Daily Archives: January 7, 2022

The new Hulu series Dopesick is a dramatic reminder of the devastation that has been wrought by the opioid epidemic. Like the book on which it was based, and like other journalism about the Oxycontin crisis, the show makes it clear that members of the Sackler family, Purdue, unscrupulous doctors, and the FDA all played a part in causing the rampant overprescription of Oxycontin. Suddenly every kind of pain not only physical but also psychological and social seemed to have a single answer: Oxycontin. Opioids are one of the oldest drugs in the human pharmacopeia, but Oxycontins new patents made every person in pain a source of easy money for Purdue. This led to a wave of addiction and overdose. When regulators cracked down on legal pills, many people turned to the illicit drug market, putting them in even greater danger.

Yet even as America reckons with the aftermath of the Oxycontin disaster, its embracing a new class of supposed wonder drugs. Like opioids, these new drugs are long-time favorites: psychedelics. Ironically, one of their supposedly miraculous qualities is their power in treating substance use disorders. The FDA whose lax oversight and close ties to corporate lobbyists played such a crucial role in the Oxycontin debacle has placed MDMA and psilocybin on expedited approval tracks for the treatment of PTSD and treatment-resistant depression. MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD is in advanced trials, and could receive FDA approval as soon as 2023.

Researchers and recently formed companies, many of them backed by venture capital, are tripping over each other to study and patent the use of psychedelics not only for PTSD, depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders, but also for Alzheimers, headaches, fibromyalgia, cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia, traumatic brain injury, and more. This long list might be the result of laudable scientific curiosity but it could also be an attempt to find the largest possible number of applications for a potentially profitable drug. Researchers are also exploring ways of administering psychedelics through patentable tamper-resistant patches like those that were used for fentanyl.

Opioids are vilified and increasingly hard to obtain legally even for acute and end-of-life pain, when they are enormously valuable while psychedelics are in vogue with venture capitalists, medical researchers, and psychonauts alike. No longer confined to the counterculture, psychedelics are celebrated as a panacea for the afflictions of modern life: depression, anxiety, distraction, apathy, loneliness, loss of purpose, insufficient productivity in the workplace. Michael Pollan, author of How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence, is only the most famous of the many journalists and writers who have celebrated the beneficial effects of psychedelics.

These new alleged cure-alls are simultaneously being ensconced in the world of medicine and in the booming wellness industry. The New York Times recently ran a wellness story quoting a PR firm with the straightforward moniker Ketamine Media. The piece included photos of the ketamine lozenges, journal, and eye mask included in kits that can now be ordered online albeit at a rather high price. There is a newsletter (Psilocybin Alpha) and a Reddit community (Shroom Stocks: Lets Ride the Mush Rush!) aimed at investors in the burgeoning psychedelic industry.

Some of the organizations researching and advocating for the therapeutic use of psychedelics are nonprofits, and a number of these signed on to a recent statement promising to take an open science approach that does not involve patents. But other psychedelic-assisted therapy companies are traded on Nasdaq, eager to lock in profits through the use of intellectual property law. They are developing proprietary formulations and synthetic versions of plant medicines that have been used for centuries. Once treated as a mysterious gift of nature, psilocybin is being commodified, transformed into private property.

Not content with commodifying the drugs themselves, some in the growing psychedelic industry are even trying to profit from simple techniques familiar to anyone who has ever been a trip sitter. In 2020, Compass Pathways, which receives financing from Peter Thiel, applied for a patent for methods like providing psilocybin-assisted therapy in a room with soft furniture, muted colors, and a high-resolution sound system while a therapist provides reassuring physical contact and holds the hand, arm, or shoulder.

The Oxycontin story showed that the profit motive in medicine brings many dangers: overprescription, a loss of freedom of choice for patients, extortionate prices, the aggressive suppression of those who use or provide a drug outside of corporate pathways. We need to be wary of repeating the same mistakes with psychedelics. Dopesick shows how profit-driven companies can expand or simply invent diagnoses, creating huge new demand for the product they want to sell. A familiar drug whether opioid or psychedelic can be tweaked, granted a new patent, and bring enormous profits for the seller, at great cost to patients.

