Last summer, I was looking for something new to do after having decided to move on from my previous job. I remember being on the phone with a recruiter who said, “We might have something you’d be interested in.” I expected something along the lines of what I typically hear in these conversations - different versions of technology solutions for various mental health conditions - but instead, her response was, “Psychedelics.”
I paused my walk, looked up at the sky as if searching for the answer, and thought, “Well, that’s different.” Although I was somewhat skeptical about using psychedelics for mental health treatment, I kept an open mind and decided to do my own research, knowing that I would either come to the conclusion that this was a good idea, or a terrible one. My answer to the recruiter was simply, “Maybe.”
It’s not hard to understand the impact of mental health conditions when you witness people living through them as a clinician.
As a clinical psychologist, there have been times when I’ve felt genuinely hopeful about a treatment approach that can make an incredible difference in someone’s life. It’s not hard to understand the impact of mental health conditions when you witness people living through them as a clinician. It’s also not hard when you have loved ones you wish you could help, but somehow can’t. In my case, it was both. Sometimes people get better, but sometimes, for a variety of reasons, they don’t.
Imagine trying to live life with no motivation, a sense of being disconnected from everyone and everything, using all the energy you have to keep terrible thoughts at bay, feeling guilty about pretending to be a version of you for your loved ones and for people who depend on you. Fighting exhaustion. Feeling hopeless. This is what it's like to have a mental health condition that lingers despite your best efforts to get it to go away.
As I pondered a possible future in psychedelics, I thought about all the people I’ve encountered over the years who might have benefited from a different approach, had it been available. Somewhere along the way, my initial “Maybe” became a “Yes”, followed by a “Sign me up!”, and finally, a “There’s nothing I’d rather be doing than this.”
Psychedelics are the most promising treatment to have come along in decades, but there's a lot that can go wrong. Companies can exploit this promise by focusing only on the bottom line and cutting corners, harming patients in the process. Eager providers can make false promises about wonder drugs fixing all things, which is hardly ever true. These are some of the reasons why I and the Noma founding team are committed to delivering psychedelics responsibly, building our program around the best available evidence, always with patient safety at the forefront, with unwavering attention to quality, and most importantly, with respect for every person who comes our way who is willing to share their story and ask for help.
Are you interested in the promising potential of psychedelics for mental health? Join us at Noma and discover responsible and evidence-based solutions. Visit us on the web at www.nomatherapy.com to learn more and be a part of this transformative journey towards better mental health. Together, we can make a difference.
Dr. Auxier is a licensed clinical psychologist, author, and speaker with 20 years of behavioral health care experience geared towards improving access to better treatment to those who need it most
