Phycadelics the cure?

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any one ever try peyote?

Psychedelics were experimented with in the '60s. They only were useful in trace dosages that were no good for recreational use (since that seems to be what you have in mind), and they only worked for a few weeks before their tolerance skyrocketed and it quit working at all.

I heard about testing done in the 60's where they gave lsd to engineers, scientists, and artists who were having mental blocks with their work. They were given a dose of lsd and their mental blocks opened up giving them bursts of creativity. Many those that were tested started asking for more doses of lsd to push their creativity further.

They were also testing LSD as a treatment for depression. The actor Cary Grant is one who underwent that therapy.

Here is what Cary Grant wrote about LSD:
http://www.futurehi.net/archives/000693.html

are you trying to solve the problem, or get high enough to pretend it doesn't exist?

I don't think the first works.

I am undiagnosed, but I suspect I am an Aspie and I am a total pothead. Weed, for the most part, keeps my anger under control.

I have heard other accounts of aspies being potheads. I don't know if it's common, however.

Being a pothead is common enough that finding Aspie potheads is no surprise.

I was expecting to hear that. Didn't know whether or not that was the case.

Marijuana keeps my anxiety under control. That said, since I live in a state where it's illegal and since I can have my school money taken away from me if I'm busted with marijuana and since my husband can have his firearms taken away if I'm busted at home with marijuana, I haven't used marijuana in quite a few years. And my anxiety level shows it.

I haven't found or been prescribed anything that worked nearly as well with so few unwanted side effects, so it's a real shame. Maybe some day it will be legal here or I will move to someplace where it's legal. Living with anxiety is no small thing -- it's been leading me progressively into burnout.

I have found that a glass of wine works better for me than any prescribed medications or illegal drugs ever have.. and I have no side effects from it, as long as I have it with a meal and a glass of water.

No drug is a cure. LSD, mushrooms and cannabis all have had lasting beneficial effects on me but nothing monumental, and not really much relating to AS.

I have never tried any "real" psychadelics, though I was once given some Marinol (THC) with mumbled instructions which I misunderstood. I ended up taking 3 times the intended dose and had some minor hallucinations, but otherwise just felt a bit goofy and out-of-it. It's not something that I'd do again; I've had muscle relaxants that were more calming. I've never smoked MJ, but it sounds better than Marinol.

LSD is a tricky substance. I have tried it a lot when I was younger. If you are lucky you have a wonderous and very happy experience. However, it is hard to know how it will work. And it all depends on your mental state, and who you are with, the setting etc when you take it. Believe me a bad trip is one of the worst experiences you can have. And when you have one you are stuck there until the drug wears off. And before it wears off you cannot sleep!! !! ! It can be like pure mental torture. I do not take it anymore and haven't for about 18 years.

I would not say psychedelics are *the* cure. However, I took them a lot when younger (primarily LSD and MDMA) and found they had a major beneficial effect on me.

Before I took them I was largely stuck in one mode of mental functioning (ie, logic); afterwards, I was far more flexible, socially, emotionally, even physically.

I would not blanket recommend them to everyone, there definitely are dangers...however, these dangers are quite well-understood and can be largely avoided if you research the subject thoroughly before taking them (which I did).

Replies to other posters:

Robdemanc
"Believe me a bad trip is one of the worst experiences you can have. And when you have one you are stuck there until the drug wears off."

Actually, if it's LSD, you can largely bring yourself down with niacin (vitamin b3). I've tried it, it works. It's physically unpleasant for a short while (a sort of burning, tingling feeling in the skin) but far better than several more hours of bad trip.

John Browning
"Psychedelics were experimented with in the '60s. They only were useful in trace dosages that were no good for recreational use (since that seems to be what you have in mind), and they only worked for a few weeks before their tolerance skyrocketed and it quit working at all."

I've read quite a lot about the experiments in the 60's but I've not heard of this, do you have a reference for it? The only experiments I'm aware of relating to LSD and autism were with classical (severe) autistics, who showed significant changes in many cases, but only for the duration of the drug's immediate effect.

Also, I would point out that unlike most drugs, psychedelics generally do not need to be taken on an ongoing basis; a few sessions gives the user a new perspective which they then slwoly integrate into their day-to-day life.

Again, I am not trying to advocate psychedelics for all; however, I do think they have a place in psychotherapy and it is a great loss to society that professionals are not allowed to use them. Nowadays, I am more enthusiastic personally about yoga and meditation as self-medication techniques than drugs; however, when I tried them before I had taken psychedelics they did nothing for me, I didn't understand what I was trying to do. Psychedelics "opened the door" for me, and since then I find myself increasing able to "get there" under my own power.

I am a qualified psychologist by the way (BSc 2:1, Hons).

Really? Can you elaborate on that? Does this only apply to LSD or would it work for psilocybin too? Niacin is most likely a healthier way to end a bad trip than using antipsychotics like seroquel or haldol.

I have to say I've always had the impression that psychedelics alleviated my autism symptoms. When I'm on a low dose of them I can socialise normally. Or maybe thats just the impression I have.

Not sure how but some experimentation when I was younger with mescalin alleviated my central auditory processing problems while 'under the influence'. I cannot understand the words to songs, cannot filter out background noise, cannot figure out accents - while on mescalin, I could. Actually hearing the words to songs without having to look up lyrics was simply amazing. Haven't been able to do it since so it seems to be a mescalin effect.