A new study shows that taking small amounts of psychedelics (LSD or magic mushrooms) could help ADHD patients develop mindfulness. I don’t know if I’m in favor of its consumption or not, but simply an alternative for people with this problem. Psychedelics have long been gaining ground for their potential as a treatment for mental health conditions: in fact, some of the first psychedelic-based therapy clinics are already appearing in the UK’s NHS.
Psychedelics an Alternative for ADHD
New research published in Frontiers in Psychiatry suggests that micro-dosing psychedelics like LSD or magic mushrooms could improve mindfulness in adults with ADHD. ADHD affects around 2.6 million adults in the UK and causes symptoms such as difficulty concentrating and impulsivity, which can affect people’s work, relationships, and even sex lives. People with ADHD generally score lower on this mindfulness trait, but the impact of microdosing on people with this condition has not been studied in depth until now.
The researchers looked at 233 adults with ADHD or ADHD-like symptoms who already intended to start microdosing and collected data two weeks and four weeks after starting.
“We found improvements in all facets of mindfulness after four weeks of microdosing,” said study author Eline CHM Haijen. “Their mean mindfulness score at the 4-week time point was comparable to the mean mindfulness scores of general population samples.”
Medications approved for ADHD, such as Adderall and Ritalin, are very effective in treating symptoms. However current supply shortages, as well as continued underdiagnosis in women and the social stigma surrounding the medications, create barriers for those struggling to access this effective treatment. Still, it’s a promising result for those struggling with ADHD symptoms, and another to add to the growing list of conditions that psychedelics can help with. Way to go, mushrooms.
This story was written in Spanish by Perla Vallejo in Ecoosfera
