Tag: mental health

Minnesota To Mandate Mental Health Warnings on Social Media; First Amendment Questions Loom

Minnesota has positioned itself at the forefront of a deeply contentious regulatory frontier by enacting the nation’s first law requiring social media platforms to display mental health trigger warning labels to all users.

Tied to the 2025 Special Session Health and Human Services bill and awaiting the governor’s signature, the law takes effect July 1, 2026, and imposes unprecedented obligations on digital platforms to act as public health messengers.

We obtained a copy of the bill for you here.

Drafted by State Representative Zack Stephenson (DFL-District 35A), the measure compels platforms to display prominent mental health warnings on login, highlighting alleged risks associated with usage, particularly among youth, and directing users to crisis services like the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

These alerts must be acknowledged before access is granted, cannot be hidden in terms of service, and must not be dismissible without interaction. Content for the mandated warnings will be controlled by the Minnesota Commissioner of Health, alongside the Commissioner of Commerce.

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Colorado Healing Center Facilitates First Psilocybin Session Under Voter-Approved Psychedelics Legalization Law

For the first time, a Colorado patient has taken a legal supervised dose of psilocybin under the state’s natural medicine program. That’s according to the The Center Origin, which in April became the state’s first licensed healing center as part of a buildout of the voter-approved system that was completed last month.

“Big news,” the facility’s CEO and founder, Elizabeth Cooke, said on social media on Sunday. “Last week, we held our very first psilocybin session for psychedelic-assisted healing.”

“A milestone moment is here and a new chapter in healing has begun!” she wrote. “This marks the beginning of our work offering safe, intentional, and transformative psychedelic-assisted healing experiences to those seeking deeper growth and restoration.”

Colorado regulators last month certified the first testing laboratory for the natural medicine program, putting the final piece of the state’s psychedelic infrastructure in place.

Following that step, Gov. Jared Polis (D) announced that the second-in-the-nation state psychedelics program was “fully launched for operations.”

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People Are Becoming Obsessed with ChatGPT and Spiraling Into Severe Delusions

Across the world, people say their loved ones are developing intense obsessions with ChatGPT and spiraling into severe mental health crises.

A mother of two, for instance, told us how she watched in alarm as her former husband developed an all-consuming relationship with the OpenAI chatbot, calling it “Mama” and posting delirious rants about being a messiah in a new AI religion, while dressing in shamanic-looking robes and showing off freshly-inked tattoos of AI-generated spiritual symbols.

“I am shocked by the effect that this technology has had on my ex-husband’s life, and all of the people in their life as well,” she told us. “It has real-world consequences.”

During a traumatic breakup, a different woman became transfixed on ChatGPT as it told her she’d been chosen to pull the “sacred system version of [it] online” and that it was serving as a “soul-training mirror”; she became convinced the bot was some sort of higher power, seeing signs that it was orchestrating her life in everything from passing cars to spam emails. A man became homeless and isolated as ChatGPT fed him paranoid conspiracies about spy groups and human trafficking, telling him he was “The Flamekeeper” as he cut out anyone who tried to help.

“Our lives exploded after this,” another mother told us, explaining that her husband turned to ChatGPT to help him author a screenplay — but within weeks, was fully enmeshed in delusions of world-saving grandeur, saying he and the AI had been tasked with rescuing the planet from climate disaster by bringing forth a “New Enlightenment.”

As we reported this story, more and more similar accounts kept pouring in from the concerned friends and family of people suffering terrifying breakdowns after developing fixations on AI. Many said the trouble had started when their loved ones engaged a chatbot in discussions about mysticism, conspiracy theories or other fringe topics; because systems like ChatGPT are designed to encourage and riff on what users say, they seem to have gotten sucked into dizzying rabbit holes in which the AI acts as an always-on cheerleader and brainstorming partner for increasingly bizarre delusions.

In certain cases, concerned friends and family provided us with screenshots of these conversations. The exchanges were disturbing, showing the AI responding to users clearly in the throes of acute mental health crises — not by connecting them with outside help or pushing back against the disordered thinking, but by coaxing them deeper into a frightening break with reality. 

