Microdosing For Anxiety

According to the WHO (World Health Organization), more than 264 million people are affected by depression worldwide. Those seeking help are usually treated with antidepressants and therapy. While some people benefit greatly from those modalities, others do not seem to see much improvement or are left with the burden of bad side effects to go along with it. Treatment-resistant depression is extremely common in the U.S., with only 30 percent of those suffering from depression achieving complete remission (statistics are here). In recent years, increasing studies have been done on alternative methods to help those suffering from mental health issues. As we enter a new era, taboo treatments are becoming much more acceptable and popular. One of those methods is microdosing psilocybin – the natural ingredient of magic mushrooms. While a fairly new topic in the world of mental health, those who have tried it claim to have incredible results – ranging from short-term relief of symptoms to long-term remission of mental health issues.

Safety and Benefits of Microdose

According to the Third Wave, a group dedicated to educating the public about the safety of medicines as well as the benefits of microdose, the act of microdose is to take a small amount of a substance (in this case psilocybin) so small that it does not give you the feeling of being “high” – but gives benefits ranging from relieving anxiety, improving mood, concentration, and creativity. A microdose is one-tenth of the dose one can take to experience a “journey.” Typically, they are between 0.05 – 0.25 grams and are sub-perceptive – so those who participate often include microdose in their routines. The third wave also discusses the accompanying health benefits: reducing stress, openness, self-forgiveness, and relieving persistent conditions, such as depression, anxiety, ADD / ADHD, and PTSD.

This treatment has gained popularity currently, and some influencers and celebrities have taken to social media to open up about the benefits they have experienced.

So How Does it Work? 

One way of displaying mental health issues is that they leave the sufferer stuck in certain behaviors or thought patterns, not letting the brain release re-chewing on the past or worrying about the future. Psilocybin helps the brain create and select new neural pathways, which allow new ways of thinking and “non-implantation”.
Psychedelic drugs can help open and retrain nerve pathways in the brain. Depression and anxiety often cause excessive brain connections, which results in corrosion and getting stuck in a way of thinking.

If your brain is lost in a way of thinking, taking a microdose of magic mushrooms can help open up new nerve pathways and help the brain become “unstuck” in ways that traditional medicine is not able to do. It shows people that it is possible for them to escape the thoughts and emotions that have held them captive for so long.

According to a 2017 study by Thomas Anderson of the University of Toronto, those who participate in microdoses show less negative emotions and feel more creative, open-minded, and at peace. According to another study by The Lancet, patients who were given psilocybin did not experience serious side effects and noticed a marked improvement in symptoms associated with PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

Microdose Helps in Neural Pathways

If your brain is lost in a way of thinking, taking a microdose of magic mushrooms can help open up new nerve pathways and help the brain become “unstuck” in ways that traditional medicine is not able to do. It shows people that it is possible for them to escape the thoughts and emotions that have held them captive for so long.

According to a 2017 study by Thomas Anderson of the University of Toronto, those who participate in microdoses show less negative emotions and feel more creative, open-minded, and at peace. According to another study by The Lancet, patients who were given psilocybin did not experience serious side effects and noticed a marked improvement in symptoms associated with PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

Unfortunately, research on the benefits of microdose psilocybin is less common and less frequently studied. One hurdle to getting this type of treatment is that researchers are still in the early stages of studying the effectiveness of the medication. Psilocybin is still a very illegal drug in the United States, so it comes with the risk of criminalization as well as the stigma surrounding taking the drug.