Microdosing psychedelics for ADHD | Iva Totomanova, B.Sc.

Microdosing psychedelics for ADHD with Iva Totomanova, B.Sc. @ uniMIND Symposium 2022 - Synergies and Crossroads in Psychedelic Research ______________________________ In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in microdosing, both from a research and a recreational perspective. More people have started using psychedelic microdoses not only to enhance their everyday functioning, but also as an attempt to self-medicate for various disorders. Some preliminary anecdotal evidence suggests that a large portion of microdosers are ADHD patients and some of them report being able to get adequate symptom relief, and even successfully replace their prescribed ADHD medication with microdoses. Albert Hoffman and James Fadiman have also been reported to suggest microdoses as a healthier alternative to stimulant medications for ADHD. The lack of more rigorous research on this topic, however, puts us at a crossroad of whether we should invest more time and money into this matter. In this presentation I will argue that it is in fact warranted to focus research efforts on ADHD, and explore microdosing as a potential alternative option in treating ADHD patients and increasing their quality of life. To do this, however, requires an interdisciplinary approach and a synergy of efforts from a wide range of specialists - not only researchers from various disciplines, and psychotherapists and other clinicians that will advance our knowledge of psychedelics, but also policymakers, politicians and educators, since these substances are still strictly regulated in many parts of the world, and there is stigma attached to their use 𝗜𝘃𝗮 𝗧𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮, 𝗕.𝗦𝗰. recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience. After a brief interlude to do an internship at Utrecht University, she seeks to continue her education and is now pursuing a Master’s degree in Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience at Maastricht University. She is interested in understanding more about the pathological mind and its connection to the brain and behavior, approaching it from a multidisciplinary perspective to gain a deeper level of insight into its functioning. She is also passionate about applying this knowledge to enhance people’s mental health and well-being. Particularly, her interests lie in the study of psychedelic substances and their possible therapeutic applications, as she believes these drugs have a still untapped potential for healing