All eyes are on the healthcare industry to track and understand the potential of psychedelics on mental wellness. If indeed substances such as magic mushrooms which have shown great potential in healing symptoms of PTSD and depression become mainstream, the next question will be how much mushrooms should one take?
Here is the teaser: most psilocybin studies use dosage amounts of less than 25 mg with stellar results. At clinics, dosage amounts can be increased or decreased based on the desired effects. Keep reading.
How Psychedelic Dosage Differs from Classic Medication
The ideal mushroom dosage for greater medicinal benefits should be guided by clinical studies. Unlike traditional pharmaceuticals where the dosage is determined based on standard factors such as patient’s body weight, age and sex, psychedelics require much more nuanced approaches.
The dosage must be determined based on the potency of the substance, user tolerance level and their current state of mental health. Before dosing magic mushrooms, one must first understand its impact on perception and consciousness. Follow this mushroom dosage guide to get the best results.
What’s the best mushroom shroom dose to prevent hallucinations?
The mental health benefits of mushrooms are amplified when the patient is in a wakeful state. Because of its greater potential to reduce hallucinations, microdosing stands out as the best approach for taking magic mushrooms.
Microdosing involves taking very small amounts of magic mushrooms in a way that amplifies their healing properties without making the patient unconscious. 1 gram of shrooms is a low dose but it’s not microdosing. This number of magic mushrooms can help you experience a better mood and improved focus with minimum psychedelic effects. Microdosing would be a fraction of this.
Microdosing Psilocybin for Mental Wellness
If you are still wondering how much shrooms you should take, we’ll refer you to this study on the effects of psilocybin on cognition. 25mg of the psilocybin substance which primarily makes up magic mushrooms was found effective in resetting the brain's neural functions and decreasing the symptoms of depression.
But what happens if you take 3 grams of shrooms in a wellness clinic? Two things could happen. One is that you could experience more euphoria and new thoughts that make you dissociate from negative self-identities. The other possible thing to expect is intense hallucinations and visual disturbances that negate all the benefits.
To understand how to dose shrooms effectively, one must first understand how psilocybin impacts the brain.
The Impact of Psilocybin on the Brain
Once you ingest magic mushrooms, the psilocybin in it gets broken down to psilocin. The latter activates serotonin receptors in the brain leading to increased availability of the neurotransmitter. Serotonin is responsible for mood stabilization. Shortly after taking magic mushrooms, the patient starts to feel lighter and in a better mood.
Psilocybin also increases neuroplasticity which is the ability of the brain to make new connections and learn new information. That explains why a person who uses magic mushrooms experiences a kind of resetting that helps them adopt new thoughts and behaviors.
In the interest of safety, please speak to a health expert to help you decide how much shrooms to take. High doses of the substances have been known to reverse any health benefits that can be expected from the same.
Psilocybin on Serotonin Levels
Serotonin is the brain chemical that controls your emotions and mood. In people with anxiety or depression sometimes the serotonin levels reduce so much that the person struggles with sadness, suicidal thoughts and hopelessness. Because psilocybin activates serotonin receptors in the brain, more of the brain chemical is released and used to serve connectivity functions in mood regulation.
Microdosing psilocybin has been proven beneficial for conditions such as depression and PTSD. But when dosages are raised to, say, 3.5 grams of shrooms, the resultant effects may be undesirable. Too much serotonin causes serotonin poisoning, which manifests as intense hallucinations, high fever and irregular heartbeat.
On the safer side, 1 gram shrooms can help rewire the user’s brain to the point where they completely overcome past traumas and helplessness.
Safe Mushroom Dosages
Long-term Cognitive Changes
3 grams of shrooms contain about 35 mg of psilocybin. Users may experience an out-of-body experience and even see visions. In clinical settings, the best dosage number falls between 25 mg – 30 mg of psilocybin to optimize the healing benefits of the trip.
When you ask a psychiatrist, “How much mushrooms should I take,” they’ll first review your mental health history and set healing objectives. They can then build a shroom dosage chart that helps you track the amount and benefits over time. Dosages are determined based on the severity of the condition and the symptoms experienced.
Dosages for Different Conditions
As mentioned, 3.5 grams of shrooms might not be highly beneficial except in recreational settings. For anxiety and depression, less than 1 gram of shrooms is the recommended starting dosage. PTSD may be treated with slightly higher doses. Anything above 4 grams of shrooms produces unwanted psychedelic effects.
The Importance of Clinical Supervision in Mushroom Dosing
If you are still wondering “how many grams of shrooms I should take” for mental health benefits, the simple solution is to consult a health expert. Magic mushroom dosages and effects on patients must be closely monitored. The prescription amount must adhere to evidence-based care guidelines.
Overdosing psilocybin causes anxiety, paranoia, and serotonin poisoning. You need to take the substances while adhering to a vetted mushroom dosage guide. Don’t take 3.5 grams of shrooms or more without clinical supervision.
Common Dosage Mistakes
The need for clinical supervision arises because of the risks, especially for first-timers. If you have never taken magic mushrooms, you are more likely to feel overwhelmed the first time you take it. A certified therapist can guide you throughout the experience using a tested shroom dosage chart for improved healing.
The environment matters too. An uncontrolled setting may make you anxious and uncomfortable, even if the shroom dose is spot on. You will feel much safer in a clinical setting because medical experts have a higher understanding of how mushrooms affect your brain.
Another serious mistake is mixing mushrooms with other substances, like alcohol or cannabis. Everything becomes unpredictable when this happens, increasing the chances of adverse reactions. This can never happen in a clinical setting.
Challenges, Gaps, and Promises
According to Nature, psilocybin is highly beneficial in treating mental health conditions such as depression and PTSD. If more safety precautions are established, the future of psilocybin therapy could be bright. Qualified therapists can help people take controlled dosages of mushrooms in a way that revolutionizes mental healthcare for millions of Americans.
However, something must be done about its legality too. The present regulatory environment makes it difficult for people to safely access mushroom therapies. Access is still limited, and many are left to self-experiment by themselves, sometimes leading to severe side effects. Only doctors know how to dose mushrooms for optimal mental healthcare.
Consult a Health Expert for a Personalized Shrooms Dosing Guide
Psilocybin therapy will certainly revolutionize mental healthcare in ways that we haven’t even begun to imagine. The correct mushroom dosage depends on an individual’s healing needs as evaluated by a mental health expert. With a proper mushroom dosage guide in place, people can enjoy the benefits and reduce the risk of side effects.
