Taking Our Own Medicine

 This reflective essay explores the evolving culture of psychedelic medicine training and the ethical complexities of clinicians using the same substances they study and administer. The author, a physician trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy, recounts repeated encounters with the question: "Are you all on drugs?" from a skeptical classmate, a clinical trial orientation, and a public webinar. These moments prompt a deeper examination of the boundary between professional commitment and cultural intoxication. The narrative contrasts arguments about the necessity of personal psychedelic use for clinician authenticity with the risk of fostering a subtle dogmatism. Ultimately, the author suggests that psychedelic medicine may unwittingly carry its own form of “intoxication” not from substance use per se, but from rigid belief in its transformative power. By embracing humility, doubt, and shared vulnerability, practitioners might better navigate the therapeutic promise and the cultural pitfalls of this field.

 This reflective essay explores the evolving culture of psychedelic medicine training and the ethical complexities of clinicians using the same substances they study and administer. The author, a physician trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy, recounts repeated encounters with the question: "Are you all on drugs?" from a skeptical classmate, a clinical trial orientation, and a public webinar. These moments prompt a deeper examination of the boundary between professional commitment and cultural intoxication. The narrative contrasts arguments about the necessity of personal psychedelic use for clinician authenticity with the risk of fostering a subtle dogmatism. Ultimately, the author suggests that psychedelic medicine may unwittingly carry its own form of “intoxication” not from substance use per se, but from rigid belief in its transformative power. By embracing humility, doubt, and shared vulnerability, practitioners might better navigate the therapeutic promise and the cultural pitfalls of this field.