There has been a lot of interest generated in using psychedelics in mental health, especially for things like PTSD, depresion, anxiety and a few “resistant” disorders. There is pretty solid science to back it up (see MAPS.org for a list of current research) and continues to gain traction in the general public where it has been drafted into law in many places like Oregon’s Measure 109.
The questions we address here: what is microdosing, how and what can it help, and what might the future of mental health look like using these substances going forward. An excellent book on this subject is Michael Pollan’s “How to Change Your Mind”.
What is microdosing psychedelics? Simply, it is using a substance like psilocybin (magic mushrooms) or Lysergic Acid (LSD) in miniscule amounts every day for a period of time. Golden Teacher and B+ are the 2 Cubensis mushrooms gifted to me for this experiment. Prop 109 focused on mushrooms and so a microdose of them is typically 0.3, 0.7, or 0.9 grams, usually weighed and capsulated taken daily for a period of about a week, and then a break.
A macrodose is over a gram and sometimes 10x as much as these little pills. It is increasingly easy to obtain psychedelics due to their popularity, legal status and mental health need. Judging one's progress is vital, and perhaps another session of a week is necessary to reset the brain. This is for a novice user, and many people that have found this effective microdose every day.
What happens when you microdose to your mind and body? First off, you do not trip out. This micro amount is enough that one can function doing fine motor skills without having an cathartic experience. You can go about your routine without being disturbed by the substance.
However, many have an upset stomach and dizziness at first so eating and taking it slow for the first hour is recommended. The body feels lighter, focus is easier and the world seems like a bit brighter of a place to exist after a session for dosing. And the feeling persists for a while, depending on the person and others notice it too. Not a major shift but kind of a lifting of the veil to reveal hope.
After doing a one week protocol, my Psychologist said out of the blue “You seem happier” and coping better than you have in years (6 to be exact thanks to PTSD). I have been up front with my interest in this treatment and have talked at length with her about it but I did not reveal the microdosing protocol that I was following.
She will help me unravel the memories and after care but I wanted to finish up and see where it left me as well as the longer term effects. There are an emerging group of mental health clinicians that want to focus exclusively on psychedelic therapy.
It isn’t a magic bullet and my problems didn’t disappear but they are not as big and overwhelming. My hope is that my anxiety and PTSD symptoms decrease significantly for a period of time, and so the experiment continues. I feel different surely, and others notice without me pointing it out so this seems to be the right track
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