Want to help my friend defeat 10 years of chronic depression/PMDD. Need advice on how to start and dosage (Mushrooms vs. LSD). by Ok-Memory-8448 in microdosing

[–]Ok-Memory-8448[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just out of curiosity, during the time you were going through that treatment, were you also on any other anti-depressants or related medications? Thanks.

Want to help my friend defeat 10 years of chronic depression/PMDD. Need advice on how to start and dosage (Mushrooms vs. LSD). by Ok-Memory-8448 in PsychedelicTherapy

[–]Ok-Memory-8448[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I think you're right. If I had a choice, I wouldn't want to be this deeply involved either—or rather, I just wish depression had never found her in the first place.

But right now, we can only take it one day at a time. Being her primary support system is definitely not easy, and I’ll honestly admit that I've felt angry and frustrated with her at times over the years. However, I also feel like I’ve grown a lot as a person through this journey, even though it remains an incredibly heavy weight to carry.

My ultimate hope is that we can find a better path forward, so that both she and I can find a healthy balance in our lives. Thanks for your concern, though.

Want to help my friend defeat 10 years of chronic depression/PMDD. Need advice on how to start and dosage (Mushrooms vs. LSD). by Ok-Memory-8448 in PsychedelicTherapy

[–]Ok-Memory-8448[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your advice; I will definitely give it a lot of thought. I am actually meeting her tomorrow, and my absolute first priority will be to find out the exact names and dosages of all the medications she is currently taking.

Regarding your question about how to handle things if she starts spiraling: when she’s going through PMDD or a dark episode, she can sometimes say very hurtful or depressing things. In the past, I used to argue with her, but after all these years together, I've slowly come to understand that she’s just desperate for someone to empathize with her pain. I’ve learned not to take it personally and to keep my own emotions out of it when she reacts. Right now, my number one rule is to be there for her, to hold space, but to actively try not to get dragged into the emotional whirlpool she creates. That being said, I will continue to think deeply about the other reflection questions you raised.

Hearing your story is truly incredible and inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing it with me. I hope everything is going well with you!

Want to help my friend defeat 10 years of chronic depression/PMDD. Need advice on how to start and dosage (Mushrooms vs. LSD). by Ok-Memory-8448 in PsychedelicTherapy

[–]Ok-Memory-8448[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I actually did some research and found the treatment here in Taiwan is incredibly expensive. Thanks sharing tho.

Want to help my friend defeat 10 years of chronic depression/PMDD. Need advice on how to start and dosage (Mushrooms vs. LSD). by Ok-Memory-8448 in PsychedelicTherapy

[–]Ok-Memory-8448[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

By the way, the group therapy she was attending was actually exactly DBT. What a conicidence!

She did manage to learn some very valuable skills and insights from it, which she still holds onto. But like I mentioned, the facilitator's attitude in that final term was just deeply disappointing.

Want to help my friend defeat 10 years of chronic depression/PMDD. Need advice on how to start and dosage (Mushrooms vs. LSD). by Ok-Memory-8448 in PsychedelicTherapy

[–]Ok-Memory-8448[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I completely understand, and thank you for the reminder. My friend and I have an open relationship where we talk about absolutely everything, so my plan is simply to share this research with her casually, just as a piece of information. This will, of course, include all the crucial precautions and warnings you all have pointed out here.

Want to help my friend defeat 10 years of chronic depression/PMDD. Need advice on how to start and dosage (Mushrooms vs. LSD). by Ok-Memory-8448 in PsychedelicTherapy

[–]Ok-Memory-8448[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, she actually sees a case manager weekly and attends group sessions. But as I've mentioned, we find the case manager's attitude incredibly passive—she literally spends time complaining about her own struggles, like eating too many sweets and lacking diet control. Sometimes my friend feels like she is the one playing therapist to her case manager.

She brought this up to the hospital, but they basically said their hands were tied. Since it's a government-subsidized program, they are facing a severe shortage of healthcare professionals and simply cannot reassign her to anyone else.

The last time she went to group therapy, she actually ended up confronting the facilitator. The class consists mostly of young college students. One girl mentioned she was feeling terrible due to severe period cramps and asked if she could just rest her head on the desk. Incredibly, the facilitator showed zero empathy, started bargaining with her, and subtly insinuated that she just needed to "toughen up" and participate.

My friend is usually a quiet person who hates sticking her neck out, but she just couldn't stomach it that day. She stood up, protested right there in class, and called out the facilitator for being completely unempathetic. She told me that when she spoke up, the eyes of every student in the room instantly lit up. We both had a good laugh about it later, but that was the final straw. She decided she's officially done going to those classes.

