This episode of the podcast covers common presentations of life threatening substance-use emergencies and how to effectively manage them outside of hospital. I break down the common classes of drugs used recreationally, what signs/symptoms to watch for that may indicate a life threatening emergency, and how to effectively respond to save their life. I come at this topic from the perspective of what to do as the average person without training, as well as tips for first responders and healthcare professionals to enhance their patient care and prognosis.  I bring together my experience as a paramedic, harm reduction/overdose prevention worker,  Basic Life Support instructor, and expertise in substance-use disorders to help you enhance your confidence saving a life.  This will be one you won’t want to miss!

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This podcast is uncensored and covers many topics considered mature or difficult for some individuals. We do not condone any illegal activities, as this is a platform for harm reduction and open dialogue.  The statements and opinions shared on this podcast are not meant to replace advice from a qualified medical professional.

I come back with a new episode to discuss processing grief and empathic strain.  We start by exploring a cool new story in neuroscience where researchers recreated music generated from the brain activity of epilepsy patients.  This leads us into how our brains process perception and project our perceptions of reality onto the outside world.  Grief is highly complex and each of us have unique needs and ways of processing loss.  There is no "correct" way or timeline to heal from grief.  I then  introduce the concept of "empathic strain" that affects those in high-stress helping professions and how to manage it when it shows up in yourself.  Empathy is like a muscle that can be injured when overused or we do not create space to express or process difficult emotions.   I share tips on how to arm yourself to prepare for entering difficult situations to support others, as well as how to disarm and transition back into a calm restful state.  

I use the CHIME framework to expand on how we can take care of ourselves and recover from crisis or burnout.  Once our basic needs are met (physical, psychological, social safety) we can direct our attention to enhancing our sense of connectedness, hope/optimism, identity, meaning, and empowerment.  This allows us to build a strong sense of purpose and meaning in your work and challenges you face.  Using this framework for your own self care and building rituals to switch from your helper/healer role back into your personal life, without bringing the energy and trauma you experienced with you.  

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This podcast is uncensored and covers many topics considered mature or difficult for some individuals. We do not condone any illegal activities, as this is a platform for harm reduction and open dialogue.  The statements and opinions shared on this podcast are not meant to replace advice from a qualified medical professional.

The war on drugs has caused a toxic street supply and increased the harms on those who struggle.  Toronto Public Health provides free and anonymous drug testing services through The Works and other harm reduction organizations, which tracks what chemicals and adulterants are ending up in various black-market substances.  I discuss the pathophysiology and impacts on those using the substance that is being adulterated.  Drug dealers add these adulterants to save money and increase potency/addictiveness.  Providing regulated safe drug supply alternatives is the best way to overcome this and help individuals struggling to move towards recovery.

Exploring the neuroscience and anatomy behind substance-use disorders is a powerful way to understand why we use substances and what factors make us susceptible to addiction.  Substance-use or behavioural addictions require: a drug/behaviour that stimulates the Nucleus Accumbens and Ventral Tagmental Apparatus (motivation-incentive-reward circuits), an organism made susceptible by bio-psycho-social factors and adverse childhood experiences, and stress.  After reading the current literature and working clinically in this field it is easy to understand why substance-use disorders and addictive behaviours can be so difficult to overcome without effective supports.

I go over recent updates in cannabis research regarding lung health and evidence-based harm reduction tips to avoid negative consequences.  Legalization and regulation have reduced many of the perceived harms of cannabis, which has improved our ability to navigate safe/effective use. 

I wrap up by discussing how community crisis intervention teams deter the need for police/paramedics responding to mental health crisis calls.  This includes how we greatly need to increase funding of social services and community resources to increase public safety, decrease the number of individuals struggling with homelessness, and empower our communities to overcome mental health and addiction challenges.

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This podcast is uncensored and covers many topics considered mature or difficult for some individuals. We do not condone any illegal activities, as this is a platform for harm reduction and open dialogue.  The statements and opinions shared on this podcast are not meant to replace advice from a qualified medical professional.

This episode features updates on the 6-month pilot for the new non-police led Toronto Community Crisis Service, which sends mental health specialists to mental health or addiction crisis calls instead of police/paramedics.  The evidence shows that most 9-1-1 calls did not result in the need for police and that the crisis team was able to manage 78% of calls without the support of other emergency services.  The team can be accessed by calling 9-1-1 or 2-1-1 (2-1-1 is the most direct way to avoid police response).  The Toronto Community Crisis Service is a multi-disciplinary team of mental health specialists that take a harm reductive, trauma-informed approach to responding to and managing crisis calls across the city.  On the majority of calls the team is able to assess and manage the crisis without the need to transport the person to hospital.  Each person that the team responds to will receive the option for 6-months of intensive case management to help prevent future crises and address the root causes.  