One of the authors of this article has performed more than 500 ceremonies with the psychedelic ibogaine, helping individuals safely and effectively detox from heroin. He has also performed hundreds of individual psylocibin ceremonies outside the country, and counseled thousands of people following self-administered trips, mostly in coordination with psychotherapists, following a professional pattern not unlike the typical coordination between psychiatrists and psychotherapists.

We know from our extensive professional and personal experience that psychedelics can be enormously useful in many situations. They can provide relief, transformation, insight, and profound moments of awakening. But their value is embedded in cultural practices and social relationships. They have unpredictable results and should never be forced on anyone. Court-ordered drug treatment with psilocybin, for example, would be a recipe for a very, very bad trip that could cause enduring psychological harm. Above all, psychedelics cant solve the problems of a society in which so many people have been harmed by violence and inequality.

Despite the public pillorying of Purdue and the Sacklers, America is still plagued by the untrammeled greed of the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare lobby, by out-of-control drug prices and a deeply unjust medical system that often relies on coercion and control. Treating psychedelics as new wonder drugs risks yet another pharmaceutical disaster. We have to step back and question the foundations and assumptions of our approach to medicine. Otherwise, we risk making the same mistakes we saw with Oxycontin.

Ross Ellenhorn is a sociologist and psychotherapist and the founder and CEO of Ellenhorn. Dimitri Mugianis is a harm reductionist, activist, musician, poet, writer, and anarchist, with over two decades of experience as a psychedelic practitioner. Ellenhorn and Mugianis are the founders of Cardea

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Magic mushroom companies are on the Nasdaq now. Thats a recipe for a bad trip - The Guardian

Stephen Anderson is a Vietnam veteran. Seventy years old, he volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1970. When he came back, Anderson says, he felt he needed to protect himself from the world. That involved considerable self-medication.

Until last September, when Anderson tried his first hallucinogenic mushrooms.

"It was in Maui," Anderson said. "I went to their home and they put a lot of candles and things and music and they gave me some psilocybin. They stayed right next to my side the entire time."

"A lot of my emotions were washed with this," Anderson continued. "And my brain and heart were connected again. I kept saying the word, 'Oh I remember, I remember, I remember so much!'"

Anderson says he was connected to healing emotions he felt before Vietnam.

The purpose of the drug is to cause an altered mental state, according to Dr. Thomas Cook. Cook is a psychiatrist, practicing in Honolulu for the last six years. He treats patients for anxiety, trauma, suicidal thoughts, chronic depression, PTSD, and other issues.

In his practice, Dr. Cook finds that psychedelics benefit his patients, at a time when so many are under added stress and anxiety.

"You don't want the patient on the same drug every day," said Cook. "When you're on an anti-depressant every day, you are numbed and you become less discriminatory and less perceptive about mood changes."

Cook says normally happy people notice when they're depressed, and do something about it.

"But depressed people lose that ability and people on the same anti-depressant every day dont have much mood variation either," Cook said.

"We have a lot of people today stuck in their minds in repetitive hamster-wheel-type negative thinking. With a psychedelic that's taken sporadically or occasionally, you have a better ability to discriminate, make changes, and adapt."

Dr. Thomas Cook - Sept. 24, 2021

The Aloha Friday Conversation

Even before the pandemic, the United Nations said depression and anxiety cost the global economy more than a trillion dollars a year.

Last year, the World Health Organization issued a new warning that many people who coped well previously, may now be more at risk due to pandemic stressors.

Increasingly, psychedelics are entering the mental health conversation.

Since 2020, the New England Journal of Medicine has reported on the benefits of treating depression with psilocybin. Here's a Scientific American article on that. Benefits that extend to treating even long-term PTSD and sexual trauma.

Ashley Lukens is co-founder of the Clarity Project. Their goal is to expand legal psychedelic therapies in Hawaii.

For Lukens, it all started in 2017 when she discovered she had brain cancer.