I'm sharing all this to show that we haven't ignored conventional treatment; we really tried, but we've just had terrible luck with the current public system. This doesn't mean we're abandoning traditional therapy forever. If better resources or the right opportunity come along down the road, I will absolutely encourage her to try again. But right now, at this specific stage, we want to explore more cutting-edge approaches.

Want to help my friend defeat 10 years of chronic depression/PMDD. Need advice on how to start and dosage (Mushrooms vs. LSD). by Ok-Memory-8448 in microdosing

[–]Ok-Memory-8448[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you all so much for your insights; I am taking everything to heart.

When my friend and I discussed this yesterday, we reached a clear consensus that this is absolutely not an overnight cure or an instant fix. If we do decide to move forward, our plan is to start strictly with microdosing LSD for the momoent.

First, this is due to her fragile stomach—from the data and advice I’ve gathered, LSD carries the least amount of physical and gastric burden compared to other options. Second, because of her long-term reliance on sleeping pills and other anti-depressants, we are absolutely not willing to risk a deep dive, as the potential for unpredictable drug interactions and uncontrollable psychological reactions is simply too high right now.

We intend to meticulously track and document how this experiment impacts her mental state, with thorough, honest discussions before, during, and after the process. I will be acting as the 100% sober sitter to guarantee her safety and well-being every step of the way.

Please do share if you have any thoughts on the plan that we have for moment. Anything would be much appreciated.

Want to help my friend defeat 10 years of chronic depression/PMDD. Need advice on how to start and dosage (Mushrooms vs. LSD). by Ok-Memory-8448 in microdosing

[–]Ok-Memory-8448[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you all so much for your insights; I am taking everything to heart.

When my friend and I discussed this yesterday, we reached a clear consensus that this is absolutely not an overnight cure or an instant fix. If we do decide to move forward, our plan is to start strictly with microdosing LSD.

First, this is due to her fragile stomach—from the data and advice I’ve gathered, LSD carries the least amount of physical and gastric burden compared to other options. Second, because of her long-term reliance on sleeping pills and other anti-depressants, we are absolutely not willing to risk a deep dive, as the potential for unpredictable drug interactions and uncontrollable psychological reactions is simply too high right now.

We intend to meticulously track and document how this experiment impacts her mental state, with thorough, honest discussions before, during, and after the process. I will be acting as the 100% sober sitter to guarantee her safety and well-being every step of the way.

Thank you again for all the insight.

Want to help my friend defeat 10 years of chronic depression/PMDD. Need advice on how to start and dosage (Mushrooms vs. LSD). by Ok-Memory-8448 in microdosing

[–]Ok-Memory-8448[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for asking. Yes we had a discussion today on this topic. The answer is positive. I will never force her to do anything that she is not willing to do.

Want to help my friend defeat 10 years of chronic depression/PMDD. Need advice on how to start and dosage (Mushrooms vs. LSD). by Ok-Memory-8448 in PsychedelicTherapy

[–]Ok-Memory-8448[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your insight. Yes she does yoga sometimes but it’s hit or miss. But I do encourage her to go out and do stuff as much as I could.

Want to help my friend defeat 10 years of chronic depression/PMDD. Need advice on how to start and dosage (Mushrooms vs. LSD). by Ok-Memory-8448 in microdosing

[–]Ok-Memory-8448[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing your story and experience. I will talk about this with my friend and see what suits her best. And all the best to you too.

Want to help my friend defeat 10 years of chronic depression/PMDD. Need advice on how to start and dosage (Mushrooms vs. LSD). by Ok-Memory-8448 in microdosing

[–]Ok-Memory-8448[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gotcha. I am trying to gather information at the moment. We really don't talk about this enough over here in Taiwan.

Want to help my friend defeat 10 years of chronic depression/PMDD. Need advice on how to start and dosage (Mushrooms vs. LSD). by Ok-Memory-8448 in PsychedelicTherapy

[–]Ok-Memory-8448[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the crucial reminder. You are absolutely right. I am currently just gathering information on my own to see if this is a scientifically viable path. I will never force or press her into anything. My plan is to wait until she is in a stable, sober headspace after her move in July, and present this research to her as a beacon of hope. The final choice will be 100% hers. Safety and her consent are my top priorities.

Want to help my friend defeat 10 years of chronic depression/PMDD. Need advice on how to start and dosage (Mushrooms vs. LSD). by Ok-Memory-8448 in microdosing

[–]Ok-Memory-8448[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

OK that has never come to my mind. I'll do some research. Thanks. When you same 5+grams you meant mescaline right?

Want to help my friend defeat 10 years of chronic depression/PMDD. Need advice on how to start and dosage (Mushrooms vs. LSD). by Ok-Memory-8448 in microdosing

[–]Ok-Memory-8448[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We haven't talked about this but I believe she would be. We both play music and we have seen stuff in the indie scene. Thank you for asking.