Psilocybin with ADHD -- what people actually experience
312 replies · Mental Health
I have ADHD and psilocybin is one of the most inconsistent experiences I've had. Sometimes it helps me focus in a way I've never experienced outside of stimulants. Sometimes it's overwhelming and I can't hold a thought for more than five seconds. Anyone else with ADHD have patterns they've noticed?
The inconsistency is the pattern for me. Low doses (under 1.5g) tend to produce that focus and quiet you describe. Above 2g my ADHD seems to amplify with the experience -- every thought chains to ten other thoughts. I've found staying at 1-2g is the sweet spot for intentional work; higher doses I go with the flow and don't try to direct.
There's actually some preliminary research on this. ADHD involves dysregulation of both dopamine and norepinephrine systems, but there's also evidence of altered default mode network function -- the DMN is often underactivated in ADHD rather than overactivated as in depression/anxiety. Psilocybin's DMN effects might work differently in ADHD brains for this reason.
Key thing I've learned: don't try to 'use' the psilocybin for productivity with ADHD. The times I try to direct the experience toward a task are the worst outcomes. The times I surrender and allow the experience to go where it wants -- including bouncing around topics erratically -- those are the ones where I emerge with something useful.
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