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John in WI
Neo-Luddite


Registered: 12/18/13
Posts: 357
Loc: On a hippy trail head ful...
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some advice on microdosing mushrooms 1
#26826881 - 07/16/20 12:11 PM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Hello folks. I'm considering microdosing mushrooms. In this case, it's an actual medical issue. I've struggled with bipolar and severe depression for a long time. Indeed, in the hospital no fewer than 8 times in the past 10 years. I take mood stabilizing drugs and an SSRI. The stabilizers work, I think, to mellow out my mood swings. The SSRI is utterly worthless IMO.
I don't really have an interesting in "tripping". I haven't taken a full blown 'shroom or LSD trip in probably 20 years. I am intrigued with the idea of microdosing. My current life situation is really fucked up. I have 4 college degrees, including a doctorate (chemistry), and lost my career due to the pandemic. THe "career" wasn't much anyway--after student loans and health care, I was broke. But it was something. Here, I sit, spending the days online frantically career hunting. Normally walking away feeling like the most worthless fucking shitbag in the world. The constant rejection is rough. Not quite as bad as the other half who just ignore you outright...
I'm curious if microdosing might help with some worsening self esteem issues.
When microdosing, is their something you should be doing aside from actually consuming a small dose of hallucinogens? I do meditate routinely--is that a good move? Or just microdose and go about one's life?
How often should one microdose? Also, how much of dose should one take? I was thinking of ramping it up just to the point where I could feel an effect. not visuals or anything--but that dose where you can just barely feel a shift in consciousness.
I just want to say, I'm an educated, responsible man in his mid-40's. I want to undertake something in a healthy, useful, and responsible way. I don't drink, I very rarely consume cannabis. Haven't messed around with any other drugs for decades. These days, I'm a very "cheap date" when it comes to drugs. Thanks for any thoughts on the subject. I've been doing some reading, and people's thoughts are all over the place. Taking miniscule amounts, every other day. Taking staggering "ego death" quantities.... I'm not sure my brain can (or should) handle a heavy duty dose. I'm really too scared, I think, to go full throttle on it. Thanks again!
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PTreeDish



Registered: 04/22/18
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Last seen: 3 months, 15 days
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Re: some advice on microdosing mushrooms [Re: John in WI] 1
#26834747 - 07/20/20 06:26 PM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Hi there. First, I'm really sorry to hear about your struggles. Losing your job, dealing with depression, feeling hopeless - that's not easy for anyone and I'm not at all surprised that you are looking for anything you can to bring some relief. I feel your pain and send you nothing but kindness.
Holding that in mind, I can't help but to strongly recommend that you speak with your Dr. about your desire to add another medication to your regime (mushrooms). There are many psychiatrists who are supportive of psilocybin treatment and may be amenable to your desire to microdose. For many reasons, it's incredibly important for you to do it under the guidance of a medical professional who can monitor any drug interactions that might occur while you are on an SSRI and mood stabilizer.
Generally speaking, SSRIs and mood stabilizers are blunt force tools that can impact your ability to feel positive experiences along with the bad.
I like to suggest to folks that these medications be thought of as temporary - tools to help get you over the hump until you can get into some good therapy and resolve the underlying emotions that trouble you. However, that advice typically only applies to folks who do not have a documented long-term physiological issue that warrants ongoing medication (e.g. bipolar, schizophrenia, etc).
Even if you decide to use psychedelics, I would strongly suggest doing so under the auspice of a trained guide who can help you explore, resolve and come to peace with whatever you uncover on the journey. The drugs are conduits for you to have a new set of positive experiences that will help you make real and lasting change within your internal world. But this should not be done in isolation; you need to have and/or be able to reconcile these experiences with another trusted individual in your life. The brain is wired for relationships and it is only through our connection with others that we heal and grow.
I hope this helps. You aren't alone. I'm rooting for you stranger.
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John in WI
Neo-Luddite


