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Understanding the Potential Benefits of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy for End-of-Life Distress
End-of-life distress encompasses a range of emotional, physical, and spiritual challenges that individuals may face as they near the end of their lives. This distress can manifest in various ways, such as anxiety, depression, fear, and existential concerns.
Managing end-of-life distress can be incredibly difficult and profoundly impact an individual’s quality of life. However, emerging evidence suggests that psychedelic-assisted therapy holds promise as a valuable treatment approach to alleviate symptoms and improve well-being during this challenging time.
TheraPsil is an organization that has been at the forefront of advocating for patients’ rights to access psilocybin-assisted therapy for end-of-life care. Their commitment includes supporting the first Canadians with legal exemptions to use psilocybin in 2020, and leading a Canadian Charter challenge filed in 2022, which aims to ensure that patients have the option to explore this innovative therapy.
Laurie Brooks of Abbotsford, BC is one of the first patients to legally use psilocybin in Canada, and a plaintiff in the aforementioned challenge. After being diagnosed with colon cancer that doctors said could kill her within a year, she began feeling extreme anxiety and dread:
“It’s very difficult to wrap your head around… I’m dying. The chances are that I’m not going to be around in a couple of years. I look fine, but I’m not OK. I’m mad and I’m sad and I’m having to say goodbye to my kids.”
Laurie used psilocybin in a legal psilocybin session, guided by a trained therapist, which had tremendous effects in treating her anxiety. She had this to say about her experience:
“After my trip, I was able to see my cancer as being in a box on the floor beside me and to this day that’s still where I see it. Sometimes it comes out and I have to let it out, but for the most part it’s been in the box instead of looming over me all the time, and that was a massive change for me.”
Laurie’s inspiring story is portrayed in the film “Dosed 2: The Trip of a Lifetime,” highlighting her journey with psilocybin to treat her end-of-life anxiety. Laurie has far surpassed her prognosis— she continues to embrace life, and even became a grandmother in 2023.
Researchers at prestigious institutions like Johns Hopkins and NYU have conducted studies showing that a single moderate dose of psilocybin, when combined with psychotherapy, can lead to significant and enduring improvements in individuals with cancer. In the Hopkins study, a majority of participants reported positive changes in attitudes, mood, relationships, and life goals that persisted up to six months after treatment. Additionally, up to 80% of participants experienced clinically significant reductions in depressed mood and anxiety.
To explore this topic further, mark your calendars for the upcoming webinar on April 25 titled “The WOW of Dying: How Psychedelics and End-of-Life Care Walk Us Home.” Led by Dr. Rohini Kanniganti, known at the Denver Hospice as “the patient whisperer,” the webinar discusses the emerging world of psychedelic therapy and its healing applications for patients working with life limiting and life threatening conditions, as well as their families and care-givers.
For more information on TheraPsil’s advocacy work and their efforts to promote patients’ rights in accessing psychedelic therapy, visit their website at https://therapsil.ca/.
