
Micro-Dosing: The Drug Habit Your Boss Is Gonna Love - pmcpinto
http://www.gq.com/story/micro-dosing-lsd
======
YeGoblynQueenne
I'm reminded again of this passage, from Terry Pratchet's "The Carpet People":

 _Pismire was the shaman, a kind of odd-job priest.

Most tribes had one, although Pismire was different. For one thing, he washed
all the bits that showed at least once every month. This was unusual. Other
shamen tended to encourage dirt, taking the view that the grubbier, the more
magical.

And he didn't wear lots of feathers and bones, and he didn't talk like the
other shamen in neighbouring tribes.

Other shamen ate the yellow-spotted mushrooms that were found deep in the hair
thickets and said things like: "Hiiiiya/iya/iheya! Heyaheyayahyah! Hngh!
Hngh!" which certainly sounded magical.

Pismire said things like, "Correct observation followed by meticulous
deduction and the precise visualization of goals is vital to the success of
any enterprise. Have you noticed the way the wild tromps always move around
two days ahead of the sorath herds? Incidentally_, don't eat the yellow-
spotted mushrooms."

------
fowlerpower
What's interesting about people who are willing to do anything to get ahead is
they usually end up burning out like a flame that burned up too fast.

I used to work out pretty heavily for years. Putting on real muscle in the gym
is hard work and strength and muscle takes years to build up. There was always
people that wanted the easy way or "an edge" there. In the professional world,
where you would think people are smarter, you see the same mentality. Most of
the people that used steroids on the gym ended up destroying the chemical make
up of their bodies. They never produced the same amount of testosterone on
their own anymore, there were all kinds of other side effects. Some had such
terrible chemical imbalances they were never the same person anymore. I don't
think this sort of thing is any different, these people are lying to
themselves if they believe these things won't have any lasting effects.

The kind of career you build all natural will last, just like the real muscle
would in the gym. The muscle out on with roids would disappear soon after the
roids are gone plus the side effects. The same will happen here believe me.
Anyway, just my two cents.

~~~
pharrlax
LSD is one of the safest drugs around, in terms of health effects, at
recreational doses (let alone at microdoses).

Unless there are some mystery side effects I'm not aware of, I'm not sure how
your analogy makes any sense.

~~~
hawkice
A single dose of LSD may be able to permanently change your personality [1],
which is, as the abstract points out, essentially unheard of. This is perhaps
one of the most psychoactive chemicals known to humankind, which certainly has
long-lasting effects.

That would be the mystery side effect you aren't aware of.

[1]
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3537171/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3537171/)

------
cwyers
I used to do a microdose of stimulants every hour or so while working. It was
called "smoking cigarettes."

~~~
costcopizza
I chuckled, but it is true. They do provide a nice burst of clarity and ideas
for a brief moment...

~~~
falcolas
But is it the nicotine, or the fresh air and interruption?

~~~
godmodus
Most likely nicotine and engaging your parasympathetic system by moving and
firing up your indocrine system.

Smoking + fresh air is a double negative in a way. It reduces your blood's
ability to carry oxygen so you're technically hypo-oxiginated.

------
adamcharnock
The day psychedelics died. The idea of using this class of drugs to work
longer and harder seems rather counter to the beliefs that originally brought
them into the modern consciousness.

If this is a trend then I feel it is tragic indeed, especially if spawned in
California.

~~~
Alex3917
> The idea of using this class of drugs to work longer and harder seems rather
> counter to the beliefs that originally brought them into the modern
> consciousness.

For what it's worth, microdosing was popularized in the last few years by
James Fadiman... Whose research in the 60s, which originally helped to
popularize psychedelics, was on using them to improve work performance.

Obviously this isn't what R. Gordon Wasson was using mushrooms for in the 50s
or whatever, but the idea of using psychedelics for work purposes has been
around for a while. I think the main thing that's changed is that, with the
death of modernism, we've become more cynical about the ability of ideas and
technology to improve the human condition.

------
Clubber
I think this is even more absurd than steroids. At least with steroids you're
risking your health for your own benefit. With this stuff, you're risking your
health for someone else's profit margin.

Hey, as if willingly working 60 hours a week for no more pay wasn't bad
enough. When are we gonna stop being suckers?

~~~
pharrlax
>you're risking your health

Really? How so? What health risks come with microdosing LSD?

Are they comparable to the health risks of Adderall? Or nicotine? Or even
caffeine?

>Of the 20 drugs ranked harm to individual and societal harm by David Nutt,
LSD was third to last, approximately 10 times less harmful than alcohol. The
most significant adverse effect was impairment of mental functioning while
intoxicated.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysergic_acid_diethylamide#Adv...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysergic_acid_diethylamide#Adverse_effects)

~~~
smallnamespace
The risks seem to be of a different and rather less tolerable form though:

"Review studies suggest that LSD likely plays a role in precipitating the
onset of acute psychosis in previously healthy individuals with an increased
likelihood in individuals who have a family history of schizophrenia."

