Exploring Psychedelic Benefits for Chronic Illness with Christina P. Kantzavelos, LCSW, MSW, MLIS
In this episode, Christina P. Kantzavelos, LCSW, MSW, MLIS joins to discuss the use of psychedelics to address chronic illness. Christina is an international psychotherapist, coach, writer and artist, who specializes in treating clients with chronic illness, and complex trauma utilizing various modalities, including psychedelic assisted therapy.
In this conversation, Christina overviews the complex mental and physical health impacts of chronic pain conditions and shares her expertise on psychedelic and non-psychedelic treatments for these conditions. Christina mentions that chronic pain can put one’s body in a state that encourages fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses which can disempower the patient’s efforts to address their condition. She also explores the intersection of identity and chronic pain conditions, discussing how that while receiving a particular diagnosis can be helpful and affirming, taking this as a core part of one’s identity can also be a major roadblock to healing. In closing, Christina emphasizes that pain starts in the brain, so leveraging neuroplasticity through psychedelics and other means can be a particularly powerful way to address both physical and mental health aspects of chronic pain conditions.
In this episode you'll hear:
How Christina got involved in working with patients with chronic pain
The common mental health presentations in those with chronic pain
The importance of addressing physical health and mental health concurrently
Why psychedelics may be helpful for addressing chronic pain conditions
The immunomodulating effects of psychedelics
The power of neuroplasticity for addressing chronic pain
Utilizing neural retraining and microdosing in conjunction to prepare for more successful higher dose psychedelic experiences
Quotes:
“I use all kinds of modalities and I don’t just treat someone’s depression or anxiety or complex trauma—I see it as everything is interwoven and related to each other. And it’s important that we look at the entirely mosaic piece rather than just focusing on one area.” [5:20]
“There is a state of empowerment versus disempowerment in identifying with our chronic illness. I’m not saying that it is not real and it's not happening to you but it definitely is not you. It’s something you are experiencing. Even if it’s chronic and lifelong, it’s still something you are experiencing—it’s not you as a whole.” [17:48]
“I’ve noticed that any of my clients who have gone through neural retraining have had little to no bad [psychedelic] trips which is amazing and I feel like that’s partly because they worked so hard to resource themselves in advance.” [25:19]
Links:
When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress by Gabor Maté
PMA CME/CE accredited course: Managing Medical Risk in Patients Seeking Psilocybin Therapy
Search for providers on the Psychology Today website