On this episode @papaviitz joins me to explore the complexity of addictions and the biological, psychological, sociological, spiritual factors that can protect us or put us at risk.
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Vito is studying addictions and mental health with me at Centennial College and grew up in the Riverdale community in Toronto, giving him a lot of experience seeing the effects of different socioeconomic levels on addictions and mental health around the city. We also discuss the various recovery goals that individuals may have (harm reduction VS abstinence VS reducing frequency). The “stages of change” are broken down with which strategies work best for supporting someone in each stage of their goals. We also explore the neuroscience of addiction and what risk factors we can and can’t control.
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Many topics are covered from how trauma and mental health disorders relate to addiction, various forms of addiction, why certain substances are more addictive than others; even breaking down why substance misuse is often a form of relief from various symptoms of suffering or trauma.
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At the end I also add a small bit about the “Bell Let’s Talk” camping summarizing the pros and cons while adding in a few ways they can be less ignorant and more effective at opening the dialogue around the realities and darkness of various mental health struggles. We will be doing another episode diving deeper into these topics soon as one hour is not enough to cover the complexity of addiction!

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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.  Although the ideas are mostly evidence-based and honest, the lines of reality and comedy may be blurred at times...this is your trigger warning!

This is an exciting episode with my good friend Charlie, who worked with me as a Paramedic and as a 9-1-1 call taker.  We share some of our most intense experiences working in emergency services, how we use cannabis for self care to prevent PTSD as first responders, healthy VS unhealthy coping strategies, and more surreal framing of how we view life and death.  We also talk about a few calls we have done that caused an acute stress response and what measures we took to re-process and overcome them, before they manifested as trauma.  Enjoy this ride through life and death moments, using psychedelics and cannabis for self care, while integrating our dark sense of humor!  Cannabis can be an effective self-care tool for the overall benefit to the mental health of first responders and emergency workers when used responsibly with education!  

Strains that are high in Myrcene, CBD, and Linalool are best for combating the acute stress reaction that you may have 24-48 hour after a stressful emergency call.  Avoid high levels of THC (above 12%) when experiencing distressing emotions or anxiety, as CBD-dominant indica and hybrids are much better for managing those symptoms.  Sativa strains high in THC can exacerbate rumination and distressing emotions, so stick to strains that promote a healthy balance of terpenes and CBD when possible!

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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.  

Horror movies are notorious for showing death as either glamorous or completely unrealistic.  Many first responders and emergency workers sit through these kinds of movies, just buzzing with corrections we wish we could make.  In real life death can be both disturbing and artistic in a surreal context, yet horror movies rarely tap into the art of realism.  Chris Kinsella joins me to analyze the holiday-horror-classic Black Christmas!  We discuss how this movie paved the way for future horror slashers like Halloween and Friday the 13th, as well as how each death WOULD have looked in real life based on my paramedic experience and calls that I have responded to with similar injuries.  Enjoy this holiday episode with a nice sativa-dominant hybrid and plenty of trigger warnings!

*Watch the YouTube version of this episode and our episode analyzing The Shining for video clips that accompany each scene that we are discussing to follow along with:                             

Black Christmas Analysis (YouTube): https://youtu.be/YSGxmJWXFvo

The Shining Analysis    (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InQ8qXBb9EQ&t=995s

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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.  Although the ideas are mostly evidence-based and honest, the lines of reality and comedy may be blurred at times...this is your trigger warning!

For this episode I am joined by my friend Maggie Grainger to talk about ADD/ADHD and cognitive functioning. Maggie has a BSc in Biological Anthropology and Psychology, now expanding her expertise into Addictions and Mental Health Work. Maggie helps me take apart the different symptoms of ADD/ADHD in both men and women, the complexity and importance of proper of diagnosis and treatment, how the ADD/ADHD brain is wired, as well as exploring the idea of optimal cognitive functioning. Why does the THC in cannabis compliment the ADHD brain so well? We also explain what is happening in the ADD/ADHD brain to cause the various symptoms. It has been confirmed by Electro-Encephalography (EEG) studies that the right prefrontal cortex falls asleep when symptoms are present, causing theta wave deep-sleep. This is why those with ADD/ADHD require extra dopaminergic stimulation and often seek high-risk behaviours or careers to compliment this!  I personally feel that I chose to work in emergency services because of how my brain is wired, and I feel many others in high-risk fields may feel similar.  Enjoy this episode and feel free to leave comments on how you cope with symptoms of ADD or ADHD for others to learn from!

