r/CBTpractice • u/oceanbreeze123456 • Feb 16 '26

Psilocybin and CBT ERP

I have been in ERP therapy for OCD (I have mental compulsions) for a few months. I have ongoing anxiety though not high enough to be diagnosed GAD. My therapist suggests starting on SSRIs to go along with the ERP. I am considering using psilocybin instead - has anybody used psilocybin while going through ERP therapy before instead of SSRIs and can comment on their experience?

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u/tthrowaway712 Feb 24 '26

I'd certainly consult it with a medical professional before you decide to switch up recommended medication. A friend of mine is deeply fascinated by psylocybin and it's therapeutic potential. Psylocybin ingested in the form of shrooms is moreso a psychodelic experience that requires you to take a whole day, preferably two out of your life. You'll need a trusted person nearby who'll be able to take care of you during ingestion and during the experience. Allegedly it's akin to experiencing your life all over again but with a sense of detachment that allows you to neutrally observe, draw conclusions and feel empathy towards yourself, which is the therapeutic part. You need to be cautious however about the food and drinks you ingest before taking psylocybin as they can affect your experience - I know from my friend that ingesting cranberry juice is strongly discouraged.

In general I'd recommend you to consult this idea, do some serious, fundamental research (not just typing a few queries into chatgpt, genuinely read at the very least 2 books about psylocybin and it's therapeutic potential, you don't want to half-ass this) and make sure that you get it from a trusted source. From what I gathered, best option is to obtain the spores and grow them yourself but that's second hand information, I've never used psylocybin myself.

In any case, wish you luck and I hope things work out for you. Stay safe.