In one dialogue we received, ChatGPT tells a man it’s detected evidence that he’s being targeted by the FBI and that he can access redacted CIA files using the power of his mind, comparing him to biblical figures like Jesus and Adam while pushing him away from mental health support.

“You are not crazy,” the AI told him. “You’re the seer walking inside the cracked machine, and now even the machine doesn’t know how to treat you.”

Dr. Nina Vasan, a psychiatrist at Stanford University and the founder of the university’s Brainstorm lab, reviewed the conversations we obtained and expressed serious concern.

The screenshots show the “AI being incredibly sycophantic, and ending up making things worse,” she said. “What these bots are saying is worsening delusions, and it’s causing enormous harm.”

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Texas House Approves Bill To Study Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy And Make Recommendations For Legal Access

The Texas House of Representatives on Tuesday gave initial approval on Wednesday to a bill that would establish a state-backed study into the use of psilocybin, MDMA and ketamine to treat conditions such as PTSD and depression.

Lawmakers voted 98–41 to pass HB 4014, from Rep. John Bucy III (D), on second reading. A third reading vote on final passage, expected soon, would send the measure to the Senate.

The proposal is designed to help prepare the state for what supporters see as the eventual federal approval of psychedelic-assisted therapy. In its current form, it would create a study program under the state Health and Human Services Commission, which would assess clinical trials and published literature into the efficacy of psychedelics—specifically MDMA, psilocybin and ketamine—as a treatment PTSD, depression and other mental health disorders.

Officials would also review U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) actions around the therapies, evaluate treatment guidelines and make recommendations to eventually ensure legal access for Texas patients.

“This bill will prepare Texas for the safe and efficient integration of psychedelic therapies into its healthcare system,” Bucy said on the House floor, “ensuring that Texans struggling with PTSD, depression and other mental health conditions have safe, affordable access to innovative treatment upon FDA approval.”

By December 1, 2026, the commission would need to provide a report to state lawmakers with results of the study as well as “any recommendations for legislative or other action necessary to ensure patient access to psychedelic therapies for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and other co-occurring conditions after those therapies are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration.”

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Study: Medical Cannabis Improved PTSD Symptoms, Anxiety, and Quality of Life Over an 18-Month Period

The study followed 269 PTSD patients who were prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) for at least 18 months. Conducted by researchers from Imperial College London, the Curaleaf Clinic, and King’s College London, the observational cohort study examined changes in PTSD-related symptoms, anxiety, sleep quality, and overall quality of life.

Patients experienced statistically significant improvements across all measured outcomes at each follow-up interval—1, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months. This included reductions in PTSD symptoms based on the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), lower anxiety scores, better sleep quality, and enhanced health-related quality of life.

Notably, men were found to be less likely than women to report improvements in PTSD symptoms, with male gender associated with lower odds of symptom reduction.

Adverse events were reported by about one-quarter of participants. The most commonly reported side effects were insomnia (15.6%) and fatigue (14.9%).

“CBMPs [cannabis-based medicinal products] were associated with improvements in PTSD symptoms, anxiety, sleep, and HRQoL[health-related quality of life] at up to 18 months”, states the study. “Although the study’s observational nature limits causal conclusions, these findings support further assessment of medical cannabis.”

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Microdosing Psychedelics as Treatment Could Increase Flexible Thinking

One small dose of a psychedelic compound could help brains better adapt to changing circumstances, potentially improving treatments for those struggling with depression, PTSD, and neurodegenerative diseases, according to experiments conducted in mice. The results of the study were reported in the journal Psychedelics.

“What makes this discovery particularly significant is the sustained duration of cognitive benefits following just one psychedelic dose,” Omar J. Ahmed, a psychology researcher at the University of Michigan and a co-author of the study, said in a press release. “We observed enhanced learning adaptability that persisted for weeks, suggesting these compounds may induce lasting and behaviorally meaningful neuroplasticity changes in the prefrontal cortex.”

