Microdosing: What It Did For Me
By: Haider Samsara
Tags: Health, Microdosing, Mental Health, Drugs, Psychedelics

Disclaimer: COSY does not endorse the use of illegal substances. This article is intended strictly for educational and harm reduction purposes.

This story is available to read for free on COSY.LAND.

As we all know, the Coronavirus pandemic has detrimented so many areas of modern life. But I believe mental health services may have been neglected the most, particularly in the UK.

Speaking to some friends, I learned that the waiting list to have an initial enquiry with a councillor through the NHS had been eight months.

This was a frightening fact for me, considering just how many of us have experienced problems with our mental illness this year. Even worse, I thought, for those who are suspectible to suicide having to wait that long.

According to Mind, more than half of adults and over two thirds of young people said their mental health had deteriorated during the period of lockdown restrictions. No wonder that nearly a third admitted to using alcohol and illegal drugs to cope.

This, and the notorious dismissal of public mental health services by the UK government years before the pandemic even happened, has led many to take their mental health into their own hands; seeking out private therapy, meditation and yoga.

But a minority of people, such as myself, have resorted to another kind of treatment.

What is microdosing?

Microdosing has gained a lot of media attention (particularly as a Silicon Valley trend), allegedly enhancing performance, creativity, and general happiness in life.

It involves taking a minimal, ‘sub-perceptual’ dose of a psychedelic drug (like LSD, or psilocybin mushrooms), which is too small for the user to have a full-blown trip.

And that is exactly the point; to barely feel the typical psychedelic effects, so one can integrate the benefits of what these drugs have to offer into everyday life.

Some microdose different substances for different reasons. To my surprise, microdosing ketamine has gained a surge in popularity as an effective anti-depressant, which allegedly has a rapid onset in tackling suicidal thoughts, as well as benefits for pain relief, due to its efficacy as an anaesthetic.

But when people mention microdosing, more often than not, they’re talking about LSD for a few reasons.

It tends to include high energy levels throughout. A recreational dose lasts 8–12 hours, which causes many to believe it to be a viable alternative to caffeine. LSD may also permit an ability to think flexibly and outside one’s usual mode of perception.

Finally, compared to many other drugs, it also has a low potential for addiction and physical harm.

But despite the media coverage, we still don’t know a great deal about microdosing these substances, and whether they can truly deliver on these promises.

Studies so far have been generally positive about the effects psychedelics could have on both physical and mental wellbeing. But due to the War on Drugs prohibiting scientists for the better half of a century to conduct meaningful research on psychedelics, we’re still at the beginning of truly understanding them.

Many suspect that using and even microdosing psychedelics is risky for someone with schizoaffective traits, particularly someone who is diagnosed with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, as it could trigger the onset of symptoms for someone who is already predisposed to these conditions.

So whilst attention on microdosing approaches it with wanderlust, it’s worth mentioning that it shouldn’t be seen as some magical potion.

It definitely has the potential to depereciate people’s mental conditions rather than necessarily improve them, and this fact needs to be underlined before some of you get the wrong idea.