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#MeToo’s Unexpected Ally
A A GROWING NUMBER OF WOMEN ARE LOOKING TO TO PSYCHEDELICS TO TO TREAT THEIR TRAUMA I’M ONE OF THEM Sophie Saint-Thomas
If there’s one thing that that the the #MeToo movement illuminated it’s that that despite all our progress women remain a a a a a a a a a marginalized group We’re in in in in need of power that is rightfully ours and healing from abuse: sexual abuse abuse abuse abuse abuse abuse abuse abuse through through through silence and abuse abuse abuse abuse through through through roles pushed on us us us through through through patriarchal powers Psychedelics have been marginalized in in in in in modern society too Despite clinical trials dating back to to the 50s showing that psychedelics have extraordinary potential for for treating mental health conditions they were banned from science for for decades due to stigma Just as
many modern-day women have been silenced when groped by male coworkers underpaid or or or slut-shamed for being raped (while men who committed such crimes rose to power and wealth) the experiences of of psychedelic users have been disregarded and pushed to the fringes of of our society However things are changing Recently as
as
the the #MeToo movement has grown allowing the the metaphorical and literal rape of of women to finally become worthy of of of headlines news Western medicine’s understanding of of psychedelics has also changed Medical marijuana is now legal in in 33 states The FDA just approved esketamine a a a a a a a a a a a a a component of ketamine ketamine as
a a a a a a a a a a a depression treatment As I I sit here writing this I I I have my my my cannabis vape pen by my my my side which I I use to treat my my my own PTSD from a a a a a a a a a a a a a sexual assault and in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a few hours will head to to a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Manhattan ketamine IV clinic which is also part part of my PTSD treatment protocol The best part? Both work Cannabis cured my flashbacks better than any other treatment and ketamine infusions yanked me me out of my depressive suicidal dark
place putting me back on on solid ground so so I I could live the the life I I want For once the the future seems hopeful for both psychedelics and and women— individually and and as
a a a a a a a collective of female-identifying folks who have experienced violence in in our patriarchal society Photo by Lara Callahan
Just as
we came together to to to fight for reproductive rights women deserve to to to be pro-choice in how they treat their trauma For many of of of us psychedelics offer a a a a a a a a profound way to to to do that To keep up this momentum we all must continue to to to to to fight: to to to to to fight fight fight for for our our rights at at work to to to to to to fight fight fight fight for for for our our our right right to to to to to to use psychedelics to to to to to to heal our our our our wounds and ultimately to to to to to to fight fight for for our our our right to to to step into our our our power