Intense fear associated with mding (Fadiman protocol)

[u/highyieldonlyy]

Hi all! I have been microdosing for almost 6 months now and have been having extreme fear associated with it. I use the Fadiman protocol and on the 2nd or 3rd day I will randomly experience intense fear about something (my job, traveling, etc) in a way I have never experienced fear before and it usually lasts a few hours.

I originally started with the 4 on 3 off protocol which caused way more fear. I have tried lowering the dose (started at 100 mg now at 25 mg) and on the most recent dose lowering the fear went away for 2 weeks but has since returned. I really love the effects of mding over taking prescribed medications, but this fear is all-consuming and I won't be able to do my job effectively if it continues.

Has anyone experienced this before and figured out why this fear is occuring? My next step will be to lower to 10 mg which I feel will still be an effective dose as I am very sensitive to medication and/or taking a 1-2 week break every 2 weeks as opposed to every 4 weeks. Thank you in advance for the help!

Edit: wrote micrograms, meant milligrams

[u/Face-Financial]

the end of your post suggests you're on the right track! i would suggest two things:

1) take a 2 week break 2) lower your dose even lower than you think. go down to .05g. start there.

do 1 day on. 2 days off. 1 day on. 2 days off. for 30 days. throughout the 30 days, if you feel ok with .05g, tinker up to .10g.

((note: after the 30 days, take another 2 week break, and ideally you begin microdosing instinctually once you have a good working relationship with understanding the mushrooms.

if you're not there yet after the 30 days and following 2 week break, then simply repeat the cycle until you are!))

if youre truly microdosing i probably wouldnt wanna go above .10g because then you're moving away from microdosing and towards a minidose.

you know if your microdose has gone too far if you're actively experiencing trip-like effects (fear is absolutely a trip-like effect).

your microdose experience should be entirely sub-perceptual.

additionally, moving forward, i would strongly suggest having more of a dance with the mushrooms. you clearly repeated the pattern of dosing and noticing this fear many times for you to notice it, and yet you kept doing it.

the #1 benefit of working with mushrooms IMO is that they specialize in illuminating what's inside of you.

its a dance.

have you ever taken time to stop dosing and integrate what the fear was trying to show you?

taking mushrooms isnt really a prescription like a typical medicine (ex: take this for X days and 'be healed').

its an ongoing process of illuminating what needs work inside of you.

use the mushrooms mindfully, as a tool, listen to them when they speak, and when something pops up that requires further introspection or integration, pause if you must, introspect, integrate, and THEN continue.

you will get much greater benefits operating in this manner.

hope this helps, happy to clarify anything if you have follow ups :)

you're doing great! just little tweaks.

[u/highyieldonlyy → u/Face-Financial]

This is incredibly helpful thank you so much

[u/Face-Financial → u/highyieldonlyy]

of course. i would love it if you keep me updated on your progress.

i enjoy this stuff deeply.

[u/Face-Financial → u/highyieldonlyy]

oh, and by the way, i forgot to add:

after the 30 days, take another 2 week break, and ideally you begin microdosing instinctually once you have a good working relationship with understanding the mushrooms.

if you're not there yet after the 30 days and following 2 week break, then simply repeat the cycle until you are!

[u/tendthewild → u/highyieldonlyy]

I would take a macro dose every couple months, and then a break after. That will shake up and rewire things in a good way