MICRODOSING PSILOCYBIN: BEST TREATMENT FOR PTSD IN VETERANS

Post-traumatic stress disorder denotes an intense, prolonged, and sometimes delayed reaction to an intensely stressful event. According to the International Classification of Diseases 11 (ICD 11), it can be diagnosed using three core elements:

1. Re-experiencing the traumatic event, evidenced by intrusive memories, flashbacks, nightmares, or all three;
2. Avoidance of traumatic reminders, evidenced by the avoidance of internal stimuli, external stimuli, or both; and
3. A persistent sense of threat, evidenced by hypervigilance and increased startle.

One symptom from each category is required, which must have persisted for several weeks and caused significant impairment in functioning.

PTSD affects a large number of people, but this disease is more acute among war veterans, particularly female veterans. The available pharmacological treatments for PTSD are very limited in their effectiveness and put patients at risk of adverse effects, emphasizing the need to shift focus from the traditional medications for PTSD to other solutions, plant medicine specifically.

PTSD Neurobiology and Psilocybin Therapy

The neurobiology of post-traumatic stress disease has been focused on monoamine neurotransmitters and the hypothalamic—pituitary—adrenal (HPA) axis, both of which are involved in mediating defensive responses to stressful events. In addition, brain imaging studies have implicated changes in the hippocampus, a brain region important in memory formation, and the amygdala which plays a role in nonconscious emotional processing.

These findings suggest that hippocampal dysfunction prevents adequate memory processing. Simultaneously, increased activity in noradrenergic innervation of the amygdala increases arousal and facilitates the automatic encoding and partial recall of traumatic memories.

Functional imaging studies in PTSD suggest overactivity of the amygdala in the context of decreased regulatory control of the amygdala and other limbic regions by the ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine), also called magic mushrooms, is a naturally occurring psychedelic prodrug that is biologically inactive but is quickly converted by the body to psilocin which is the active form of the drug. Due to the paucity of effective treatment options for PTSD, attention is being shifted to other less conventional drug alternatives, particularly psilocybin.

Some research on the neurobiology of PTSD and the mechanism of action of psilocybin have shown how this drug can help in the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder:

1. It appears that neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to change and adapt over time— is reduced in the hippocampus of patients with PTSD.

Psilocybin promotes the growth of new neurons and synapses in the hippocampus, a brain region involved in memory formation. It has also been found to reverse the decline in proteins associated with neuroplasticity and fear extinction.

1.  It affects neural networks, causing positive changes in personality, increased feelings of connectedness, increased openness, improved perspective-taking, increased psychological flexibility, and an increased sense of well-being.

1. Psilocybin induces emotional breakthrough experiences that have been established as a key mediator in long-term psychological change during treatment for other mental health disorders.

1. Amygdala reactivity is typically increased during emotion processing in patients with PTSD. Psychedelics can reverse this process by decreasing the reactivity of the amygdala, thereby increasing the ability to process traumatic memories.

1. Psilocybin also increases emotional empathy, mindfulness-related capacities, acceptance, and connectedness while simultaneously reducing avoidance, which may all facilitate PTSD treatment.

1. Alongside sessions of supportive psychotherapy, psilocybin administration may help those with PTSD tolerate challenging emotions and address the traumas that they have experienced, while also finding new perspectives on unhelpful or negative thoughts.

Psilocybin Therapy And Its Benefits

As compared to other medications for PTSD which are not so specific for tackling the neurobiology of the condition, but rather treat the symptoms that are part of it such as depression, psilocybin tackles the core problem. As a result, it is more effective, even in microdoses.

Microdosing is done to ensure the effectiveness of the drug in treating post-traumatic stress disorder while also reducing adverse side effects to the barest minimum and preventing alterations in consciousness.

The benefits of microdosing psilocybin include:

1.   It has a low physiological toxicity

Psilocybin has many benefits but low physiological toxicity. This means that, when taken in microdoses, it provides the necessary therapeutic benefits required of it,  with little or no side effects.

2.    It has a low abuse potential when orally ingested

As compared to other drugs used in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, it has a low abuse potential. Patients rarely develop addictions and abuse the drug.

3.   Immediate onset and longevity of proven changes

John Woolley, a psychiatrist at the University of California San Francisco who studies psilocybin, said he would not have thought of the possibility of giving a single dose of a drug that would make people start feeling better almost immediately, and then even feel better for months on end.

Psilocybin therapy is very rapid in its effectiveness, and the positive changes it produces can last for months. This further reaffirms the benefit of psilocybin as compared to other traditional PTSD medications.

4.   Improves mood

Psilocybin, after being activated to psilocin in the body, acts as an agonist for several serotonin receptors – also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptors – which in turn helps improve mood.

People who microdose psilocybin tend to have more notable improvements in their moods when compared to those who use other traditional drugs as treatment for PTSD. Psilocybin can be successfully used in treating minor mood disorders and even major depressive disorders.

5.   Useful in treating other symptoms that occur with post-traumatic stress disorder

Mental health conditions usually occur together. Microdosing psilocybin also simultaneously treats anxiety, major depressive disorders, smoking addiction, and other illnesses associated with mental health. Scientific research to prove these benefits exists.

How To Microdose Mushrooms As Treatment for PTSD

When microdosing, psilocybin is taken in small doses, which are enough to treat the illness while preventing adverse side effects or significant alterations in the state of consciousness.

Psilocybin is available as a processed extract, and in its naturally occurring form – the dried mushrooms. The dried mushroom, typically known as magic mushroom or shrooms, is the most common medium for taking psilocybin.

Microdosing psilocybin involves taking about 0.1 to 0.3 grams (100-300 milligrams) of psilocybin. This amounts to 10% of the dose needed to experience the psychedelic effects of psilocybin and can be taken 3 – 5 times per week.

Conclusion

Microdosing psilocybin is an effective treatment for PTSD. Due to the wrong perception that psilocybin is only a recreational drug, a lot more research work needs to be done to further reveal the benefits and mechanism of action of psilocybin, and to make it an accepted medication for treating post-traumatic stress disorder worldwide.