Magic mushrooms: honest help when they’ve become a problem

Please read this first

Picking the wrong mushroom can kill. FRANK says the biggest danger with magic mushrooms is eating a poisonous one by mistake, and some UK mushrooms, like the fly agaric, can kill you. If you feel ill after eating mushrooms, get medical help as soon as possible, and keep a sample of what you ate so doctors can identify it. Call 999 if someone is very unwell.

Bad trips and your mental health. FRANK says bad trips can be frightening and that mushrooms can make existing mental health problems worse. Call 999 if someone is in extreme distress, at risk of harm, unconscious or struggling to breathe. FRANK also says mixing drugs is always risky, so adding alcohol or anything else raises the stakes.

FRANK is confidential and open 24 hours on 0300 123 6600, or text 82111. If you’re feeling hopeless or thinking about ending your life, call Samaritans free on 116 123, any time.

Magic mushrooms have a gentle image. People talk about them as natural, and you may have read headlines about psilocybin research. That image can make it harder to admit that they’re causing you a problem. FRANK says magic mushrooms are not addictive. They can still leave you with frightening trips, flashbacks or a mood that hasn’t settled, and some people find they’re using them to escape rather than to explore.

Use has fallen among young adults. In England and Wales, 0.9% of 16 to 24 year olds used magic mushrooms in the last year, down from 2.3% the year before (ONS, 2025). If you’re here because shrooms have stopped feeling like a choice you’re happy with, this page is for you.

Signs magic mushroom use has become a problem

Because mushrooms aren’t addictive, the signs are mostly about what they’re costing you. Look out for:

  • Bad trips that leave you shaken, or where you lost control of what you were doing
  • Flashbacks that frighten or unsettle you
  • Feeling paranoid, anxious or low in the days or weeks after
  • Needing more for the same effect, because FRANK says tolerance builds quite quickly
  • Taking them to get away from problems or feelings
  • Picking your own, or taking mushrooms when you couldn’t be sure what they were

Psilocybin research is not a reason to self-treat

You may have seen headlines about psilocybin, the drug in magic mushrooms, being studied for depression. That work takes place in clinical trials, where it’s given alongside psychological support, and researchers say larger trials are still needed before it could be authorised for use in healthcare (NIHR Maudsley BRC). Picking or buying mushrooms to treat your own mood is a different thing, and it carries every risk on this page. If you’re struggling with depression, please talk to your GP, or in England refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies.

Where to get help in the UK

  • Your GP. The right place to start if mushrooms have affected your mood or mental health, or if you’re having flashbacks. Mention exactly what you took, as it helps them judge what’s going on.
  • FRANK. Confidential advice 24 hours a day on 0300 123 6600, or text 82111. Read FRANK’s guide to magic mushrooms.
  • Local drug services. You can contact one yourself, as the NHS explains, and you’ll be given a keyworker if you start treatment. In England you can use the services in your local authority area at no charge. Find your nearest service
  • Support groups. SMART Recovery offers free group meetings. Narcotics Anonymous meets in person and online, and you can ring its helpline on 0300 999 1212 between 10am and midnight.
  • Family and friends. If you’re worried about someone close to you, Adfam supports families, and Addiction Family Support takes calls on 0300 888 3853.

Where hypnotherapy fits

Adam Cox, clinical hypnotherapist

Hypnotherapy is not a treatment for problems with magic mushrooms, and I don’t offer it as one. If mushrooms have affected your mental health, your GP or a drug service needs to be part of your recovery.

Where I can help is alongside that care. If tripping has become a way to step out of a life that feels heavy or stuck, it’s often worth looking at what you’re stepping away from. Together we can look at stress, sleep and confidence, and at the people, places and habits that lead you back to tripping. The choices stay yours, and sessions give you some support while you make them.

Before we work together I’ll ask whether you’re getting support from your GP or a drug service, and how your mental health has been. If I think you need that support first, I’ll tell you honestly.

Common questions

Are magic mushrooms addictive?

FRANK says magic mushrooms are not addictive, but that, as with LSD, you can become tolerant to the effects quite quickly and need more to get the same effect. They can still become a problem if they’re harming your mental health or the rest of your life.

What should I do if I think I’ve eaten a poisonous mushroom?

Get medical help as soon as possible. Call 999 if someone is very unwell. FRANK advises keeping a sample of the mushroom you ate so doctors can identify it.

Are magic mushrooms legal in the UK?

No. FRANK says magic mushrooms are a Class A drug, and the Drugs Act 2005 made clear that both fresh and prepared mushrooms containing psilocin or psilocybin are covered. Possession can bring up to 7 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Is it confidential?

Yes. What you tell me stays between us. As with any therapist, the only exception is if I believed you or someone else were at serious risk of harm.

I’m worried about someone else’s mushroom use. What can I do?

If they’re in danger during a trip, or may have eaten a poisonous mushroom, call 999. If you’re worried about their mood afterwards, encourage them to see their GP. Adfam and Addiction Family Support help the people around someone who uses drugs, and you’re allowed to ask for support for yourself.

Talk it through

If you’re already getting support and want help alongside it, book a £49 consultation call. We’ll look at what support you have and whether sessions would sit well with it. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to use afterwards. There’s more on prices and formats on my working with me page. If acid is part of things too, my page on LSD covers bad trips and flashbacks, and my cannabis page lists more support.

Book a consultation (£49)

Written by Adam Cox, clinical hypnotherapist. Sources: FRANK, magic mushrooms; ONS, Drug misuse in England and Wales, year ending March 2025; NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression; NHS, drug addiction: getting help. Checked October 2026.