The Evolving Man Podcast

#57 - 12 Step Addiction Recovery Meets The Psychedelic Renaissance - w/ Jessica Cadoch

Jun 16, 2021

01:21:58

Jessica Cadoch is a researcher whose masters’ thesis focussed on building a bridge between the well established 12 step recovery approach for addiction recovery, and the emerging movement of psychedelic assisted therapy for trauma.

Since addiction is often rooted in trauma, her question is an important one: “How can addicted people in abstinence-based recovery benefit from the healing that psychedelic therapy can provide, without it qualifying as a ‘relapse’?”. Jessica joined me on the show to discuss this topic and talk about solutions.

In this episode we dive into:

Jessica’s experience volunteering at the Montreal Psychedelic Society.
Psychedelic assisted therapy.
The groundwork of Jessica’s thesis in Medical Anthropology.
Ben’s journey of learning about psychedelics.
Double standards in 12-Step programs.
Community initiatives progressing the psychedelic revolution.
Building a bridge between 12-Step programs and psychedelic assisted therapy.
Spiritual awakenings vs. spiritual experiences.
Changing existing medical models.
Examining phrases and ideologies in 12-Step programs.
Original definition of “recreational.”
Stigma of psychedelic use in the recovering addicts community.
The importance of intent when using drugs.
Spreading the conversation of psychedelics outside of medical clinics.
The role of demographics in drug use and treatment.
Dr. Carl Hart’s idea of “no bad drugs.”
Addiction as a result of systemic issues.
How psychedelics could aid society’s current downfalls.
Missing statistical data in the psychedelic movement.
The Maya App: measurement based software for psychedelic therapists and coaches.
Psychedelics: assisted process vs. self-directed process.
How can individuals support the psychedelic movement?
Normalizing conversations about taboo subjects.