The decision to embark on any therapeutic program is a big one, and deserves appropriate consideration. After all, this is life-work. It affects your inner and outer worlds, and it\u2019s not always easy. You want to make an informed decision.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve come to the point of considering psychedelic therapy<\/a> as the next step in your healing and growth journey. How do you know it\u2019s the right step? Are there ways to determine when the time is right for you?<\/p>\n To help you get a sense of how you\u2019re feeling, there are a number of questions you can ask yourself that will help to provide some clarity.<\/p>\n Right now, ketamine therapy is the only legal avenue<\/a> (not including clinical research trials)<\/em> for someone to receive psychedelic therapy. Common reasons to seek this treatment are to help work through depression<\/a> and anxiety<\/a>.<\/p>\n Before exploring the possibilities much further, let\u2019s make sure you\u2019re eligible for treatment. When considering treatment options, whether psychological, or pharmacological, there can be contraindications<\/a> to consider. Contraindications are specific circumstances that could make someone ineligible to move forward with the treatment. <\/p>\n Ketamine, due to some of its effects both physically and psychologically \u2014 has its own set of contraindications. All medical considerations are discussed in your consultation with a licensed clinician.<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like to check your eligibility, you can try our survey here<\/a>.<\/p>\n When making a decision about psychedelic therapy, you should explore all aspects of the medicine, experience, and treatment program. This helps determine whether this is the right next step for you at this time, given what you may be coping with, what you\u2019d like to work on, and what results or outcomes you\u2019d like to achieve.<\/p>\n Here are some questions you should ask yourself to help better understand the process:<\/p>\n There are number of vectors and categories one can look at to get as much information as possible, here are some categories worth exploring for any psychedelic therapy treatment:<\/p>\n Getting more information on each of these categories will give you an overview, and hopefully the confidence, to make an informed decision. This way, you prioritize safety and act in your own best interest. If it doesn\u2019t feel right, don\u2019t do it.<\/p>\n If the clinician has determined that you\u2019re eligible, and you\u2019ve made an informed decision to move forward with this method of treatment, have you thought about what you\u2019d like to address or work on?<\/p>\n Having a clear, focused intention<\/a> is vital to successful outcomes. Knowing what you want to work on, your desired outcome, how you\u2019d like to feel, what you\u2019d like your life to look like \u2014all these factors shape how you show up for the treatment. This helps ensure everyone involved \u2014the clinicians, the staff, yourself\u2014 are working in unison to support the treatment and results you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n For some, this question can seem obvious, but it\u2019s worth a level of reflection and honesty with yourself before committing to the plan. Change and personal growth can be difficult, particularly when you\u2019re working with long-established habits and ways of being.<\/p>\n Sometimes change and healing can require large commitments from you: getting out of relationships that don\u2019t serve you, making career changes, asserting firm boundaries with friends and family, or using your voice and being more forward. These can be unnatural decisions or behaviors at first, uncomfortable even. If you feel a resistance toward making these changes, or a resistance to leaning into the process, acknowledging and working with this resistance will likely be vital to allowing space to cultivate your healing process.<\/p>\n The commitment to your journey of growth and healing is essential when embarking on a psychedelic therapy program<\/a>.<\/p>\n For many, psychedelic medicine is not a \u201cmagic pill\u201d that suddenly makes everything better. This is why the use of psychedelics is often supported by some form of therapy or psychedelic integration.<\/p>\n The cycle of diving into the medicinal experience,<\/a> then integration<\/a>, and back, can ask a lot of you. It challenges you to analyze parts of yourself that you may have packed down deep inside, either consciously or unconsciously, for your own safety. It can bring things to the surface you haven\u2019t confronted in a while and open you up to having uncomfortable conversations with yourself and others. This work can challenge you to make behavioral changes that are more inline with your personal values and how you want to live your life based on insights gained.<\/p>\n The work starts the moment you commit to this healing process by taking time to evaluate yourself, setting your intentions, and preparations around preparing your mindset and treatment setting. When the afterglow wears off, the goal is that the work you have done with integration has helped you land with your feet firmly planted further ahead on your path of healing.<\/p>\n When you embark on a psychedelic psychotherapeutic process, you\u2019re there for lasting, positive change. This requires you to be present for the process. Some lessons can take weeks, even months to fully integrate, but the potential for decades of benefit is well worth the initial investment.<\/p>\n Fortunately, you don\u2019t have to do this by yourself. Throughout your healing journey you\u2019ll have support from licensed clinicians and guides, and often the support of family or close friends who are invested in you reaching your full potential. <\/p>\n If you\u2019ve answered \u2018yes\u2019 to all of these questions, you\u2019re likely ready to begin a psychedelic therapy program. Check in with yourself, making sure it is a deep and clear \u201cyes.\u201d<\/p>\nAm I eligible for ketamine treatment?<\/h2>\n
Am I informed about psychedelic therapy?<\/h2>\n
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Do I have a clear intention or goal for treatment? <\/h2>\n
Do I want to change, grow, or heal?<\/h2>\n
Am I willing to do the work?<\/h2>\n
Am I ready?<\/h2>\n