See what areas of the city the service is currently covering as it starts to expand across Toronto: https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/public-safety-alerts/community-safety-programs/toronto-community-crisis-service/toronto-community-crisis-service-areas/#location=&lat=&lng=

More information on the Toronto Community Crisis Service can be found here: https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/public-safety-alerts/community-safety-programs/toronto-community-crisis-service/

I also highlight updates from the frontlines of the drug poisoning epidemic.  The city of Toronto is still seeing a large number of overdose-related fatalities due to the unregulated street supply of fentanyl and crystal methamphetamine.  I talk about what we are finding in drug samples collected by Toronto Public Health and the risks associated: https://drugchecking.cdpe.org/reports/

Finally,  I share some thoughts on the state of cannabis research and some tips on how to navigate a lot of the bad reasearch that exists out there.  I finish off with some ideas on how to increase effectiveness and reduce harms around your cannabis use.

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This podcast is uncensored and covers many topics considered mature or difficult for some individuals. We do not condone any illegal activities, as this is a platform for harm reduction and open dialogue.  The statements and opinions shared on this podcast are not meant to replace advice from a qualified medical professional.

Wrapping up 2022 with a gem of an episode!  Carl Waggett, host of Canadian Shroomer, has 20 years experience as a firefighter and has become an advocate for psychedelic healing for first responders (and all who want to access it).  Carl takes us through his journey from first responder to psychedelic mentor.  We go over what it truely takes to be reslient in the face of traumatic situations.  This includes the mistakes many first responders make that should be avoided for a long/healthy career.  This is also an opportunity to talk about how psychedelics (especially psilocybin) work on allowing the brain to shift its perspectices and move toward recovery of depression or trauma-related disorders.  Carl shares his take on how one should prepare if considering a psychedelic experience, to avoid harms or overwhelming distress.  One of my favourite analogies he came up with is his idea of the "psychedelic bouncer" as a symbol for a difficult experience in the early "come up" stages of a psychedleic trip.  It was a privilage to hear Carl's wisdom and candid, no-bullshit perspectives on where the world of first responder resiliency and psychedelic healing could be heading.  I hope to have him on again soon! 

Check out these links to his social media for Canadian Shroomer content, livestreams, and updates:

YouTube: Canadian Shroomer

TikTok: @canadianshroomer

Discord: discord.gg/Tnyyfm8fZA

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This podcast is uncensored and covers many topics considered mature or difficult for some individuals.  We do not condone any illegal activities, as this is a platform for harm reduction and open dialogue.  The statements and opinions shared on this podcast are not meant to replace advice from a qualified medical professional.

On this episode I discuss the paradigm shift towards non-police led community crisis teams responding to mental health calls in the city of Toronto.  I outline the multidisciplinary approch these teams use and how they can be more effective than police/EMS-led models, while simultaneously taking burden off of police and paramedic services.  Community crisis teams work alone or alongside police and paramedic services where necessary.  In this episode I also discuss how liminal/transitional spaces are tied into crisis work.  

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@jake_flightofthoughts

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The Psychedelic Society of First Responders and Emergency Workers

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This podcast is uncensored and covers many topics considered “taboo” or difficult for some individuals. We do not condone any illegal activities, as this is a platform for harm reduction and open dialogue.  The statements and opinions shared on this podcast are not meant to replace advice from a qualified medical professional.

The show returns from a break to discuss managing dysregulation/dysfunction from burnout and how to intervene during the initial phases.  I talk about the burnout that I experienced recently that led to taking a stress leave from my regular job.  This goes into some of the systemic problems that make it difficult to cope with stress in our society and the exaustion felt by many of us from the COVID-19 pandemic.  I also discuss building your own map to recovery from burnout and post-traumatic stress.

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@jake_flightofthoughts

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The Psychedelic Society of First Responders and Emergency Workers

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This podcast is uncensored and covers many topics considered “taboo” or difficult for some individuals. We do not condone any illegal activities, as this is a platform for harm reduction and open dialogue.  The statements and opinions shared on this podcast do not replace advice from a qualified medical professional.

This episode explores the bio-psycho-social (plus) nuances that go into traumatic experiences.  Luke Montgomery joins us to discuss his latest documentary that asks the questions: What is trauma?  What factors go into the vast responses human beings have to traumatic experiences?  As well as, how can we turn traumatic experiences into opportunities for growth and enhanced resiliency in the face of chaos?

There are many different forms of traumatic experiences.  Some seem to mostly breed unnecessary suffering (sexual assaults, abuse, neglect, etc.) while others have the potential to create heroic traits and promote individuation that leads to success.  It is important to remember that trauma is not the incident or experience in itself, but our relationship to that experience that makes it either shocking, or awe-inspiring.  Our minds, bodies, and nervous systems are built to manage stress better when we have the resources, supports, and capacity to face the challenges in our lives. Instagram:

@jake_flightofthoughts

Facebook:

The Psychedelic Society of First Responders and Emergency Workers

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This podcast covers many topics considered “taboo” or difficult for some individuals. We do not condone any illegal activities, as this is a platform for harm reduction and open dialogue.