by Yvonne Paquette, RSW, MSW (cand)
In one form or another, humans spend their lives chasing a sense of control. We do this in a variety of ways, such as managing our food and exercise in an effort to control our bodies and health; trying to predict how others will react to what we say and do in order to control our social interactions; or even taking our time with a restaurant menu as an act of indulgent freedom. People go to great lengths to feel in control because it makes us feel safe, or at the very least confident that our actions can restore a wavering sense of safety. When we feel safe, we can thrive and grow aspects of our selves and our lives, as well as participate in other’s lives.
But what happens when impending mortality takes away our carefully cultivated sense of control? Mortality, or death, can be a terrifying concept – even for the most accepting and spiritual among us. Fear, anxiety, and resistance are common feelings when faced with something unknown or that we can’t control. Psychedelic assisted therapy has the potential to transform how we approach the end-of-life stage and palliative care. TheraPsil is a Canadian non-profit coalition who advocates for psilocybin access for end-of-life distress. As of March 2021, TheraPsil has assisted 27 terminally ill patients across 5 different provinces in accessing legal, psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. Unfortunately, there are still many barriers to accessing psychedelic assisted therapies in all areas of care. The treatments can be expensive, and many promising psychedelics remain illegal or restricted to research studies or extreme circumstances such as terminal diagnosis.
The work towards psychedelic accessibility isn’t over. TheraPsil’s next advocacy project is already under way. With consultation from patients and care-providers and legal advocates, TheraPsil has submitted a proposed draft to Health Canada, of a framework for the legalization and regulation of psilocybin for medical and therapeutic purposes. Though the first round of public consultation on the matter ended on September 21st, 2021, public consultations are not over. You can read the full draft on TheraPsil’s website, including the cover letter send to Patty Hajdu, the Minister of Health MP for Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Here are some links to materials that informed this post, and some folks’ experiences with psilocybin assisted therapy for end-of-life distress:
Why Losing Control Can Make You Happier, Greater Good Magazine, University of California, Berkeley
How Psilocybin Is Revolutionizing The Way We Die | Daily Mushroom Podcast Ep. 4, TheraPsil, Canada
Given a Year To Live, She Turned to Shrooms and Canada Allowed It, Vice, Canada
Post written by Yvonne Paquette, RSW, MSW (cand)