"In this book, Radical Remission, they said one of the key factors to healing from cancer is purging negative emotions and negative stories," she said. "For me, releasing myself from my loneliness and pain that I experienced as a child, I feel has significantly contributed to my amazing physical health outcomes as a cancer patient."

Lukens had brain surgery, which left a residual tumor. She went through a diet and lifestyle reboot as well as a psychedelic experience, after which the spot was gone. Lukens then went through chemotherapy and radiation.

She has had four psychedelic sessions since. Her scans continue to be clear.

"So to be an adult and actually regain some level of efficacy in determining your thought patterns and your personality is pretty powerful," Lukens said. "I would argue, there are a lot of people that do not attain the clarity that psychedelics provide you through mediation and through psychoanalysis because there is a firmly entrenched mental block. Psychedelics have shown, time and time again, to help you overcome that barrier."

Ashley Lukens - Sept. 24, 2021

The Aloha Friday Conversation

In November 2021, The New York Times reported on U.S. veterans lobbying for psychedelic therapy options.

"That's something that really excites me about the work we're doing with veterans," Lukens said. "Our veteran community is in crisis. More veterans die of suicide than soldiers die in combat. The VA has just signed on to participate in clinical trials because they recognize the solutions on the table arent working."

It's not that psychedelics are the easy way out.

"He cried for almost six hours," said Chris Anderson, Vietnam veteran Steve Anderson's wife. "So it was intense, but when he came back, I did see him very different."

Chris Anderson says her husband just seems more engaged in everyday life after his psilocybin experience, which he calls a celebration.

"Once I got over the great rush of the celebration," Steve Anderson said. "I can just tinker with it, like having a cup of tea. Instead of taking anti-depressants, I take micro-dose."

Steve says tiny doses of psilocybin, a mix of a few mushrooms, keep him on track now.

Stephen Anderson - Sept. 24, 2021

The Aloha Friday Conversation

In the 2022 legislative session, State Senator Stanley Chang plans to re-introduce a bill to decriminalize psilocybin and study therapies. In the past, Senators Laura Acasio, Les Ihara, Maile Shimabukuro and Chris Lee have been among those supporting the effort.

Some local psychiatrists, including Dr. Cook, work with ketamine, a powerful anesthetic with some hallucinogenic effects.

In Hawaii, ayahuasca ceremonies have long been a part of the "retreat" scene, especially on Maui and Hawaii Island.

Hallucinogenic experiences are triggered by brewing a vine with leaves from a bush, both of which grow in the islands. The New Yorker has called ayahuasca the "Drug of Choice for the Age of Kale."

See more here:

Psilocybin therapy options could expand in Hawaii | Hawai'i Public Radio - Hawaiipublicradio

From psychedelics to 'The Great Resignation' - wellness trends for 2022

There comes a time when all of us, even those who swore wed never let the novelty of new trends bite us, as we attempt to rather beat to the rhythm of our own drums in terms of what sounds like a good idea for our well-being, find ourselves pursuing the internet in the middle of the night wondering what everyone else is up to and whether the trends theyre following are actually beneficial.

Trends are popular for a reason, and a lot of the time its because there is something special in what theyre talking about that everyone wants a slice of.

In the health & wellness community, theres been an upsurge of what were once niche, community-based tips and secrets, which have splashed onto the scene of some of the top trending ideas on the internet competing with the likes of fashion and music. Especially given the elephant in the room that refers to the past two years of monumental stress for all of us, mental and physical well being were put in the spotlight of priorities for many.

Whether youre well in the know of all things health and wellness, or whether youre a newbie looking to affirm a resolution of being more mindful of your mind and body, here are the predicted trends of 2022 set to take over the wellness world.

1. Plant-based eating will give a lot of fast-food restaurants a run for their money

The vegetarian and veganism way of life arent the only kids on the block making their way into mainstream eating culture as flexitarianism and reducetarians join the brigade of terms.

Flexitarianism refers to a flexible vegetarian, while a reducetarian speaks to eating less animal products. Both are focused on bettering the body and the planet, and pertain to a start in the world of plant-based eating.