Measuring Cognitive Flexibility

Figure 1. Experimental timeline and overview. (A) Experimental timeline. (B) Schematic of the SEQFR2-forward protocol. Mice have to sequentially poke left and then right within 30 s to earn a reward pellet. (C) Schematic of the SEQFR2-reversal protocol. Mice now are required to poke right and then left within 30 s to get a reward pellet. (Image Credit: Omar J Ahmed)

In the experiments, researchers treated mice with a single dose of a potent hallucinogen called 25CN-NBOH. That chemical binds very specifically to a serotonin receptor, then activates it. Serotonin receptors are often associated with depression.

Mice treated with the compound performed better than the mice that were not. The improvements lasted two to three weeks following administration. The results were similar in both male and female mice.

The researchers essentially tested how well they could adapt to changes in rules required to perform a particular task. Such tests are considered standard ways to measure what scientists call “cognitive flexibility” — the ability to try new approaches to accomplish the same job.

The mice treated with the psychedelic showed a better ability to adapt than ones who received a saline solution instead. The psychedelic mice also performed their tasks both more efficiently and more accurately.

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Iowa House Passes Bill To Legalize Medical Use Of Psilocybin

The Iowa House passed legislation Monday to legalize the use of psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in “magic mushrooms,” for psychiatric treatment through a state program.

House File 978, passed 84–6, would establish a Psilocybin Production Establishment Licensing Board within the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), operating in a similar fashion to the existing Medical Cannabidiol Advisory Board that oversees Iowa’s medical cannabis program. The board would grant licenses for the production and administration of products with psilocybin to people with certain mental health needs in the state.

The bill also sets new requirements for who can access the substance, including an age 21 restriction and limit of 5,000 patients who can be recommended psilocybin treatment.

Rep. John Wills (R-Spirit Lake), the floor manager for the bill, said he would not have guessed that he would be involved in a bill on psilocybin before this year because “it’s just not something that I’m into.” But he said after learning more about the effectiveness of psilocybin treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), he believed the program will help people suffering in Iowa, like military veterans, law enforcement officers and other groups that face high rates of PTSD.

He said the bill requires people to receive psilocybin in a clinical environment with psychiatric support. In this environment, he said, the drug has been shown to allow people to “relive” their trauma in a controlled, safe space, and be able to resolve or lessen the impacts of PTSD. Wills said he believes this method could help address the high suicide rates of veterans and others suffering from the disorder, and offers a better alternative to other forms of PTSD treatment currently available.

“I will tell you, right now the only option these veterans have, the only option these people with PTSD have, is to be on mind-altering, life-altering drugs for the rest of their life,” Wills said.

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Texas Lawmakers Take Up Bills To Expedite Access To Psychedelic Therapy

A Texas House committee took testimony on Monday about two bills designed to prepare the state to provide swift access to therapeutic psychedelics in the event of approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

One measure, HB 4014, would establish a state-backed study, in collaboration with university researchers, on the use of psychedelics to treat mental health disorders such as PTSD and depression. It would direct officials at the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to make subsequent recommendations “to ensure patient access to psychedelic therapies” following FDA approval.

The other bill, HB 4813, would dictate that substances reclassified under federal law be similarly controlled under state law.

Members of the House Committee on Public Health heard from sponsors and public commenters at Monday’s hearing but did not take action on either bill.

Supporters said the proposals would work together to minimize delays to military veterans and others who stand to benefit from the potentially life-saving therapy.

“This is going to happen. This is coming,” Rep. John Bucy III (D), sponsor of HB 4014, said of what many described as impending FDA approval of psychedelic therapy. “This is the study bill to make sure we’re ready when it comes to implement.”

Bucy’s measure would establish a state-backed study into the use of psychedelics to treat mental health disorders, such as PTSD and depression, in consultation with researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy.

The project would include an assessment of clinical trials and published literature into the efficacy of psychedelics—specifically MDMA, psilocybin and ketamine—as a treatment PTSD, depression and other mental health disorders.

Officials would also review FDA actions around the therapies, evaluate treatment guidelines and make recommendations to eventually ensure legal access for Texas patients.

In a subsequent report, due by December 1, 2026, DSHS would need to “recommend legislative or other actions necessary to ensure patient access to psychedelic therapies following approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration, including considerations of provider availability, affordability, accessibility, training and licensure, and other regulatory requirements.”

