Even if you're not popping pills at the moment, you've probably got a fair idea of how they mess with your magical mojo. Let's be honest, most of us have tried to cast a spell after a few pints, and it's safe to say the results were less than stellar. Then there's the heavy-duty meds we've had for those nasty bugs, and I bet a bunch of us dabble with the recreational stuff for kicks or 'spiritual' reasons.
When you neck something, medically or otherwise, it tends to mess with your witchcraft in one of four ways:
Sometimes, it flings the doors to Narnia wide open – hello, spiritual awakening!
Other times, it does jack all, like most over-the-counter stuff – aspirin, Pepto, you name it.
Occasionally, it's like trying to do magic with a hangover – everything’s harder, especially focusing. That's basically me after a night out.
Or, it’s like trying to sense and sling spells with a blindfold on – good luck hitting anything you’re aiming at.
On a side note, there's a world of difference between taking meds under a doc’s watch and going rogue with self-medication.
Our bodies aren’t exactly prime magical instruments. Traditionally, we train to get our physical selves in better nick to beef up our magical game – think ancient monks doing martial arts to keep sharp for astral trips and marathon meditating sessions. But honestly, our physical body is the runt of the spiritual litter: fragile, fickle, and frustratingly limited.
From my own stint guiding other magic folk, one common spell-squasher is Beta-Blockers. Docs hand them out for all sorts – not just heart issues, but stuff like shaking hands too. They dial down your heart rate and blood pressure by blocking adrenaline. Handy for some things, but you won’t see 'may disrupt psychic abilities' on the warning label.
A particular psychic inheritance in my family has resulted in a tendency for neurotic personalities (some might calm them Lunar... tics). During a particularly stressful semester, I found myself in need of anti-depressants. My doctor neglected to inform me that there was a 20% chance of experiencing SSRI syndrome, the symptoms of which can be indistinguishable from migraine.
The medication worked wonderfully for the few months that I actually wanted my senses to be dull. Getting off the medicine took twice as long. During this time, my manifestations came in spurts and jumps. This finally came to a head with a visit to urgent care due to unmanageable migraine symptoms. That's the day I found out that a witch sufficiently…