After the stillbirth of her daughter, a mother turned to an unusual coping mechanism: growing and microdosing magic mushrooms at home. The woman, who had struggled with anxiety and depression for years, found that conventional therapies were not enough to break the cycle of negative thoughts following the tragedy.
She had read about the potential of psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, to treat anxiety and depression. Research from Imperial College London and Johns Hopkins University showed promising results, including easing anxiety in cancer patients. The Lancet also ranked magic mushrooms as the least harmful recreational drug, non-addictive and with no risk of fatal overdose.
Unable to find a dealer, she turned to YouTube for instructions. She bought mushroom spores online for £15 and a substrate kit on eBay for £26. While growing magic mushrooms is illegal in the UK, buying spores is not. She carefully injected the spores into a sterilised mixture of brown rice flour, water and vermiculite, and waited six weeks for them to colonise.
She described the process as appealing to her nerdy side, and felt informed about the science and risks. Microdosing, she said, helped her manage the overwhelming pain and anxiety after her daughter's death, providing a radical break from deepening negativity.
