Crown Heights Therapist Offers His Take on Using Psychedelics

From the Rabbi Daniel Schoenbuch,LMFT

Are psychedelics a good idea? This is a question that many of my clients under the age of 30 often ask me in my office. I understand why. This is such a hot topic that you can’t help but hear about it on countless podcasts and social media influencers. Psychedelic drugs are also a fascinating topic. That’s because, although many of these drugs are illegal, they are now being touted as a “cure” for mental illness. The answer to my client, and the answer I will share with you, is a little complicated, so please give me a few paragraphs to explain my position.

About seven years ago, before the psychedelic craze started, I was working with two different clients. One was a 50-year-old woman who had suffered from depression most of her life and was in a terrible marriage. She didn’t respond to most of the drugs she tried, including drugs like Lexapro, Abilify, and even Risperdal. These drugs range from “mild” to what I consider to be quite “heavy”, which is usually reserved for more severe cases.

Unfortunately, nothing seemed to work out for her. I talked to a doctor I was working with who recommended I try a drug called ketamine. I was skeptical at first, but a colleague recommended it to me. The proposal also came after the FDA cleared the use of ketamine as a nasal spray as a treatment for depression.

The client was only able to find one place in New York that provided ketamine. The clinic was run by an anesthesiologist who had found a new field for his practice. She had about six treatments and that was it. During her treatment, the anesthetist administered an intravenous injection, which rendered her semi-conscious.

Around the same time, I was visiting another client who was 40 years old and was suffering from what I considered long-term resistant depression, had difficulty getting married, and also had a debilitating social anxiety disorder. I did. I suggested he try ketamine as well. I was reluctant at first, but eventually I tried the anesthetist’s recommended treatment four or five times.

After about a month, I was amazed to see that both of these clients began to feel much better, and for the first time, their long-term conditions seemed to improve. Not only that, their relationship improved and my male client got engaged. From my perspective, these were therapeutic breakthroughs.

I have been taught that the only real treatment for conditions like depression and PTSD are SSRIs, or what are commonly known as antidepressants. Therefore, my clients’ reported benefits have truly dispelled my misconceptions about these types of drugs, and over time, I have come to recommend drugs like ketamine to my clients.

Here’s the big “however”.

When I talk about the legal use of drugs like ketamine, I’m talking about the treatment of more severe depression, or the level of trauma seen in the war in Israel, or severe physical, mental, and sexual abuse. I am referring to the treatment of those who have experienced it. . But what I’ve seen in the last five years or so is that drugs like ketamine, mushrooms, LSD, and ayahuasca have become popular. They are no longer only suggested to individuals who really need them, but to those suffering from less serious problems. This includes people struggling with mild anxiety, ADHD, boredom, or what Viktor Frankl called an existential crisis: not knowing who you are.

What I find most interesting, and the general public probably doesn’t know this, is that in the last few years there has been a huge push for therapists like myself to help people implement ketamine therapy. One such company that I attended training with and received certification was willing to provide ketamine lozenges to just about anyone I felt needed them.

My suspicions arose when I received an email from this company asking, “Would you like to try Ketamine?” It’s like a cardiologist being asked to just “try out” a heart disease medication to give to a client. I don’t think anyone trained in cardiology would ever try the drugs they prescribe unless necessary. The way I see it, traditional pharmaceutical companies, which have been criticized for being concerned about profit margins, have just been replaced by new pharmaceutical companies and organizations that see the potential for huge profits to be made from psychedelics. .

I am also concerned that there are many people who suffer from milder forms of depression and anxiety, and who do not have the right mental health system to know how to prescribe medication to suit their needs. Seeing a doctor or a well-trained therapist may help. Who will help? There are many powerful treatments I use to improve symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and more, including Somatic Experiencing, IFS, and Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapy. I also believe that there are certain spiritual therapies that allow you to experience different levels of euphoria without using any drugs.

Finally, readers should be aware that there are potentially serious effects associated with psychedelic use, including:

• Bad Trip – Psychedelic drugs can cause frightening experiences for users. A bad trip like this can lead to anxiety, paranoia, and even suicide.
• Flashbacks – Some people who take psychedelic drugs may experience flashbacks. This effect means that even if you have not taken the drug, you suddenly and unexpectedly experience the effects of the drug again.
• Psychotic Episodes – Long-term use of hallucinogens can cause psychotic episodes. Psychotic episodes cause users to experience delusions, hallucinations, and paranoia.

Before trying psychedelic drugs, we highly recommend trying a few rounds of therapy first to see if your therapist is a healing “Sharia”. If that doesn’t work, you may decide to try more serious medications such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, or hallucinogens.

– Rabbi Daniel Schonbuch, LMFT, is a certified therapist and owner and director of MyTalkPlace.com, which provides frum therapist therapy to the Jewish community. He is the author of several books on therapy, including Think Good and It Will Be Good: Spiritually-Based Therapy Inspired by Viktor Frankl and Hawaiian Wisdom, available at: Amazon.com.