As Europe has recently seen a decrease in COVID-19 cases, some countries are still severely affected around the world. Currently among the worst touched in Europe are Russia and the UK. As of July 24th, worldwide there are 15.5 million confirmed COVID-19 cases. Although a decrease in new cases has the world hopeful to a return to “the new normal” many are still feeling the stressful effects of the 2020 pandemic. A recent article published by Metro, a British newspaper, has revealed that women have been microdosing magic mushrooms to cope with their anxiety during lockdown.
Many lives have been seriously shaken from this horrifying pandemic, often leading to people having to completely change their routine and abandon the life they were used to. Consequently, a rise in anxiety and other mental related disorders have also been observed. As a matter of fact, a poll showed that nearly half (45%) of adults in the United States have reported during the COVID-19 pandemic that their mental health has been negatively impacted due to worry and stress over the virus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stress during an infectious disease outbreak can sometimes cause the following:
- Fear and worry about your health and the health of your loved ones, your financial situation or job, or loss of support services you rely on.
- Changes in sleep or eating patterns.
- Difficulty sleeping or concentrating.
- Worsening of chronic health problems.
- Worsening of mental health conditions.
- Increased use of tobacco, and/or alcohol and other substances.
To cope with such uneasiness and angst, women in the UK have been relying on psychedelics. The Metro article showed that these women have in many cases been inspired by American psychologist James Fadiman’s 2011 book, The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide, which explains the process of microdosing.
The fact that magic mushrooms have been illegal in the UK since 2005, and being in possession of them could potentially lead to as much as seven years in prison, is a risk these women are willing to take care of their mental health.
Marina, who was interviewed for Metro, explained that microdosing was never something she had considered before, but that it came as a result of 2020 being an unpredictable and scary year. She went on to reveal that magic mushrooms have given her moments of calmness when “it’s all gotten a bit too much” and when she needed to work, as it would give her a bit more focus.
According to Marina, microdosing is nothing like “taking a big trip”, which she had experienced before whilst on LSD at festivals. To her, magic mushrooms have simply decreased “the chatter” in her head.
Another woman explained that after seeking out for something to “lift her out of it all” during quarantine, she resorted to powdered mushrooms mixed with chocolate. This microdosing concoction would relieve her severe anxiety, making her feel a little bit “wavy” and making her laugh, something she hasn’t been able to do in months. She revealed that magic mushrooms provided her comfort for a couple of hours.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect people worldwide, microdosing may become an increasingly popular method for anxiety relief.
For more information on microdosing see the RS guides here.
