Micro-dosing – how do you do it, and what are your experiences?
Microdosing with psychedelics is no longer the shiny new thing it was when we first looked at it in 2016. It’s everywhere. Online guides, training packages and events. Whether it’s LSD or it’s analogues, psilocybin, or some other tryptamine, the idea that little doses can do a lot is huge. Our research suggests that benefits often outweigh the potential harms, and that people seek to improve their health, well-being, and brain function by taking tiny doses over a period of time.
Although we know for many people micro-dosing is a bit of guesswork (take a snip off the corner of a tab you think contains 150mcg), we know that others can be more evidenced in their approach. We know patterns vary widely from daily to regular on/off cycles to episodic dosing schedules. But there is lots we don’t know and lots of what we don’t know will not be answered by GDS2021. But some questions that we think are needed to push science forwards can be answered by you if you have experience with microdosing. So, we want your help this year.
We’ve teamed up with our psychedelic lead Kim Kuypers from Maastricht University and Amber Domberelli a PhD student from RMIT to fill in some of the blanks. Like, are people who microdose different from those who don’t, and do microdosers use psychedelic doses as well? Do people microdose with a specific benefit in mind, or are they just hoping for a general uplift in some part of their life? Does it matter if the person who microdoses has a pre-existing mental health or neurodevelopmental condition? Does microdosing allow people who have mental health conditions to change their prescription medication use? Does it matter what drug is used? Are people just sticking to LSD and psilocybin, or are people microdosing with other types of psychedelics? And what is the most common microdosing pattern? We are interested in positive and negative experiences, but there is so much we need to know.
If you have an experience you think will help us to understand the potential and challenges of microdosing psychedelics, take 20-30 minutes out of COVID-time and take part in GDS2021. Anonymous, confidential and kind of important really.
www.globaldrugsurvey.com/GDS2021
Professor Adam R Winstock, Amber Domberelli and Assoc Professor Kim Kuypers, on behalf of all at GDS