Adam Strauss took psychedelic mushrooms to treat his obsessive compulsive disorder, and he thinks a crowd can relate.
Strauss, a comedian and storyteller, is coming to Gainesville on Thursday and Friday to discuss his search for a cure through psychedelics. He hopes by sharing his darkest experiences with the disorder, it will help his audience feel less alone during their own struggles.
He will be performing his show, “The Mushroom Cure,” both days at 7:30 p.m. at the Squitieri Studio Theatre, located in the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. General admission tickets are $30 for the public and $10 for UF students. Tickets can be purchased online, in person or on the phone.
Strauss said UF is paying him to speak but as of press time did not say how much.
The show will be a combination of theatre and dark comedy to detail his experiences within his mental health and mushroom use, he said.
Strauss said his OCD trapped him. He began to use psychedelics to self-medicate, but then worried for his life.
“I had a sense that I may not survive,” he said. “I knew that if I somehow made it through this, it would make an incredible story.”
He said the ability to laugh at his darkest moments takes power away from them.
Lisa Chacko, a primary care doctor and assistant professor at the UF College of Medicine, said she sees mental health issues in the clinic every day.
“Anything to promote dialogue about mental health is important,” Chacko said.
