Psychedelic Microdosing For Anxiety

Exploring the World of Psychedelic Microdosing

Microdosing psychedelics involves the practice of consuming minimal, sub-hallucinogenic quantities of psychedelic substances like LSD or psilocybin-containing mushrooms. While it has gained popularity, there’s limited scientific research on the subject. Adverse events and the experiences of microdosers within the community remain underreported.

Methods: This study develops a codebook of Microdosing Benefits and Challenges (MDBC) based on qualitative reports from 278 microdosers.

Results: This research unveils novel findings, highlighting benefits such as improved mood (26.6%) and increased focus (14.8%), as well as challenges like physiological discomfort (18.0%) and heightened anxiety (6.7%). Distinct substance-dependent differences are observed, with psilocybin-only users emphasizing the benefits of microdosing.

Conclusions: These mixed-methods findings provide valuable insights into the experiences of the active microdosing community. The MDBC framework serves as a reference for future research and efficiently allocates resources. Microdosing research complements full-dose studies, offering potential intervention targets and aiding the development of clinical treatments.

Introduction: Microdosing psychedelics, the practice of ingesting sub-hallucinogenic doses of substances like LSD and psilocybin, has gained traction. The surge in popular media accounts and online microdosing communities reflects the public’s need for scientific insights into microdosing effects. This study provides a data-driven taxonomy based on real-world microdosing experiences, offering avenues for focused experimental research.

Benefits of Full-Dose Psychedelics: While full-dose psychedelics have shown promise in addressing severe psychiatric conditions, milder mental health concerns may find relief in lower, recurring doses. The present research seeks to explore unanticipated benefits and challenges specific to microdosing and addresses the potential role of pharmacologic mechanisms.

Challenges of Full-Dose Psychedelics: Full-dose psychedelics carry psychological risks, with some participants experiencing challenging episodes. Microdosing, due to its lower doses and reduced perceptual alteration, is expected to pose fewer challenges. However, milder, less intense versions of full-dose challenges may still arise in microdosing. Safety guidelines for full-dose psychedelic use may not fully apply to microdosing, necessitating specific research and open-ended surveying of potential drawbacks.