The following information is provided for educational purposes.
CTS recommends you discuss your personal health decisions with a trusted and trained clinician.
What is microdosing?
Microdosing is utilizing a small amount of a substance to gain the benefits of the substance without impairing daily functioning. Microdosing psychedelics, particularly psilocybin mushrooms, is gaining popularity as research continues to be released regarding the potential benefits associated with mental health. The microdosed amount of supplement and the regimen are dependent on each individual.
Why psilocybin?
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in various species of fungi. This has contributed to the common name of magic mushrooms. When consumed, psilocybin is converted to the compound psilocin which activates the serotonin receptors in the brain, particularly the site 5HT2A receptors. These receptor sites mediate many different functions, some of which include mood, learning, creativity, and perception. The majority of these receptor sites are located in cells in the cortex, which moderates reasoning and rational thought. Research has also shown psilocin may impact the Default Mode Network (DMN) which is like the brain’s information highway, compiling and categorizing information as we go through daily life. It is most active when an individual is awake but not focused on a specific task, such as during daydreaming, meditation, thinking about the future, recalling memories, or focusing on others or the world around them. Current research has shown the DMN to be active in social situations when individuals are monitoring themselves and interactions with others, feeling empathy, and assessing moral and ethical behaviors, including beliefs and intentions of others. When an individual has an over-active DMN, they often complain of racing thoughts or difficulty focusing. MRI imaging shows that when psilocin is introduced to the body, the DMN quiets down, in essence contributing to a more calm and focused state of being.
Using psilocybin does not require any chemical modification from its original state, making it fully natural. It is cultivated, harvested, dried, crushed and then consumed. It is also the most broadly researched naturally occurring psychedelic in regards to its mental health benefits.
Benefits of microdosing psilocybin:
Just as each individual is physiologically unique, they are also psychologically unique, particularly due to their life experiences. With this individuality in emotions and physiology, there will be differences in the potential benefits of using psilocybin.
Benefits that have been reported include:
- Enhanced mood
- Feeling more connected to others & nature
- Decreased depressive symptoms
- Increased ability to focus, as well as start tasks
- Feeling more awake and present
- Increase in energy
- Helpful change in thinking, being more open to thoughts & ideas
- Enhanced creativity
- Ability to see things from a new perspective
- Reduced sense of self or ego
- Diminished frequency of migraines or cluster headaches
- General sense of well-being
- Decreased addictive or emotionally driven harmful behaviors
- Enhanced neuroplasticity, allowing for a deviance from rigid thinking and allowance of new thought formation
- Ability to titrate or potentially eliminate the use of any current mental health pharmaceuticals
- Notable positive change in individuals who experience treatment-resistant depression or PTSD, when combined with therapy
Risks or side effects:
Extensive research has concluded that there is a relatively low risk for adults using psilocybin, particularly at a microdosing level. However, anyone considering the use of psilocybin should consult a knowledgeable clinician who can provide insight on personal medical history or medications to give further consideration to. Some individuals may initially feel tired as the psilocybin promotes mental relaxation, no longer requiring the brain to process all of the thoughts or stimuli typically activated. It is recommended that someone trying a microdose of psilocybin for the first time, take their first dose on a day they can be in a more relaxed mindset and pay attention to what they are noticing.
It is very important for anyone considering the use of psilocybin do their due diligence to learn more about specific strains of psilocybin containing mushrooms and how they are cultivated. There are over 200 strains of psilocybin containing mushrooms and each one has their own unique properties. Find a trusted cultivator and a clinician with psilocybin expertise prior to using any psilocybin mushrooms.
Can someone become addicted?
Continuous research has come to the same conclusion that the body does not become addicted to psilocybin, or other classic psychedelic substances. Additionally, it is generally accepted as safe to stop and start the use of psilocybin in microdoses, or even use it on an as-needed basis. There are no related withdrawal symptoms, in part because of its short half life, and that it does not impact the body’s natural serotonin production.
Benefits of combining microdosing with therapy:
Based on extensive research, it has become widely accepted that individuals who are taking a pharmaceutical medication such as an SSRI, anti-anxiety or antidepressant medication, who also participate in therapy, have much higher positive outcomes. Similarly, researchers are seeing the same benefit with participation in therapy while also utilizing psilocybin in microdoses. Giving the brain an opportunity to change its chemical structure and neural pathways through the use of psilocybin, without the addition of therapy will have limited benefit. It is important to have meaningful conversation and trusted psychotherapeutic assistance when an individual starts this process. Due to the brain’s neuroplasticity, therapy is no longer just ‘talk therapy’ and utilizing all the will power that can be mustered to try and change thinking, or respond differently, or try to see something from another person’s perspective. Therapy is now learning the tools to work in conjunction with the structural changes in the brain.
Where to find more information?
Colorado Teletherapy Services does not prescribe, recommend, or provide psilocybin. CTS provides education and therapeutic resources for all individuals seeking cognitive changes and outcomes. If you are looking for referrals for legal psilocybin services, please contact the CTS office.
This page is intended for educational purposes and summarizes an evolving area of research. It is not a recommendation to use psilocybin or any other substance, nor is it a substitute for individualized medical or mental-health care. Research on psychedelic microdosing is ongoing, and some proposed benefits remain preliminary or uncertain. People taking prescription medications or managing a medical or psychiatric condition should consult an appropriately qualified healthcare professional before making treatment decisions.
Research and Articles of Interest:
Adults who microdose psychedelics report health related motivations and lower levels of anxiety and depression compared to non-microdosers (November, 2021)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-01811-4
How does psilocybin rewire the brain? (October, 2022)
https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/how-does-psilocybin-rewire-the-brain/145926/
How psychedelic drug psilocybin works on brain (June, 2020)
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200605121512.htm
Me, myself, bye: regional alterations in glutamate and the experience of ego dissolution with psilocybin (May, 2020)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-020-0718-8#Sec19
Psilocybin microdosers demonstrate greater observed improvements in mood and mental health at one month relative to non-microdosing controls (June, 2022)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-14512-3
CLICK HERE for a broader list of psilocybin research by topic
