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Comment by vore | Hacker News Reader

We do have some understanding of the safety profile of psilocybin, even if its Schedule I status makes it hard to research. At the very least, it doesn’t have physical dependency like opioids.

However, the lack of significant safety research does make it hard to determine the incidence of development of disorders like HPPD but, unlike opioids, I can’t imagine someone wanting to continue taking psilocybin after developing HPPD.

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They said the same thing about weed - that you don’t have any physical dependency.

A quick search on Reddit would show you countless people who say they’re physically unable to function without weed anymore. Withdrawal symptoms include insomnia, depression, brain fog, lack of appetite, lack of energy, shaking, etc.

This is especially true of people who started using it when they were young and people who use high THC products.

I think if you've known anyone who was an alcoholic, a tobacco smoker, or even someone who had to taper off prescription benzos or SSRIs you'd know that cannabis withdrawal symptoms are relatively benign. Caffeine withdrawal is significantly worse.

Those are MENTAL withdrawal symptoms, not PHYSICAL ones. Basically the worst the happens is "Man, I really wish I had some weed right now", not hallucinations or the shakes or seizures, as can occur with alcohol or opiods. That's what people mean by physical dependency.

Weed has all of those physical withdrawal symptoms you mentioned. Just a very quick Reddit search:

* https://www.reddit.com/r/leaves/comments/17fhb1y/intense_phy...

* https://www.reddit.com/r/leaves/comments/17fazp4/sweating_in...

* https://www.reddit.com/r/leaves/comments/yt9sud/cannabis_doe...

Thousands more examples: https://www.reddit.com/r/leaves/search?q=symptoms&restrict_s...

Also, I'd argue that brain fog, low energy, insomnia, lack of appetite, night sweats, shaking are all physical symptoms, chest pains, heart palpitations.

> Those are MENTAL withdrawal symptoms, not PHYSICAL ones.

That is an interesting line to draw. Are "MENTAL withdrawal symptoms" not neurological in nature? Are "hallucinations or the shakes or seizures" not based in neurology?

The DTs from alcohol withdrawal can outright kill you. That’s the line I draw. Similar for other meds that have very unpleasant effects if you don’t taper off over weeks or even months.

Still neurological in nature.

Delirium tremens is a severe form of alcohol withdrawal. It involves sudden and severe mental or nervous system changes.

Delirium tremens may also be caused by head injury, infection, or illness in people with a history of heavy alcohol use.

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000766.htm

> At the very least, it doesn’t have physical dependency like opioids.

There are also no known cases of psilocybin overdosing (same for LSD and Ketamine).

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