Like, being mentally fine, then taking LSD and having that precipitate acute
psychosis seems like a rather terrible downside tail risk, even if it's
statistically very rare.

~~~
AstralStorm
Acute psychosis isn't even that bad, though it could damage career
irreparably. The more important side effect are sudden personality changes
which cam happen after any number of doses.

Microdosing is supposedly safer but data is still extremely scarce.

------
kabes
Isn't this highly related to the work you do? I'm a software engineer who's
quite experienced with most drugs including LSD. I can't imagine LSD improving
my work at all.

And if I would need to take drugs to be good at my job, I'd just quit my job.
Even the long-term effects of the most popular drugs are largely unkown (e.g.
there's a lot of debate about the neurotoxicity of MDMA). Let alone all the
lesser known drugs. These people who try to get 'more out of their brain'
might just as well be totally ruining them.

~~~
Johnny555
I think the point of the micro-dose is that it's not enough to make you feel
high, just enough to have positive effects. So it's likely not the same effect
you've experienced, unless you've experimented with micro-doses.

~~~
kabes
Don't have experience with micro-doses. But any dose wears off. So at a
certain point, you basically have a micro dose. But there's not a single point
in the whole LSD experience that would make me a better engineer. Of course,
it might for other people, although I seriously doubt it. Maybe in other
fields (marketing, sales, etc).

~~~
laxd
Have'nt tried microdosing. But when a full dose wears off, it would be natural
to be a bit mentally exhausted from the trip so I can't imagine it's
comparable to a microdose.

~~~
acetoxy
Exactly.

10µg and 100µg are very different. You don't trip from 10µg as you would from
100µg.

You may feel a little bit more energetic, a little bit happier, conversations
flow better etc... But it's all very subtle.

From the article: > In fact, a common problem for new experimenters, according
to Fadiman, is that people are used to feeling the effects of drugs, and a
micro-dose of LSD can sometimes be less perceptible than a cup of coffee.

------
jimbokun
"He studied biology and neurology at his desk every night until he fell
asleep."

Maybe he should have just tried getting a good night's sleep?

------
dromen
If this helps LSD, MDMA, magic mushrooms and ketamine get into pharmacies, who
am I to complain?

------
Mikeb85
Doing drugs at work is nothing new. In some industries, smoking weed is
common, is others, people regularly do coke and other hard drugs. Ritalin and
pharmaceuticals are common enough, and while LSD is popular among the tech
community, again, nothing new.

What will be interesting to see is real data to come out concerning the
benefits.

~~~
godmodus
As someone who's worked as a bartender and have seen the inside of a big
restaurant's kitchens... All I'll say is that you can definitely tell when
Saturday's around.

Cocain and methamphetamine use in the gastro industry is VERY common.

------
ianbertolacci
We already have a well established work place drug habit and its called
caffeine, thankyouverymuch.

Its also worth reading Hamiton Morris' position on micro-dosing[0]

[0]
[https://twitter.com/HamiltonMorris/status/809124813256228865](https://twitter.com/HamiltonMorris/status/809124813256228865)

------
tenpoundhammer
This article is light on details and appears to be extrapolating a few
specific cases of "bio-hacking" into a silicon valley wide trend, which then
gets generalized to technologists. I bet the number of people actually doing
the kind of experimenting mentioned in the piece is very low.

------
md224
Very refreshing to see positive coverage of responsible psychedelic use. Just
earlier today I was reading an interesting NYTimes article on Ayelet Waldman's
use of microdosing to treat her mood issues:

[http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/07/style/microdosing-lsd-
ayel...](http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/07/style/microdosing-lsd-ayelet-
waldman-michael-chabon-marriage.html)

------
amelius
Not everybody responds to drugs in the same way. I hope these new products can
be combined with genotyping services such as 23andme, to avoid bad outcomes.

~~~
AstralStorm
Also combined with governmental tracking so you can be branded a drug abuser
forever?

------
01847
Strange - I just saw something similar to this a few weeks ago, it looked like
a workplace trying microdosing on their employees. At the time it seemed fake
but now it makes me wonder:
[http://imgur.com/gallery/gYnnM](http://imgur.com/gallery/gYnnM)

~~~
legodt
That is clearly an industrial design student project taken out of context. The
sketching is overly academic, the app screens are very much on-trend and
designed to reflect as much narrative as possible, and those earpiece devices
are clearly keyshot renders. I sincerely hope nobody is falling for this. I
mean, look at those overly convenient context shots and storytelling visuals!
Or those cheesy cliche poster fonts! The only thing missing is a user
storyboard, but I don't doubt the student didn't include them because, well,
they did fantastic work with those images of hypothetical end-user chemical
charts. Projects of this scope are extremely common (take a gander around
online portfolios), I never thought I would see somebody intentionally take
one out of context to fool people into some sort of conspiracy theory.