Registered: 12/18/13
Posts: 357
Loc: On a hippy trail head ful...
Last seen: 2 months, 3 days
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Re: some advice on microdosing mushrooms [Re: PTreeDish]
#26835456 - 07/21/20 05:05 AM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Thank you, I do see a good doctor, and was honest with her. I contacted some centers in Europe where these treatments are legal... My doctor told me the required thing. It's illegal here.... But if I WAS going to take it, it actually does not appear to be harmful.
I have a good relationship with the doctor, and was honest in asking if it would interact with the meds I'm on and cause problems.
It's a rough time for everyone--these are some very strange times! Politically, this damn pandemic ripping through the world...
I might try the microdosing. I have a good scale, so I could safely measure very small doses (something under a gram) and see if it helps.
I think you're right--I am on the standard brute force therapy. It "helps" in that my moods are stable. Unfortunately my moods are also very dark. Just feel spaced out, uninspired. Kind of stumbling through. No interest in anything important. Even things like sex, eating, etc. It's this intense "who cares?" sort of deal.
I don't know, you find yourself in these places, and you would try literally anything that had any chance of working.
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CarpEater
Iconoclast

Registered: 07/20/20
Posts: 7
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Re: some advice on microdosing mushrooms [Re: John in WI] 1
#26835583 - 07/21/20 07:47 AM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Depression is a really tricky beast because it undermines everything you try to do, including helping your depression. I too was in a position where I had to get off my medication if I wanted to trip at all. For years and years, I've been on and off meds. I grew frustrated wiith the emotional shallowness and anhedonia brought on by the medication. I grew hopeless. I was seriously considering electroshock therapy. Things got a little bit better, I was able to establish a purpose and shaped my life around that. I eventually got to a place where I felt stable enough to go off my meds in order to trip. Definitely don't recommend this, as this can be potentially very dangerous but if you do find yourself in that situation...
I think it's important to go into it not expecting mushrooms to be the cure, be it a macro or microdose. It's a tool. It's possible that it may cure your depression, and although some studies have shown some efficacy at eliminating depressive symptoms, it's not a sure thing, especially for people with treatment resistant depression. A lot of the time you'll make small personal strides, only to be set back by the next downswing in your cycle. Therapy is basically mandatory in order to maintain a good headspace. Ideally, it should be a good place for you to safely unpack your emotions and learn new habits to avoid depressive thought patterns, anxiety. Then you want to include things in your life that have shown to reduce depression symptoms, for instance, I jogged every day for months, (30 minutes seems to be the golden zone for the mood lifting effects) taking supplementation to ensure healthy hormone levels, and trying to maintain a disciplined control over where my thoughts are headed with mindfulness practice. (for instance, avoiding negative self talk) I still do all of this stuff, there isn't really a day where you can relax. You have to constantly remain vigilant and diligent and basically stack the deck for yourself because sometimes, it won't be enough. You can do everything right and still feel like shit. I believe that depression can be both mental and chemical. You can do all these practices to pull your mind out of a slump if you see it headed that way, but sometimes the chemicals just won't be firing for you. That's where habits come in handy.
Establishing healthy habits like jogging is vital to ensure that you keep doing them during your depressive period, and that specifically is where I found MDosing most helpful. It's like a farmer hauling a wheelbarrow out to the barnyard, taking the same path every time. Over the years, this wheelbarrow builds a rut, and it gets harder and harder to take any other path. Habits and familiar thought patterns are a lot like that. In the beginning, you'll have to consciously force yourself into new actions, new thoughts. The whole time, you're still working on yourself, through therapy and personal research/reflection, but it's the little steps that count. As you acquire one more healthy habit and another and another, your personal growth snowballs. I take about .02-.05 every three days or so (I'm sensitive to psilocybin and the standard MD of .1-.3 grams too strong and causes anxiety) I also recommend the occasional macrodose, as I feel that my trips were helped me to directly tackle fundamental issues that were causing psychological stress. I hope you find something that works, John.
Edited by CarpEater (07/21/20 07:48 AM)
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Jokeshopbeard
Humble Student

