By In the 19th century, French revolutionaries gathered in salons to discuss politics and philosophy. In 2023, a group of Chicago medical professionals gather at Billy Corgan's quirky tea salon. madame zuzuzu emporium We talked about psychedelics in Highland Park, Illinois.
Once a month, over exotic teas and plant-based pastries, Madame Zuzuzu sparks conversation about ketamine therapy, psilocybin treatment, medications, travel companionship, the law, and more. The Chicago Med Psychedelics Group (as they call themselves) is a group of energetic practitioners whose health backgrounds zigzag across mainstream medicine and beyond. His nine core members of this group include a nurse, a psychotherapist, an internal medicine specialist, a university medical director, and a cannabis physiologist. member.
Like any great grassroots movement, the Chicago Med Psychedelics Group was founded to create change at the local level.
“Psychedelics have many potential benefits and pitfalls in taking healing to the next level. But we still have a lot to learn,” says North Shore University Health System Integration says Leslie Mendoza Temple, M.D., medical director of the medical program and clinical associate professor of family medicine at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.
“We knew there was a community of early adopters, and to promote a rational and balanced way of sharing knowledge about the science and logistics of this large class of materials, we I felt I should use my wisdom.”
In the summer of 2022, the Mendoza Temple will map Visit our website to connect with fellow Chicagoan, David Schwartz, a licensed clinical professional counselor and psychedelic integrative psychotherapist. They met, hit it off, and started inviting others.
“We started growing the group because we wanted to know who we were referring to. [with questions about psychedelic medicine or treatments]? ” Mendoza Temple explained.
“We want to know where we're sending our patients. That's a key part of all of this. Who do we trust, and who can be the space holders for these experiences? The psychedelic community, we… It’s being built from the ground up by microcosms like .”
Members are drawn to joining close-knit communities for a variety of reasons. Everyone wants to connect with other like-minded professionals. Some want to spread awareness of psychedelic medicine, while others want to combine first-hand psychedelic experience with expertise to support patients.
A family nurse practitioner, modern compassionate care, a life-changing experience with psilocybin crystallized her desire to become an advocate for psychedelic treatments. Sullivan was left a widow when her husband, a U.S. Marine, died at the age of 30 after being exposed to burns while serving in Iraq.
“From that experience, I was deeply traumatized and living with considerable survivor's guilt, even though I was a young mother of a three-year-old,” she explains.
Sullivan tried therapy, support groups, meditation and EMDR to manage her grief and PTSD. They helped alleviate some of her pain, but the deep sadness remained. So she turned to psilocybin.
“I consciously spent time preparing for my solo trip and went on an inner journey to deal with the pain I couldn’t release.”
Sullivan says her psilocybin journey provided catharsis and a new perspective, allowing her to let go of the burden of guilt she was carrying. It's been six years since that transformative journey for her. Sullivan says it was one of the most important moments of her life and inspired her to get involved in psychedelic advocacy. She considers the support she receives from her group, Chicago Medical Society Psychedelics, to be invaluable, as she now offers ketamine therapy treatment at her clinic.
“I really wanted to be part of a community of trusted health care providers and clinicians. This was a new space, and I wanted to be ethical, safe, and provide a really good education to people. ” she says.
For David Schwartz, joining the group was another step toward embracing a psychedelic-friendly professional persona.
“I am now open to offering psychedelic therapy preparation and integration in my public role,” he explains. “That's one way I decided to come out of the psychedelic closet.”
Schwartz is also happy to talk to curious clients about his personal experiences with psychedelics.
“I think normalizing the benefits of these medications is also an important part of this type of activism and advocacy,” he said. “Ultimately, I decided that my psychedelic experience meant I had a responsibility to be a resource and a conduit for people who wanted to talk openly with others.”
When the group visits Madame Zuzu's home for their monthly meetings, the atmosphere is lively, with everyone eagerly chatting about new research findings, events, conferences, and personal or professional experiences.
“There are so many conversations happening and we are so excited,” Schwartz said. “Everyone just wants to talk, share, ask questions and connect.”
Special guests join us from time to time to bring their unique expertise and perspectives to the table. Last month, Billy Corgan came out from behind the tea counter at ZuZu and sat down with the group to discuss whether American society is ready to deal with full psychedelic legalization.
Other meetings include Illinois Psychedelic AssociationAnne Berg Hallucinogen Pharmacists AssociationDr. Rachel Norris, owner and operator of a ketamine-focused clinic. imagine healthcare In Chicago. Madame ZuZu's spacious Art Deco department store is the ideal space holder for this eclectic and knowledge-hungry crowd looking to meet like-minded people.
But beyond the thrill of connection and learning, there's also a sense of contributing to Illinois' changing legislative landscape. In January 2023, Illinois State Representative La Shawn Ford Compassionate use and research of entheogen methods, or the “Illinois CURE Act.” If passed, this legislation would regulate and authorize the provision of psilocybin products in Illinois. Although the bill is still under consideration at this stage, events that promote discussion and education about psychedelics can play a role in promoting awareness.
Some members of the Chicago Med Psychedelic Group join sister groups, such as the Illinois Psychedelic Society, to share educational resources and advance causes. Leslie Mendoza Temple, Lisa Solomon, and Karolina Mikos, MD, will participate and present on a panel discussion. Illinois Cannabis and Psychedelic Symposium In late September. Members of other groups are also lining up to participate in future discussions. Illinois Psychedelic Association Summer Networking Mixer, welcomes 300 people. The last mixer the group worked on sold out within 48 hours.
While it makes sense to attend these large-scale events, at this point the prevailing sentiment among the Chicago Medicine psychedelic group is that gatherings at Madame Zuzu are intimate, informal, and collaborative. I want to keep it as something.
“I like to keep it small,” says Mendoza-Temple. “I don't even know if you have a vision or a mission statement. That would be very formal. Then you start inviting more people and you need an agenda… something like that. Aren’t big, formal groups enough?” Already? “
“Pay attention to the touchable parts of your garden,” Schwartz recalls. “Personally, I’m just excited to be able to act together as everything evolves with the law and stuff, but what I’m really interested in is actually fundamentally changing the culture.”
Photo taken clockwise from the left edge:
Maerry Lee MD ACEP, Joseph Friedman RPh MBA, David Schwartz LCPC, Anne Berg PharmD (guest), James T. O'Donnell PharmD MS FCP, David Schwartz LCPC, Leslie Mendoza Temple MD ABOIM, Lisa Solomon, Clinical Education Council Co-Chair Karolina Mikos, MD, Illinois Psychedelic Association, Luba Andras RPh (Guest)
Chicago Med Psychedelics Group members absent: Katie Sullivan, APRN, FNP-C, David Kushner MD DO FASAM FACP, Rebecca Abraham RN BSN.