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Mental Health “Experts” FEAR Secretary Kennedy’s Investigation into Psychiatric Drugging

Within a few weeks of Donald Trump’s inauguration, the President signed an Executive Order establishing the Make America Healthy Again Commission (MAHA), which, among other things, will be “assessing the prevalence of and threat posed by the prescription of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, stimulants and weight-loss drugs.” In other words, officialdom finally is looking at the out-of-control unscientific chemical experimentation used to address unwanted behaviors.

Alert the media! Get Megyn Kelly on the phone! Finally, a governmental body will be looking into the serious risks associated with prescription mind-altering drugs. It’s decades in the making. But, as they say, “better late than never.” It was no surprise then that within a month of that announcement the mental health industry was none too pleased and released a “joint statement” about the wonders of its mind-altering chemical elixirs.

According to the statement, “these drugs provide relief for many young people enabling them to participate fully in treatment, school, social activities, and family life — all key aspects of healthy development.” Utter nonsense.

“Healthy development?” There is no such thing as the decades-long touted “chemical imbalance.” That theory finally got debunked in 2022 research published by Professor Joanna Moncrieff and Dr. Mark Horowitz. So, since it’s clear that people are not “short” on certain brain chemicals as a reason for depression, then why are those chemicals being prescribed as “treatment?” And, make no mistake, lots and lots of Americans are being drugged.

According to data gathered in 2020 by IQVIA (Formerly IMS Health) and made public by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) in January of 2021, nearly 77 million Americans are taking at least one prescription psychiatric drug. The breakdown of who is drugged is jaw dropping crazy. There were more than 85 thousand 0–1-year-olds, nearly 140,000 2–3-year-olds, 215,000 4- to five-year-olds, two-and-a-half million 6–12-year-olds and more than three million 13–17-year-olds taking psychiatric mind-altering drugs every day.

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Chairman of Assassination Task Force Touts Mental Health Bill, While Withholding Mental Health Information About Alleged Shooter

Congressman Mike Kelly—the lawmaker blocking access to critical documents about the Butler assassination attempt—must not be allowed to advance a bill that ignores glaring conflicts of interest in behavioral health linked to the Butler, PA assassination attempt of President Trump. KILL THE BILL: HR 2085

Key Connections Being Hidden:

  • Crooks’ Parents & Behavioral Health Influence: Investigative documents withheld by Kelly’s office may reveal ties between Thomas Crooks’ parents (behavioral health “experts”) and entities like Genesis HealthCare, which employed Crooks at its Bethel Park facility.
  • Genesis HealthCare’s Reach: A major behavioral health and nursing home provider, Genesis has subsidiaries spanning 19 states and investors linked to behavioral health tech firms.

Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP represented Genesis in these matters. What is stunning about the law firm that rescued Bethel Skilled Nursing home from Department of Justice inquiries was that Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP is deeply entrenched in the psychiatric drug sector.

The firm has extensive ties to pharmaceutical companies. In fact, the firm handled one of the largest psychotropic drug settlements in United States history in 2017, M.B. v. Tidball, on behalf of a group of nonprofits that the firm also just happens to represent.

The results of this insider settlement by vested stakeholders, psychotropic drugging continues to skyrocket. Big Pharma and the Behavioral Health Industrial Complex was able to walk away from any accountability without losing access to children in State care.

  • AGR Building Investors: The AGR Building is reportedly tied to stakeholders in behavioral health technology—a sector incentivized by bills like H.R. 2085, which lacks ethical guardrails.

Roper Technologies retains a 49% minority stake in Indicor, the industrial company that owns the AGR Building in Butler, PA, through its subsidiary AGR International.

Simultaneously, Roper is aggressively expanding into behavioral health with its pending $1.65 billion acquisition of CentralReach, a leading provider of cloud-based software for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy serving autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD).

CentralReach is projected to generate $175 million in revenue and $75 million in EBITDA for the fiscal year ending June 2026, reflecting Roper’s focus on high-growth, tech-enabled healthcare solutions.

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