Six Months of Microdosing: An Honest 24-Week Retrospective
I microdosed for six months following the Fadiman protocol. Here's an honest account of what helped, what didn't, and what I'd do differently.
I started microdosing for depression and creative work. I followed James Fadiman's protocol: 0.15 grams every three days, with intention-setting and journaling on dose days.
Weeks 1-4: I noticed a clear mood lift on dose days and a milder positive carryover on non-dose days. My morning anxiety, which had been significant, reduced. Creativity felt more accessible. I was cautiously optimistic.
Weeks 5-12: the mood lift continued but became less novel. I habituated to it. I also began to notice irritability on non-dose days that I hadn't had before starting. Whether this was withdrawal or just contrast, I couldn't determine.
Weeks 13-20: I reduced frequency to every four days and the irritability resolved. The mood benefits felt less dramatic but more stable. Work output improved in ways that felt genuine — more willingness to start things, less perfectionist paralysis.
Weeks 21-24: I tapered off to understand what the microdosing was actually doing. The depression returned to baseline — not worse than before, but not improved in the way I had hoped would be lasting. The benefit appears to be present during the protocol but not to persist strongly after stopping.
My conclusion: microdosing is a useful tool for mood management and creative accessibility, but it's not a cure. I was using it as one. The most useful thing it gave me was a clearer view of my own psychology through the journaling, which I intend to continue.
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