why new moms are turning to mushrooms

Women struggling with postpartum depression might finally have a new solution in the form of psychedelic treatment-but there are a few hoops to jump through first.

- by Clare Wiley

A few days before Nohea gave birth to her second baby, in 2016, the now 40-year-old from Texas had a strong sense of foreboding.

She'd struggled through severe postpartum depression (PPD) with her first child and felt palpable dread when she realized it was also happening with her second. “I had enough awareness to know that I couldn't do this again—not to my partner, my son, or myself.”

She tried talk therapy, but it didn’t help her process her emotions. “I felt like my body was in a constant state of vibration, like pins and needles—irritating, painful. I felt so much guilt and shame, like I should be enjoying this.” She didn’t want to take prescription medications, and that’s when her sister, a military veteran, made a surprising suggestion: to try psychedelic mushrooms, or psilocybin—the active compound in magic mushrooms.

The fungi, which have long been used by Indigenous cultures in religious and healing ceremonies, can affect perceptions of reality and potentially even alter your sense of self, time, and space. You might hallucinate or see enhanced shapes, textures, and colors. Often, people report feeling euphoria or bliss. Yet while some trips are incredible and rapturous, others can be frightening and intense, or evoke both sets of emotions.