Registered: 11/30/11
Posts: 26,088
Loc: Deep in the system
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Re: some advice on microdosing mushrooms (moved) [Re: John in WI]
#26835608 - 07/21/20 07:59 AM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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This thread was moved from Physical and Mental Well-Being.
Reason: We've a newly created subforum for this discussion, moving there to continue it in the right space!
Cheers,
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Jokeshopbeard
Humble Student

Registered: 11/30/11
Posts: 26,088
Loc: Deep in the system
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Re: some advice on microdosing mushrooms (moved) [Re: John in WI]
#26835685 - 07/21/20 08:48 AM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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This thread was moved from Psychedelic Medicine & Microdosing .
Reason: Temporarily moved back due to access issues for new users.
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CarpEater
Iconoclast

Registered: 07/20/20
Posts: 7
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Re: some advice on microdosing mushrooms (moved) [Re: Jokeshopbeard]
#26835934 - 07/21/20 11:40 AM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Thanks jokeshopbeard
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John in WI
Neo-Luddite


Registered: 12/18/13
Posts: 357
Loc: On a hippy trail head ful...
Last seen: 2 months, 3 days
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Re: some advice on microdosing mushrooms [Re: CarpEater]
#26839013 - 07/22/20 06:36 PM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Thank you for the thoughts.
I've been dealing with this a long time, and am actually trained in science, so I have no illusions of any drug (legal or otherwise) of "curing" anything. I take drugs now, prescribed, that help in some aspects, not in others.
I'm hoping it could be an additional tool, to be used in conjunction with accepted medical practices. I work with a psychologist, for example, who can sometimes help me re-frame my thinking into something not quite so dark.
I should have clarified that. Everyone, healthy or not, is someplace on the spectrum of psychiatric health.
Anyway, I have been thinking a lot--in 2008, I returned to grad school, pounded out a PhD, I stayed sober, I struggled with depression and bipolar, but functioned well. These past few years? Just utter fucking hopelessness. IT was bad before--then I took a job in Jan., which (based out of the university) ended in March due to a pandemic.
I'm just getting pounded by actual, real world shit, in addition to a disposition for depression. In any case, I have some experience from my youth with LSD, mushrooms, and Molly. I don't think it's going to fix anything--but it might allow me to access different ways of viewing the world.
I plan to be very careful about it. My days of tripping my ass off are over. I literally don't think I could handle it today. "Respect the medicine" as they say :-)
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cowcatcher
Strange



Registered: 07/21/18
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Re: some advice on microdosing mushrooms [Re: John in WI]
#26842787 - 07/24/20 02:11 PM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Greetings John,
I have had some success with microdosing mushrooms to control my Dysthymia it is not a cure all by any means but I feel that it has brought some balance into my life and has given me the new hobby of mycology.
I take .1g of dried mushrooms every third day and have been doing so for well over a year so far I have not had any adverse side effects.
I suggest do your research, go slow, and see what happens.
Hope this helps
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Micro dosing my blues away
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pslyke
fantasmagoric



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Re: some advice on microdosing mushrooms (moved) [Re: Jokeshopbeard]
#26846240 - 07/26/20 02:36 PM (3 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
Jokeshopbeard said: <img src='/forums/images/moved.gif'> This thread was moved from Psychedelic Medicine & Microdosing .
Reason: Temporarily moved back due to access issues for new users.
Where is this thread that you speak of? I'm a long way from a new user and would like to have a look.
thanks to anyone that can point me in the right direction.
-------------------- "What appears impenetrable to us does exist, manifesting itself in the deepest wisdom and the most radiant beauty" Einstein "The conservatives of 70 years ago would be outraged at what has come to pass. It embodies everything they took up arms for to defeat"Asante
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mndfreeze 
Shroomery Secret Service




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Re: some advice on microdosing mushrooms (moved) [Re: pslyke] 2
#26847088 - 07/27/20 02:51 AM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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We are in the works of creating a specific subforum about microdosing but its still in beta phase and unavailable to normal users.
-------------------- Nothing says love like grannies prolapsed anus! quote]Urb said: I know... Its fucked up... Ill fix it minyana..[/quote]
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Lion
Decadent Flower Magnate


