DISCLAIMER: This is not medical advice. This is only my anecdotal experience, informed by reading tons of philosophy, psychology, self-help, and over a decade of experience with mushrooms. If you are suicidal, seek help with friends, family, or a trained psychologist immediately.
So you are considering microdosing to help deal with your depression/anxiety. You feel like you've tried everything but had no success. In a last desperate attempt to get healthy, you've ended up on a forum looking for advice from internet strangers about taking psychedelics as a panacea to cure you of all your ills.
This is when I make my first point: the only person that knows what will work for you, is YOU. I can only describe my experiences.
Background: I've had major depressive and anxiety disorders for around two decades, starting around age 12 or 13. I've been depressed long enough to not easily remember what happiness feels like. My depression reached such a strong state that I would have psychosomatic pain from the stress. My thoughts could literally cause me pain. That itself is a clue to getting better: if your thoughts can cause you pain, they can also make you feel pleasure.
First step: You must be prepared. Mushrooms are a tool that can help you break out of depression/anxiety. But they are only one tool, and to get the most out of your experience you should have a full toolbox of skills you can use to get healthy.
You need to practice meditation. The number one reason why you are stuck in depression is you have not learned to control your thoughts. You let thoughts "happen to you" rather than understanding you make your thoughts happen. Meditation practices will help you get control over your thoughts. You should be meditating at least 20 minutes a day.
You should read philosophy. If there is no God, what is the meaning of life? There's a good chance you are depressed because you've convinced yourself you are a bad person or done something wrong. Reading philosophy will help you understand that in fact there is no such thing as a good or bad person in an absolute sense. You are not good or bad, you just are. And that's your only responsibility: to be.
You should read psychology. How does your brain work? Why does it work that way? Is it all chemicals? Or do you have some control? Psychology will help you understand the answers to these questions.
On to the mushrooms: The first thing I want to mention is this — it's not supposed to be fun. Some people seem to think taking mushrooms is going to be an instant happy pill. Taking mushrooms is probably one of the most challenging and profound experiences you will ever have. It's not easy.
Human beings have been taking mushrooms for tens of thousands of years. And not because it's a party. From the shamans of hunter-gatherers to the ancient Mystery Schools, mushrooms have primarily been taken in a spiritual or religious context. This is the context you should take them.
Microdosing vs Tripping: On this subject you will get many contradictory opinions. This is only my opinion. If your goal is to conquer depression, you need to trip at least once. Only a full trip (2.5g to 3g) will give you the "reset" or "afterglow" needed to really make lasting change. After the trip session, a microdose routine (0.1g to 0.2g) will help extend the reset, keeping old thought patterns out and allowing you to make new brain patterns.
How to have a good full trip and reset your brain:
- Have a trip sitter, someone sober. Preferably your partner. Anyone that is good with lying in bed with you for 3-4 hours while you close your eyes and trip, cuddle, and have body contact.
- Close your eyes and get fascinated by the visuals. Keep your eyes closed. Don't talk, don't make decisions. Stay silent. Your trip sitter is there to take care of you, so you can let go.
- Let ALL of your thoughts enter and leave, good or bad. Don't hold on to any thoughts.
- If you have a bad thought, tell your trip sitter. Their job is to treat you like a small child, comforting you and distracting you long enough that the bad thoughts don't get stuck in your head.
- In those conditions, you should have a neutral or good trip that will reset your brain.
Microdose routine: My standard routine is 0.2g every third day or so. I take it in the evening, when I don't have much else to do. I prepare the mushrooms by using a blender to turn them into powder, measure out 0.2g and put it in a capsule.
TL;DR: Prepare yourself while sober with meditation, reading, and thinking-skill building. Take a full dose (~3g) with a trip sitter, stay in bed and close your eyes. Maintain the reset/afterglow with a 0.1g to 0.2g microdose routine.