As Vogue records, in Europe and America, numerous people say theyre eating a lot less meat than they had the year before.

The plant-based market is booming onward, and 2022 will likely see far more plant-based restaurants open up as the mindful eater becomes the main consumer.

Its no secret that plant-based eating has become far more popularised in recent times, where most menus youll see, especially in Cape Town usually have a plant-based option or alternative. However, whats interesting to gaze upon for 2022 is just how popular the plant-loving way of life has become, and will grow to be. Even in fashion, vegan products are making their way onto the shelves.

2.Psychedelics are becoming less taboo and a source for trauma healing

Psychedelics were once met with great big eyes and a look of shock from someone who wasnt exactly a hippy or part of the underground scene in many parts of the world where theres drugs were not seen as traditional. However, the collective of psychedelic experiences, with a particular focus on Shrooms, or magic mushrooms has become far more popular in recent years, and its largely because psychedelics are now seen as a part of wellness when they are controlled and guided.

The current model for treating problems like anxiety and depression just isnt very good, says Frederick Streeter Barrett, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine expresses in talking about psychedelic-assiste therapy. Theres also a lot more information available on psychedelic experiences, from user-generated content to professionals opening up about the benefits and the ground-work.

Psychedelic retreats are already on the up-surge, and as the world opens up little by little, this is one movement that will likely form a huge part of the wellness experience for many.

3. Sound healing is becoming the music to the ears of those seeking wellness

Theres been a renewed interest in ancient techniques pertaining to sound, and with all the technology accessible to many people focused on sound experiences, auditory healing is set to make even bigger strides in 2022. From sound baths to psychoacoustic, the world is going to sound a little different this year.

4.The way we think about menstration is set to change and become more eco-friendly

Anyone who has a period will know that stress is an important factor when it comes to the dreaded time of the month. Naturally, the past two-years gave us all the stress we didnt need, and with the surge of women empowerment movements fledging in a fuller force thanks to the myriad of social media movements that happened especially in the early 2020s, conversations about menstrual health became far less conservative, as did mental health talks. The result? Feminine-hygiene products are being made by more female owned businesses now and theres a huge environmental focus attached to many of them. Theres still a way to go in terms of menstrual technology, accessibility and affordability, but the captains of the ship are changing.

Bonus trend: The fertility conversation now includes men. With staggering statistics about declining sperm and a renewed understanding of reproductive health, this topic can no longer remain in the shadows, says Mind Body Green.

5.The age of mental health-focus is set to continue

Social media for all its nonsense can be thanked for opening up the door to honesty about mental health. TikTok has been a huge proponent in mental health awareness, with many psychologists taking to the platform to share tips and knowledge. Beyond information sharing, people have started to take their mental health far more seriously, and a huge case in point were the working conditions and hours movements, or The Great Resignation. As we move into 2022, theres an anxiety for business to retain their talent, while workers demand better for their brains. More psychology-focused apps, platforms and podcasts are set to take the world by storm this year.

6.Skincare is becoming more accessible and sustainable

Skincare is becoming more accessible, affordable, and focused on the environment not just in Cape Town, but worldwide.

Also read: Sustainable skincare looks beautiful on you! Cape Towns best eco-skincare finds

Sustainable skincare was already on the rise in 2021, but as more people start getting back into the economic swing of things as the pandemics tightened grip loosens, people are starting their own business with environmental focus at the ready. Bigger skin companies are shifting the narrative to eco-friendly skincare. Then theres the moving of skincare being primarily feminine as gender stereotypes fall away more and more, bringing more men to the scene of skincare focus. Additionally, while the skincare industry is a usually face-centric one, more people are turning to modalities south of the neck to influence their overall skin quality. Bodywork is nothing new, but for skincare experts and patients alike, it feels urgent now, as Mind Body Green expresses.

Read more:

Healthy eating affirmation on your list? Locals give the lowdown on the challenges

Picture: Pinteres/ psycho

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From psychedelics to 'The Great Resignation' - wellness trends for 2022 - CapeTown ETC