Shrooms
“Shrooms” (psilocybin mushrooms) contain psilocybin, which the body converts to psilocin. Psilocin produces psychedelic effects primarily by activating serotonin 5-HT2A receptors (with additional involvement of other serotonin receptors in the overall acute effect profile). Because it’s a strong serotonergic psychedelic, acute effects can include intense mood/perception changes and anxiety/panic in some people, and rare longer-lasting problems like hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) have been described after hallucinogen exposure (1).
In PFS/PSSD/PAS discussions, psilocybin is a debated item: some people report improvements in anhedonia or mood, while others report flares/crashes and feeling destabilized afterward. Mechanistically, that makes sense as a risk because it delivers a large, direct perturbation to serotonin signaling (especially 5-HT2A), and it can also interact with other serotonin-modulating medications (including SSRIs/SNRIs, MAOIs, mirtazapine, trazodone, etc.), raising safety concerns (2) Bottom line for your site: even if some people report benefit, shrooms are generally a high-risk “avoid” for already-sensitized individuals due to the unpredictability of response and the potential for significant psychological adverse effects (3).
(1) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5870365/
(2) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9177763/
Crash Anecdotes:
https://www.reddit.com/r/PSSD/comments/uljnfl/have_shrooms_made_your_pssd_worse/
https://www.reddit.com/r/PSSD/comments/19akp05/public_safety_warning_shrooms_and_all_substances/
https://www.reddit.com/r/PSSD/comments/1alz35h/anyone_here_tried_mushrooms/
My Personal Risk Ranking:
Low Risk of Permanent Worsening (for PFS/PSSD/PAS):
If you currently have PFS/PSSD/PAS, psilocybin (“shrooms”) may carry a moderate-to-high risk of worsening symptoms—potentially in a lasting way—because it strongly activates serotonin (especially 5-HT2A) signaling and can significantly destabilize mood, sleep, and nervous-system balance in sensitive individuals. While there are some anecdotes of improved anhedonia or mood, there are also many reports of flares/crashes, and outcomes are unpredictable. For most people, it’s best avoided during stabilization, especially if you’re already reactive or taking other serotonin-active substances.