I’m researching effects of psychedelic drugs on depression and I’m a bit confused with how exactly psychedelics achieve their effects as compared to traditional SSRI’s. Obviously these two different types of drugs yield very different responses. However, my understanding is that they both fundamentally work by increasing serotonin in the brain. What is the key distinction between psychedelics and SSRI’s that leads to such different effects on the brain?
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Psychedelics don’t work by increasing serotonin; they *mimic* serotonin and bind to some of the serotonin receptors. But since they aren’t serotonin, they disrupt the normal functioning of the brain.
SSRIs don’t increase serotonin levels directly, but prevent rapid re-uptake. But of course, that increases levels.
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