of developing the disorder without taking the drug and an 80% chance of developing it with the drug (for example) of course you can blame it. There has to be some nuance here: these drugs are not nearly as dangerous as many make them out to be, but they are not without risk either. People can be seriously harmed by them, or, more likely, just have a bad time.

[bikotreats]

> these drugs are not nearly as dangerous as many make them out to be, but they are not without risk either

yes i agree. my girlfriend has never done any drugs except alcohol, weed (handful of times) and prescribed drugs from the dr. i have never recommend her to try psychedelics but I am always honest about what a massive positive impact it had on my life. i would consider myself depressed when i was in my teens. psychedelics (and meditation, philosophy books, and thought provoking conversations) helped me break out of my mental prison. if you treat drugs like a tool, like you would a sharp knife, you can unlock beautiful things -- but the knife might cut you.

just like with most things in life - leaving the safety of your home carries a certain risk. when you're swimming there is a risk you'll drown. bouldering, climbing can cause you to fall and break your neck. driving on the motorway has a relatively high chance of causing you a premature death. i can go on...

the people i know who's mental health issues have been excaberated by drugs are minimal compared to the ones i know who have used drugs and are perfectly normal people. some folks were heavy psychedelic / mdma users but you would never know that if you met them on the street or had a conversation with them...