A study by the Research Council of Norway has concluded that psychedelics do not link to mental health problems or suicidal behavior. A study of roughly 130,000 adult citizens in the United States found no “evidence that psychedelic use is an independent risk factor for mental health problems.” Of the 135,095 randomly selected people, 19,299 […]
Addictions have become one of the most critical health issues of modern society, costing many lives and affecting countless individuals and families. We have learned a lot in the last century that helps us better understand the complexity of addictions, however it is also apparent that conventional treatments have not made much of a dent […]
Last December, the new US “drug czar” Michael Botticelli surprised many when he publicly acknowledged that addiction “is not a moral failing.” This stance, along with the growing belief that the War on Drugs has failed, marks a radical and much-needed shift in authoritative opinion on addiction. This new understanding has huge implications for the […]
Detoxing can seem like it would be difficult when in reality it’s quite easy and super beneficial for your health. Whether you’re applying for a new job, in need of a tolerance break, or just want to sit smoking cannabis, there are a few things to know about cleansing your system of cannabis. Here’s how […]
Agassi confesses he “hated tennis and took meth” and Dr. M reveals his demons while struggling to help addicts on Vancouver’s mean streets Are you now, or have you ever been, in the realm of the “Hungry Ghosts”? The Hungry Ghosts is one of the six realms in the Buddhist Wheel of Life — the un-fun one where people […]
What causes drug addiction? One Canadian physician argues that the problem isn’t the drugs themselves. Dr. Gabor Maté believes — based on research and his own experience working at harm reduction clinics in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, a poor area that has one of the worst drug problems in North America — that the root of […]
Twenty years ago, having a Spirit “attached” to you was called a possession. Thanks to the movie, Poltergeist and ones like it, that term is no longer politically correct or considered to be gentle enough to use in professional practice when working with clients compassionately. Just the word ‘possession’ elicits horrifying imagery. In many healing […]
How is it possible to have compassion for someone whom you believe is choosing to live a life of drug addiction? Someone who chooses drugs over their families, over their children, over their job? As we explored with Dr. Drew previously in the #14Days on the Wagon series, stigma surrounding addiction is often tied into the widespread belief that […]
If there’s one constant among addicts of all types, it’s shame. It’s what makes us lie and hide. It’s what keeps us from asking for help – though we don’t think we need it, since we’re also good at lying to ourselves. About why we eat. Or shop. Or gamble. Or drink. Dr. Gabor Maté […]
As governments, health authorities, first responders, addiction workers and medical personnel struggle to cope with the opioid epidemic and shocking rise in overdose deaths, they do so in a culture devoid of a deep appreciation of the complexity of addiction and its sources in human experience. Most people do not understand how desperate users are to […]
What if I told you there might be a new way to treat drug addiction? I don’t mean spending billions failing to police the drug supply, or mopping ineffectually at addiction’s results, which are ill health, violence, sold bodies, damaged families . . . let me reword that, blood infections and oozing facial sores, fractured […]
It is now one hundred years since drugs were first banned — and all through this long century of waging war on drugs, we have been told a story about addiction by our teachers and by our governments. This story is so deeply ingrained in our minds that we take it for granted. It seems […]
Since the middle of the 90s, there has been a renewed interest in the possible positive effects of many different plants and substances such as LSD, “magic” mushrooms and psilocybin, ayahuasca or iboga. Many new and rigorous scientific studies have been showing promising evidence that those substances are suitable for the treatment of many diseases and […]
Although it is mass-produced, mass promoted, legal, and ingested by a multitude of people all over the world, most people don’t ever consider or understand the spiritual consequences of drinking alcohol. Let’s begin by taking a look at the etymology of the Word alcohol. Etymology means the root of the word… where it is derived […]
Running an ayahuasca healing center for over six years and guiding over 1200 people through this process, we have seen a lot of different kinds of experiences people can have with the medicine ayahuasca. One of the truly amazing things about this medicine is that it truly does work with people in a unique and […]
We’ve come a long way from doctors endorsing cigarettes and authority figures saying that nicotine is perfectly safe, but even in this day and age when we know that tobacco is the single leading cause of preventable death,1 millions of people still smoke and many of them are struggling to quit. Finding ways to help […]
“There are not good or bad plants in nature, every plant in nature has a purpose , the problem is when we use plants without having enough knowledge about the properties, energies and compatibility with us and with other plants. Remember everything can be harmful when is out of balance and I will give you […]
Are There Other Ways to Deal With Addiction? In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in the use of ancient shamanic medicines, and remarkably one of the most promising uses for them in the modern world is the healing of the destructive relationship we have with their modern cousins: substances of recreation […]