Depression reduction

Depression reduction is the experience of minimizing the symptoms associated with depression and low mood states. It is distinct from effects such as cognitive euphoria, as it does not simply elevate the user's mood but instead results in a sense of stable emotional well-being.

Depression reduction most commonly occurs with adequate nutritional intake.¹²³⁴⁵Severe depression is effectively reduced with conventional antidepressants; although in mild to moderate depression, SSRI's and tricyclic antidepressants appear (on average) to be either only minimally helpful or completely ineffective.⁶However, depression reduction can also occur under the influence of hormone replacement therapies⁷and modafinil.⁸

Euthymia (semantically the opposite of dysthymia) is a long-lasting and self‐sustaining experience of stable emotional well-being. This state is characterized by:⁹

It is worth noting that this is unlikely to be an isolated effect component but rather the result of combining an appropriate environment with other coinciding effects such as rejuvenation, introspection, personal bias suppression, and spirituality enhancement. In many cases, it may also stem from the direct neurological changes that occur as a result of a substances’ pharmacological action.

Euthymia most commonly occurs at varying levels of efficacy under the influence of a range of different substances, primarily psychedelics in combination with psychotherapy,³⁰³¹ or dissociatives.²⁶ However, it can also occur throughout the course of prescribed psychiatric medications and under the influence of certain entactogens.