Registered: 09/20/05
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Re: some advice on microdosing mushrooms [Re: John in WI]
#26860363 - 08/03/20 09:28 AM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
John in WI said: Hello folks. I'm considering microdosing mushrooms. In this case, it's an actual medical issue. I've struggled with bipolar and severe depression for a long time. Indeed, in the hospital no fewer than 8 times in the past 10 years. I take mood stabilizing drugs and an SSRI. The stabilizers work, I think, to mellow out my mood swings. The SSRI is utterly worthless IMO.
I don't really have an interesting in "tripping". I haven't taken a full blown 'shroom or LSD trip in probably 20 years. I am intrigued with the idea of microdosing. My current life situation is really fucked up. I have 4 college degrees, including a doctorate (chemistry), and lost my career due to the pandemic. THe "career" wasn't much anyway--after student loans and health care, I was broke. But it was something. Here, I sit, spending the days online frantically career hunting. Normally walking away feeling like the most worthless fucking shitbag in the world. The constant rejection is rough. Not quite as bad as the other half who just ignore you outright...
I'm curious if microdosing might help with some worsening self esteem issues.
When microdosing, is their something you should be doing aside from actually consuming a small dose of hallucinogens? I do meditate routinely--is that a good move? Or just microdose and go about one's life?
How often should one microdose? Also, how much of dose should one take? I was thinking of ramping it up just to the point where I could feel an effect. not visuals or anything--but that dose where you can just barely feel a shift in consciousness.
I just want to say, I'm an educated, responsible man in his mid-40's. I want to undertake something in a healthy, useful, and responsible way. I don't drink, I very rarely consume cannabis. Haven't messed around with any other drugs for decades. These days, I'm a very "cheap date" when it comes to drugs. Thanks for any thoughts on the subject. I've been doing some reading, and people's thoughts are all over the place. Taking miniscule amounts, every other day. Taking staggering "ego death" quantities.... I'm not sure my brain can (or should) handle a heavy duty dose. I'm really too scared, I think, to go full throttle on it. Thanks again!
I'm posting here just to keep tabs on this thread, because I've been microdosing a bit recently (LSD and MDMA). I'd like to take some small doses of shrooms.
What I've find is 1/4 of a tab of LSD (which I guess is ~25-50 mg) might be beneficial during the part of the day when you're transitioning from "working mode" to "relaxing/reflecting mode". But it can actually be quite intense. For example, if you're stressed and your body is not feeling great (I have an inflammatory bowel condition that sometimes gets aggravated when I'm not eating, exercising and sleeping properly), all of that will be magnified - but the benefit is that, although it's magnified, it can help you to have some insight into it and perspective about why your mind and body are in this state of agitation / habitual discomfort.
I would say it's probably best to avoid the very high dose unless you are able to get out of the habitual stress and negative self-talk patterns you described, and unless you have at least a day or two of free, unoccupied time afterwards to reflect and integrate. Otherwise, you may just get an overload that does little to benefit you.
I think it can be good when microdosing to think about what kinds of activities you're going to do while under the effect of the substance. Because what you're wanting to do is redirect energy in your mind and body so that those activities become more immersive and less clouded over by thought, worry, anxiety etc. So choosing healthy activities that allow you to be in tune with your body and the immediacy of your experience can make the experience more salutary. Just my experience.
Hopefully your situation will improve, it sounds like you have lots to offer professionally. I wish you the best in all facets of life!
-------------------- “Strengthened by contemplation and study, I will not fear my passions like a coward. My body I will give to pleasures, to diversions that I’ve dreamed of, to the most daring erotic desires, to the lustful impulses of my blood, without any fear at all, for whenever I will— and I will have the will, strengthened as I’ll be with contemplation and study— at the crucial moments I’ll recover my spirit as was before: ascetic.”
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buried_totems
The Wanderer


Registered: 11/28/17
Posts: 269
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Re: some advice on microdosing mushrooms (moved) [Re: Jokeshopbeard]
#26870447 - 08/08/20 06:23 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Where? Where is the microdosing subforum? I can't find it for some reason?
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The golden rule of mushroom hunting and star voyaging? be patient.
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