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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.  

This is a special segment of Flight of Thoughts.  This time we look at Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining".  I am joined by my good friend Chris Kinsella, a horror movie connoisseur and lover of the darkly comedic, artistically surreal, and disturbing aspects of the genre.  Our goal is to combine our passions to break down these ideas; integrating them into our views of mental health and human behaviour.  There are many rabbit holes to dive into with The Shining, but we pick out messages about overcoming addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as discussing Danny's "shining" from the perspective of pediatric epilepsy (seizures). 

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Chris Kinsella will be starting his own series on YouTube exploring horror movies from his darkly comedic takes on society, and passion for the art and power of effective moments in horror cinema!  Until then follow him on Instagram for ongoing content, with rants on movies and our society as a whole! @ckinsella

This was a very intense, engaging conversation about the human brain and it’s processes. Why do some people thrive in chaos and others fall apart? Why do psychedelics help heal trauma? Daniel Greig has been studying cognitive science and philosophy at the University of Toronto with a growing passion about psychedelic science, advocacy, and education. He volunteers with the Canadian Students for a Sensible Drug Policy (CSSDP) and runs a psychedelic seminar series. We talk about what happens in the human brain when we experience traumatic events, addictive impulses, psychedelic healing, near-death experiences, and other important neurological processes! We also explain the five default human responses to a life-threatening moment or crisis; as well as how to recognize which one you are prone to when you enter a situation that is "do or die".

Flight of Thoughts Instagram:

@jake_flight of thoughts

Psychedelic Society Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/PsychedelicFirstRespondersAndEmergencyWorkers/

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.  

Sébastien Clermont is a filmmaker and student at York University, with his film-making style ranging from experimental to documentary style.  Recently, he has been exploring major Canadian issues that have been emerging in mental healthcare.  The documentary he is currently working on covers the emerging psychedelic-assisted therapies, the opioid crisis, and other major trends that branch out of intergenerational trauma and addictions in Canada.  This conversation was very effective in communicating the complexity of the roots of the addiction and mental health crisis in Canada, as well where we must shift our focus to overcome them.

Check out Sébastien Clermont's work at

Youtube: Moutonrondouillard
Instagram: absentinsomniac

Flight of Thoughts

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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.  

I recorded this a week or so before cannabis was legalized here in Canada.  I chose to release this episode a few days after to give everyone access to some useful harm reduction tips for recreational cannabis use, as well as how to be more effective with using it for medical purposes.  This episode includes how to avoid any negative effects, information on various strains and terpenes, and how first responders can navigate cannabis as a medicine more effectively.

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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.  

On this episode, I am joined by Joe Moore to talk about what we can expect with cannabis legalization based on what they have seen in Colorado (since their legalization).  We also address psychedelic harm reduction, and other ideas in the realm of psychedelics and human behavior!  Joe Moore is one of the heads of Psychedelics Today (find their podcast on iTunes as well).  He and Kyle Buller have created the Navigating Psychedelics online course to educate everyone on the responsible and spiritual uses of these substances, recreational VS medicinal use, the history surrounding psychedelics, and ongoing updated research.  

Instagram:

@jake_flight of thoughts

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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.  

This episode is an introduction to the Flight of Thoughts podcast. Jake shares some ideas of what to expect with upcoming episodes, elaborates on his experiences with addictions and mental health as a paramedic and harm reductionist, as well as some safety advice for the pending legalization of cannabis in Canada. 

Instagram:

@jake_flightofthoughts

 Facebook page:

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.