The Side Effects, Signs, Withdrawal, and Treatment of Magic Mushrooms
Have you ever heard of someone talking about magic mushrooms? With its extensive use in pop culture, it’s hard to have missed it.
However, these are not just any kinds of mushrooms similar to the types we eat at home.
In all likelihood, when people talk of consuming mushrooms as drugs, they are referring to golden top mushrooms or mushroom gold tops.
Gold caps as they are also known, are very strong drugs that have become a huge problem among teenagers.
Many people succumb to peer pressure and fall victim to this illicit substance because they did not carefully consider the potency, effects, and withdrawal symptoms associated with using magic mushrooms recreationally.
This article will provide you with all the information you need in case you or your loved one is struggling with the abuse of gold cap shrooms.
History, Characteristics, and Where To Find Magic Mushrooms
Psilocybe cubensis, as it is clinically known, has gone by many different names throughout history.
In Cuba, in 1906, Franklin Sumner Earle was the first person to publish a scientific record of the use of this Psilocybin mushroom.
He wrongly identified it as Stropharia cubensis, only to be later corrected a year later by the French pharmacist Narcisse Théophile Patouillard in northern Vietnam.
The best place to find cubensis mushrooms is in tropical environments, such as South America and Central America.
Similar to Stropharia cubensis, they love to grow in the dung of herbivores, such as cows and goats.
With a few hundred dollars, it is easy to grow gold cap shrooms at home in a75 degrees Fahrenheit sterile environment.
The light golden color of their caps is what gives them the name golden caps or golden tops.
They have a unique spore print and an umbrella-shaped head that is darker in the middle and is surrounded by a white ring.
Those foraging for gold cap shrooms can identify them by their distinct spore print and the fact that they bruise blue when handled roughly.
Are Psilocybin Mushrooms Illegal?
Yes, psychedelic mushrooms are illegal in most States in the US, but there has been a call to legalize the recreational use of these gold caps from South America.
The State of Oregon, for example, voted to legalize the therapeutic use of magic mushrooms in 2020.
Psychoactive Compounds in Gold Cap Mushrooms
Apart from the main active compound found in golden cap shrooms, which is psilocybin, there are other compounds as well, such as:
- Norbaeocystin
- Baeocystin
- Psilocin
The combination of all these compounds is what gives gold cap mushrooms their psychoactive properties.
Since so many different compounds with unique hallucinogenic properties are involved, the effect of taking gold cap shrooms can be quite strong.
How Are Magic Mushrooms Consumed?
There are many common ways that users take gold cap shrooms, some of which are:
- The dried mushrooms can be ground into a kind of powder that is used to make capsules
- Some people prefer to eat the whole mushroom as it is, or if the taste is not to their liking, it can be added to other food like peanut butter
- The whole mushroom can also be boiled to make tea, after which the remainder is thrown away
- Cooking dried mushrooms has also become popular, with some users baking with them or making mushroom chocolates
Side Effects of Golden Cap Mushrooms
Do not let the beautiful light golden color and white ring fool you, gold cap mushrooms are very strong compounds.
They have lots of effects on the body that range from mild, negative, to severe, depending on how the psychedelic mushroom is taken, and the dosage.
Mild Side Effects
Mild side effects include:
- Wrong perception of time and reality
- Unpredictable mood swings
- A false sense of “enlightenment.”
- Euphoria or extreme happiness
- General calmness
- Visual and auditory hallucinations
- Discarding Inhibitions
- Heightened senses
- A feeling of weightlessness
Negative Side Effects
Abuse of golden caps results in the following negative effects:
- Muscle spasm
- Excessive sweating
- Numbness
- Nausea or dizziness
- Psychosis
- Anxiety
- Paranoia
- Elevated blood pressure
- Chills
Severe Side Effects
Taking very high doses of cubensis mushrooms can be very dangerous and will likely result in the following side effects:
- Suicidal thoughts
- Overdose
- Panic attacks
- Intense Flashbacks
- Depression
Signs That Someone Is on Psychedelic Mushrooms
Similar to other drug abusers, people who are abusing golden tops will often try to hide their habit from those closest to them.
However, because of the strong effect of the psychedelic mushroom, it is not easy to completely hide all the signs and symptoms.
With careful observation, the following signs can be used to identify someone who is using magic mushrooms:
- Rapid mood changes
- Isolation and general secretive behavior
- Withdrawal from their surroundings and other people
- Poor performance in their professional career or academics
- Difficulty in maintaining focus
- Unusual sensations such as vibrating, buzzing, or humming
- Muscle fatigue and weakness
- Impaired vision and coordination
- Dizziness and excessive drowsiness
Addiction to Golden Tops
Using magic mushrooms is not considered to be addictive, but there are ongoing studies on the effects of abusing medical Psilocybe cubensis.
The major concern is the strong effect that psychedelic mushrooms have on the body, which means that even taking gold caps once can be very risky.
Another troubling issue among those who take the psilocybin mushroom is the need to take more and more gold cap shrooms to achieve the same level of “high” they are used to.
The body’s swift tolerance to gold cap mushrooms also results in abusers combining their consumption of the golden tops with other drugs, such as LSD or alcohol.
Such poly-addicts quickly develop a high tolerance for golden tops, and this forces them to take higher and higher doses until the risk of overdose becomes a reality.
Withdrawal Symptoms of Psilocybe Cubensis
Withdrawal from golden caps itself does not usually have serious symptoms. However, there are certain after-effects that an abuser of golden tops will have to deal with, such as:
- Altered perception of reality
- Memory loss, irritability, and lethargy
- Very Intense flashbacks
- ·Impaired motor skills
- Confusion and rage
- Problems with communication
- Degenerative anxiety disorder symptoms
- Scary hallucinations
Factors That Affect Golden Tops Withdrawal Symptoms
Not all people who go through the stages of withdrawal from the abuse of golden caps experience the same symptoms.
Many factors influence how a person trying to stop using magic mushrooms will feel, such as:
- How long the person has been taking golden tops
- Whether they have been taking gold cap shrooms with other drugs, such as LSD
- The dosage they usually take whenever they consume gold cap mushrooms
- Genetics, because some people are more sensitive to gold cap shrooms than others
Treatment for P. Cubensis Abuse
After identifying the abuse of gold cap shrooms, treatment is usually similar to that of other illicit drugs.
A psychiatrist will usually recommend that the gold cap shrooms abuser undergo either inpatient or outpatient rehab.
Detoxification to flush out all traces of the P. cubensis from the body is the first step, followed by behavioral therapies to deal with the causes of the abuse of golden tops.
Interacting with other sober companions while in rehab is a good way to overcome golden tops abuse.
What To Do if Abusing Golden Tops Mushrooms
Are you struggling with the abuse of golden tops? Perhaps the symptoms of withdrawing from golden caps are too much for you to handle alone?
Help is available if you need it! Reach out to Crestone Detox Austin – Alcohol & Drug Rehab and begin your journey to recovery from golden tops abuse right now.
FAQs
Are Golden Top Mushrooms Therapeutic Drugs?
Studies have shown that gold cap mushrooms are effective in the treatment of depression and alcohol addiction although research is still ongoing.
What Are the Other Common Names for Gold Cap Shrooms?
Gold cap shrooms are also known as:
- Blue meanies
- Shrooms
- Magic mushrooms
- Golden tops
- Golden caps
How Many States Have Legalized Psilocybin Mushrooms?
Many cities including Oakland, California, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Denver, and Seattle, San Francisco have voted to decriminalize golden tops, with more expected to follow.
