Even though magic mushrooms are classified as Schedule I drugs in the US, which means there is no accepted medical use and the high risk of abuse, they have recently gained tremendous popularity. According to the reports of users, psilocybin contained in shrooms helps them be more productive, focused, energetic, and balanced. Microdosing for anxiety and depression is widely used as well. But, who knows whether the action of microdosing psilocybin for anxiety works or not? Keep reading to discover.
Microdosing shrooms vs a full trip
Microdosing is determined as a practice of taking small amounts of psychedelic substances. As for magic mushrooms, it is approximately 0.1g of dried powdered shrooms. Microdosing might be effective only when taken regularly (every 2-3 days) for a certain time (1-2 months). Besides, magic mushrooms might produce a deep spiritual experience if consumed in larger doses.
Since psilocybin in shrooms influences a part of the parahippocampal retrosplenial cortical network, the psychedelic trip is likely to come as the life-altering experience. While on a trip, a user can see, hear or feel different hallucinations, and the feeling of time is typically distorted.
The world perception, as well as our sense of self, might be changed, too. On the other hand, the small doses of microdosing haven’t the potential to cause such strong and intense effects. Consumers may feel only minor changes in perception, like seeing colors brighter, while an experience of microdosing helps them to reach mental health wellness.
Microdosing on mushrooms for anxiety, can it help?
Psychedelics weren’t studied much in recent years, but now the progress is more visible. Despite the multiple studies being based on participants’ self-reports and surveys, we still can talk about the potential of shrooms to treat different mental health conditions. Since psilocybin and other psychedelic substances impact the serotonergic system in the human body, microdosing can be genuinely practical for anxiety and depression.
However, some researchers conclude that the effect called placebo might also take place while admitting the health benefits of microdosing. For example, the 2021 study based on surveys shows that microdosing with psychedelics is helpful to reduce depression and anxiety symptoms in participants. The authors of a study were focused on discovering whether reasonable expectations impact the outcomes of a study. The consequences showed that members with better expectations admit better effects of microdosing as well.
Do doctors advise microdosing mushrooms for anxiety? Not, first of all, because psilocybin is still illegal in a majority of states. Apart from that, experts talk about the risk of building tolerance – it means a user will need the larger dose every time to see the effects. The issue of the right dosing of psychedelic substances exists, too – even if a user wants to microdose, the larger dosage might cause unpredictable outcomes.
