Why are we focused on the mental and emotional battle?
1 in 4 cancer patients suffer from depression. Your mental health is equally as important as your physical health.
Cancer therapy is more than the physical battle with cancer.Your emotional and mental well being are just as important to your quality of life when facing this disease. Studies have shown the impact of mental well-being on survival, outcomes, and overall quality of life. Traditional psychotherapy and medications can be very helpful, but can take years and require dozens of sessions, or may just numb your symptoms without addressing root causes. “Unfortunately, conventional pharmacologic treatment methods like antidepressants work for less than half of cancer patients and tend to not work any better than placebos. In addition, they have no effect whatsoever on existential distress and death anxiety, which commonly accompany a cancer diagnosis.”Dr. Stephen Ross, NYU Langone Medical Center

However, new clinical and scientific research has shown the promise of psilocybin and other psychedelics to help with the mental, spiritual, and emotional symptoms of cancer, accelerating and intensifying the results of traditional psychotherapy. Many clinical studies support psychedelics used in combination with integrative psychotherapy: psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT). Clinical trials are underway today at the world’s best academic research centers to investigate PAT as a supplemental therapy for the cancer treatment journey.“But I’m not fixated on the dying part of it, I’m more fixated on the living part of it–experiencing the life that I’ve got left, instead of being so wrapped up in the idea that I’m going to die that I miss out on the life that happens between now and then.”The Guardian

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RECOMMENDED READING
A recent August 2024 article about psilocybin research and its impact on cancer patients
A recent July 2024 article from Dr. Manish Agrawal, an oncologist and founder of Sunstone Therapies, dedicated to “whole person healing.”
A 2020 publication from the Veterans Administration highlights the importance of mental health treatment as part of cancer care. Read the summary from the National Cancer Institute.
A June 2023 editorial article in the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer discusses the accelerating effects of psilocybin: “While gold-standard cognitive behavioral therapy can be beneficial, it requires time and stamina that cancer patients may not have. In contrast, psilocybin therapy can lead to substantial improvement in just one or two sessions, which is particularly important for patients receiving end-of-life care.”
The information on this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Psychedelics may or may not be legal in your jurisdiction. Consult a lawyer if you have questions about the law, and consult your care team before making any decisions about your health. Legal notice.
Note: There are several psychedelics under investigation for treatment of the mental and emotional symptoms of cancer. While we focus almost exclusively on psilocybin, we will include breaking information from trusted sources about others (MDMA, Ketamine, etc.).