------
tedmiston
Has anyone actually tried Nootrobox?

------
sean_patel
I've have been with mild adult ADHD and it interferes with my programming and
getting "in flow" moments. I noticed if I do a certain strain of Sativa, it
helps me, but I don't want to smoke as it hurts my lungs.

So, 2 serious questions.

1) How do I get my hands on this micro-dose thingy in San Francisco

2) Is it illegal, i.e. could I get arrested if found in possession of it?

Thanks!

~~~
bitexploder
Have you tried stimulants before? Adderall/Ritalin? For me, even at low doses
the effect is pretty profound. If you genuinely have ADHD, no other solution
has such profound effect (based on the research). Individual results vary, it
is no miracle for all, but as a group, ADHD sufferers benefit greatly. It is
low risk all around. If you manage it well the risk of addiction is very low.
I think if you have not tried this path try it first. It just works for most
ADHD sufferers.

~~~
mistermann
I am recently having problems with procrastination, possibly depression (I
imagine possibly in part due to lack of progress), etc - are these sorts of
things symptoms of ADHD, or possibly something Adderall/Ritalin could help?

~~~
pizza
Speaking as a professional non-doctor, yeah maybe?

It really is a thing that is only responsible to do under a doctor's
supervision. But speaking as someone who has done a lot of both, both with and
without supervision, they've made a tremendous difference.

Having adderall is like turning on "responsible, task-completing adult" mode,
and music becomes wonderful to listen to again, and my memory becomes sharper,
and generally speaking it makes it fun to start my day. And yeah, cleaning and
doing the dishes etc. becomes a complete non-issue

Unfortunately, sometimes it also means being tooo exciting to do "relax
efficiently"\- think playing a video game for hours on end, or reading
textbooks front-to-back from dusk till dawn.

More or less, the same thing can be said for Ritalin. I've also experimented
with 4F-MPH and 3-FPM, legally gray research chemicals that are similar to a
more potent Ritalin and a more mild amphetamine, respectively.

~~~
mistermann
> Having adderall is like turning on "responsible, task-completing adult" mode

Oh god please yes! But, is it more of an energy boost? Does it change
motivation (if that's the word to describe what I'm suffering)?

I'm not able to work through a doctor as I will be applying for life insurance
soon, after being turned down once I don't want to take chances.

Doing it without supervision, where would one get supplies?

~~~
pizza
A large energy boost and increase in short term memory capacity, for me. I
find it greatly that the amount of perceived/predicted effort of any given
task that my brain subconsciously computes is greatly reduced - I don't have
to "convince" myself to do a chore, I will just simply do it, etc.

And dark net markets are a very accessible source. If you choose to do so, try
to make sure that they're not going to scam you- find out the supplier's
reputation before purchase.

~~~
mistermann
Any idea about a supplier from India? From what I've heard it's pretty hassle
free and dependable.

Thanks for the information by the way.

~~~
pizza
I was thinking more along the lines of via tor. I think importing controlled
substances in the US isn't gonna be that straightforward.

~~~
intarTrode
So is that an admission of being addicted to amphetamines?

Have y'all considered that so many toothless vagrant crystal meth cooks found
their origin in a childhood plied with ritalin, because their parents wanted
them to get straight A's, and that their "hyperactivity" was really an
expression of legitimate boredom, stewing in a cesspool of tepid,
understimulating public school curriculum.

Programming is boring, solitary work. On drugs though, our imagination
conflates all the special things we're doing.

I bet there's a feeling of laziness that creeps in, and feelings of
unproductiveness without the amphetamine cocktail. I wonder if we'll research
how crystal meth is made in the home if the supply runs low.

Welcome to addiction.

~~~
bitexploder
Do not be so hasty to judge. For me I still have plenty of energy and ability
to enjoy things. I just get distracted more easily and am less likely to
achieve my goals for the day, but it in no way magically transforms common
chores. If someone really has ADHD Adderall works differently than in most
people. Also Adderall at therapeutic doses is very easy to halt for me. Also
many adult users leave 2-3 day gaps to give their brain time to replenish
dopamine stores, etc.

