Thomas Hartle, 56, turned to psychedelic-assisted therapy to help ease his feelings about his stage 4 cancer diagnosis.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle. Thomas Hartle is 56 years old and has stage 4 colon cancer. He is one of the handful of Canadians to receive psychedelic-assisted therapy legally. (Image provided by Hartle) Thomas Hartle turned to psilocybin because he wanted to change his perception of death and dying. The 56 year old, who has been a stage 4 colon cancer patient since 2016, told Yahoo Canada he “sought out ways to try to deal with end-of-life distress.”
Antidepressants didn’t sit quite right with Hartle. Although they would take away some of his anxieties, his “desirable emotions like happiness and love,” also diminished. However, when he came across research from Johns Hopkins University that found 80 per cent of cancer patients experienced a significant decrease in depression and anxiety from taking psilocybin, his interest in psychedelics was piqued.
“I believe in the science,” Hartle said. He added he kept an open mind before pursuing psilocybin-assisted therapy, despite being raised with anti-drug messaging and stigma. “The sense of release I got from my first session was so profound and effective. … It was very comforting to me.”
As it currently stands, psilocybin is illegal in Canada and it can only be used legally through a Section 56 exemption for end-of-life distress or if you sign up for an approved study. According to a public opinion survey by TheraPsil, a British Columbia-based psychedelics advocacy group, 82 per cent of people surveyed said they approved of the use of psilocybin mushrooms to treat depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) . Eighty-eight per cent approved of its use for terminal illnesses.
Yahoo Canada recently spoke to one Canadian on his experience with psilocybin-assisted therapy, or psychedelic-assisted therapy, and some experts in the field advocating for its use. ‘Powerful’ effect of […]
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