Can Microdosing Psychedelics Help Adults with ADHD Regulate Emotions and Empathize Better?

What you need to know

• Microdosing psychedelics reduced ADHD symptoms more than conventional medication after 4 weeks
• Microdosing improved emotion regulation, specifically the ability to inhibit emotional expressions
• Effects on empathy were limited, with only small improvements in perspective-taking
• More research is needed to confirm these findings and rule out placebo effects

Understanding ADHD and Emotion Regulation

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by difficulties with attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. However, many adults with ADHD also struggle with regulating their emotions. This can lead to rapid mood swings, overreactions to situations, and difficulty maintaining relationships.

Emotion regulation refers to our ability to manage and respond to emotional experiences. Two key aspects of emotion regulation are:

1. Cognitive reappraisal: Changing how we think about a situation to alter its emotional impact
2. Expressive suppression: Inhibiting outward signs of inner emotional states

People with ADHD often have particular difficulty with expressive suppression, meaning they may have trouble hiding their emotions even when it would be socially appropriate to do so.

Conventional ADHD Treatments and Emotional Symptoms

While stimulant medications like amphetamines and methylphenidate are effective at treating the core symptoms of ADHD, they may not adequately address emotional regulation difficulties. This leaves many adults with ADHD still struggling with emotional control even when their other symptoms are well-managed.

Microdosing Psychedelics: A Potential Alternative?

Microdosing refers to the practice of regularly taking very small amounts of psychedelic substances – amounts too small to cause hallucinations or significant alterations in consciousness. Some people with ADHD report that microdosing helps manage their symptoms, possibly even more effectively than conventional medications.

Previous research has suggested that microdosing may enhance emotional functioning and social connections in general populations. However, its effects specifically on emotion regulation and empathy in people with ADHD had not been studied before.

The Current Study

Researchers conducted two related studies to explore the effects of psychedelic microdosing on adults with severe ADHD symptoms:

Study 1:

• Followed 233 adults who chose to start microdosing on their own
• Measured emotion regulation and empathy before starting, and again after 2 and 4 weeks
• Found improvements in both cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression
• Showed increases in perspective-taking (a cognitive aspect of empathy) and decreases in personal distress (an emotional aspect of empathy)

Study 2:

• Compared 180 adults microdosing to 37 adults using conventional ADHD medications
• Measured ADHD symptoms, emotion regulation, and empathy at the start, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks
• Found that the microdosing group had greater reductions in ADHD symptoms after 4 weeks
• Showed improvements in expressive suppression for the microdosing group compared to the medication group
• Did not find significant differences between groups in cognitive reappraisal or most aspects of empathy

Key Findings

ADHD Symptoms: After 4 weeks, the microdosing group showed greater improvements in all measured aspects of ADHD symptoms compared to those using conventional medications. Interestingly, the microdosing group’s average scores fell below the threshold for clinically significant symptoms, while the medication group’s scores remained above this threshold in most areas.

Emotion Regulation: The most robust finding was an improvement in expressive suppression for those microdosing. This suggests that microdosing may help adults with ADHD better control their outward emotional expressions. The initial improvements seen in cognitive reappraisal did not hold up when compared to the medication group.

Empathy: The effects on empathy were limited. While the microdosing group consistently scored higher on perspective-taking (the ability to see things from another’s point of view), this seemed to be a pre-existing difference rather than an effect of microdosing itself. Other aspects of empathy showed no significant changes.

How Might Microdosing Work?

The researchers suggest that psychedelics primarily affect serotonin receptors in the brain, particularly in areas involved in executive function and emotional processing. By modulating activity in the prefrontal cortex, microdosing might improve the brain’s ability to regulate emotional responses.

Limitations and Future Directions

This study has several important limitations:

• Participants chose whether to microdose, potentially introducing bias
• There was no control over the exact substances or doses used
• The study relied entirely on self-reported measures
• The diagnostic status of participants was not independently verified

To confirm these findings, future studies should use randomized, placebo-controlled designs. This would help determine if the effects are due to the psychedelics themselves or expectations about microdosing. Including objective measures of emotion and behavior, beyond just self-reports, would also strengthen the evidence.

Conclusions

• Microdosing psychedelics shows promise for improving ADHD symptoms and some aspects of emotion regulation in adults with severe ADHD symptoms
• The effects on empathy appear to be limited
• More rigorous research is needed to confirm these findings and rule out placebo effects
• If confirmed, microdosing could potentially offer a new treatment option for adults with ADHD who struggle with emotional regulation

While these results are intriguing, it’s crucial to remember that self-medicating with illegal substances carries risks. Anyone considering microdosing should discuss it with a healthcare provider and be aware of the legal and safety implications in their area.