Neuroscience: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Current biology : CB – January 05, 2026
Source: PubMed
Summary
Psilocybin, despite its known long-term anti-anxiety effects, acutely triggers the release of stress hormones. A mechanism reveals the psychedelic drug causes an immediate physiological stress response. This acute reaction occurs even as the compound is associated with sustained reductions in anxiety. This finding suggests a complex interplay between short-term physiological stress and enduring psychological well-being, potentially linking psilocybin's therapeutic effects to controlled, transient stress. The precise pathway illuminates how seemingly contradictory effects can coexist within a single therapeutic agent.
Abstract
Small amounts of stress are thought to have beneficial effects. A new study reports a mechanism by which the psychedelic drug, psilocybin, causes acute release of stress hormones, despite its known long-term anti-anxiety effects.