Twelve years ago, I embarked on a transformative psychedelics journey that opened my eyes to my true self. I did not know then that this trip into my subconscious would completely change my perception of the world, make my then-undiagnosed ADHD more manageable, and lead me to help others experience similar life-changing revelations.
On that fateful day, my psychedelic guide gave me magic mushrooms and said, “Look at the forest one last time; you will never see it the same way again.”
To say he was right would be an understatement.
I arrived with a simple intention: to get to know myself better. What emerged were aspects of myself that I never knew existed. The psychedelic experience revealed the roots of my depression and provided insight about how to regulate my emotions — a godsend for me as I struggled with intense mood swings and disorders. Whereas therapy had failed, this journey transformed me entirely.
To be clear, it was not a magical solution that solved all my problems overnight. But my psychedelic journey gave me a vision of the destination to drive toward. It filled me with an intrinsic motivation to change the patterns that were keeping me stuck.
[Read: The Truth About Lion’s Mane, Psychedelics & Caffeine]
Fast-forward 12 years, following numerous psychedelic experiences combined with therapy: I have achieved a state of emotional stability. Severe mood swings and depression are a distant memory.
I was diagnosed with ADHD last year, and I consider this revelation the last missing piece of my puzzle. Today, I find it easy to love myself for who I am. I have developed new ways to live and embrace my ADHD brain without using medication.
Helping Others Follow the White Rabbit
In 2016, I decided that I wanted to help others by becoming a psychedelic-assisted therapy facilitator. At the time, psychedelic facilitator training programs didn’t exist, so I pursued extensive training in various modalities. I trained in inner child work and trauma integration therapy. I attended workshops and seminars conducted by experts in the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Since then, I have co-founded a psychedelic-assisted therapy company and guided hundreds of people through psilocybin journeys in the Netherlands, where this work is legal. The changes I have witnessed in people, especially those with ADHD and neurodiversity, have been nothing short of astounding.
[From WebMD: A Long, Strange Trip — Psychedelics Meet Mainstream Medicine]
Most of the people undergoing this form of therapy experience significant changes in their lives, overcome addictions and depression, transform their self-doubt, and reduce their rejection sensitivity.
It is important to say that this therapy is not for everyone, nor is it a one-size-fits-all solution. Individuals who are prone to psychosis, diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, or who have a family history of these conditions should abstain from this therapy.
That said, it helped me to redefine my life, and I hope it can benefit others like me.
Psychedelic Assisted Therapy: Next Steps
Alice Smeets is a neurodivergent psilocybin-assisted therapy facilitator and co-founder of A Whole New High, which offers guided, private psilocybin therapy sessions and group retreats in the Netherlands.
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Shrishti Jadhav
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