Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic prodrug, found in magic mushrooms of the Psilocybe genus of fungi. It is biologically inactive and is converted to its active form, psilocin, by the body once ingested.
The active form is responsible for the effects it has been researched and confirmed to elicit. There is an increased interest in microdosing mushrooms and the use of this therapy in treating depression, migraine, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, addictions, and other psychological illnesses due to psilocin’s action on certain brain receptors and its ability to increase the brain’s neuroplasticity.
Women are very special beings with certain peculiarities and experiences specific to them. The body of a woman works in very different ways as they glide from childhood to puberty, through reproduction, and up until menopause. Each phase brings its unique psychological experiences, affecting the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of her health.
Microdosing Psilocybin And The Menstrual Cycle
A menstrual cycle is a cyclic event that takes place rhythmically during the reproductive period of a woman’s life. Different changes (ovarian, uterine, vaginal, etc.) occur during this time, all influenced by fluctuating hormone levels.
Microdosing psilocybin helps treat conditions associated with the menstrual cycle such as premenstrual syndrome, polycystic ovarian disease, and premenstrual dysmorphic disorder.
Premenstrual syndrome is a disruptive set of emotional and physical symptoms that regularly occur in the one to two weeks before the start of each menstrual period. The symptoms include headaches, mood swings, irritability, anger, depression, bloating, breast tenderness, etc.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is a similar, but more severe, variant of premenstrual syndrome which has greater psychological symptoms.
Research done at Johns Hopkins University showed that when women microdose psilocybin, it can cause menstrual periods to come earlier, restore the menstrual cycle in women who have not seen theirs in a while, and help regulate the cycle after a period of irregularity. The mechanism may be mediated via direct or indirect effects of serotonin agonism on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.
Psilocybin and psilocin are tryptamine alkaloids that mimic the serotonin neurotransmitter and can bind to and activate its receptors. Microdosing psilocybin for women also helps in managing the psychological symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysmorphic disorder by increasing the neuroplasticity of the brain.
Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to adapt and change over time. Psilocybin can affect neural networks to create positive changes in personality, mood, increased sense of connectedness, and openness.
Psilocybin for Women’s Reproductive health
A woman’s reproductive life is the period between menarche (commencement of menstruation) and menopause (cessation of menstruation). It forms a bulk of a woman’s lifespan and is an integral part of their personal experiences and self-perception. Self-esteem is an integral part of a woman’s reproductive years and determines how she shows up, works, and enjoys her relationships and life. Continually evolving beauty standards, societal expectations, stereotypes, gender bias, etc. all take a toll on women’s self-esteem.
During the reproductive period of a woman’s life, hormonal activities are heightened. This is where psilocybin comes in.
When women microdose psilocybin, it affects the neural networks in their brains and helps promote openness, lessen anxiety and despair, increase psychological flexibility, and increase the sense of well-being. Psilocybin-assisted therapy may encourage self-compassion, and self-acceptance, assisting women in embracing their uniqueness and worthiness independence of cultural norms.
During pregnancy, women experience hormonal peaks and abrupt declines after giving birth that can lead to psychological implications such as postpartum depression, postpartum blues, and postpartum psychosis. While there isn’t enough research to assure us of the safety of microdosing mushrooms during pregnancy, studies have shown that it is very effective in treating the postpartum conditions listed above.
Psilocybin And Menopause
Menopause is the cessation of menstruation and usually occurs on average between 45 to 55 years. Estrogen is a protective hormone for women. However, in the postmenopausal period, there is a marked reduction in estrogen in the female body.
This relative absence of estrogen can cause peculiar conditions or symptoms during this period of a woman’s life including hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, painful sexual intercourse, urinary incontinence, insomnia, mood changes, and even depression and anxiety.
Psilocybin therapy has been found to help alleviate these postmenopausal symptoms. While there are other drugs available to treat these symptoms, the majority of them predispose to adverse side effects which can range from mild symptoms like nausea and vomiting, to more severe conditions like stroke and breast cancer in the long-term.
In comparison, psilocybin has little to no side effects, particularly when it is used following the guidelines of microdosing therapy.
Psilocybin And Psychological Peculiarities Of Women
Women are more predisposed to having mental health-related conditions like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and mood disorders.
Microdosing psilocybin has been shown to effectively treat these conditions. Psilocybin does this via its action on serotonin receptors and its ability to improve neuroplasticity after it has been converted to psilocin in the body.
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Other Benefits Of Psilocybin Therapy for Women
Other benefits that can be enjoyed when women microdose psilocybin include:
- Treatment of eating disorders – Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating are common in women. Research has identified psilocybin as a potential treatment option for eating disorders in women.
- Improvement of sexual drive – Sexual activity is an integral part of a woman’s life during her reproductive years and even after menopause. Psilocybin therapy has shown some results when used to treat low sexual desire or drive.
- It can be used in treating cancer distress – Women living with gynecological cancers face various challenges throughout their treatment journey. In addition to the effect on their physical bodies, gynecological cancers are often also debilitating to the psychological well-being of women.
Microdosing psilocybin has been found very useful in treating these psychological issues which often include anxiety, depression, and death anxiety. As an added advantage, psilocybin therapy has little or no side effects and so is safer than the conventional drugs used.
How To Microdose Mushroom for Women
The principle behind microdosing is to take amounts enough to treat the condition or cause necessary improvements while avoiding alterations in your state of consciousness or any side effects of the drug.
Women are potentially more sensitive to psilocybin and its active form psilocin. When microdosing psilocybin, it is recommended you take about 10% of the dose which is likely to cause altered consciousness which is usually between 1g to 3g of mushrooms. This comes to a dose of 100mg to 300mg which can be taken about 3 to 5 times a week for about 3 months.
While microdosing mushrooms, take note of any therapeutic effects of the drug you experience and also side effects as well. Microdosing psilocybin is not a hard science and you can adjust the dose or frequency as necessary.
Conclusion
Women have distinct physiologic and psychologic peculiarities and experiences. Microdosing psilocybin has a role to play in many of the different health challenges peculiar to women as they evolve from puberty to menopause and everything in between. The Meehl Foundation Spiritual Retreat Center is here for you and your journey to amazing health and a full life
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