my name is Kalia and as they said I am a Columbia University trained public
Columbia University trained public
Columbia University trained public health specialist focusing on mental
health specialist focusing on mental
health specialist focusing on mental health what is mental health in a
health what is mental health in a
health what is mental health in a nutshell mental health is the absence of
nutshell mental health is the absence of
nutshell mental health is the absence of mental illness just as being healthy is
mental illness just as being healthy is
mental illness just as being healthy is the opposite of being sick but in
the opposite of being sick but in
the opposite of being sick but in physical health there is not just sick
physical health there is not just sick
physical health there is not just sick and not sick you can be injured you can
and not sick you can be injured you can
and not sick you can be injured you can be healing there aren’t really words
be healing there aren’t really words
be healing there aren’t really words like that in mental health so today I
like that in mental health so today I
like that in mental health so today I would like to introduce a new term and
would like to introduce a new term and
would like to introduce a new term and that term is mental injury to explain
that term is mental injury to explain
that term is mental injury to explain what mental injury is I would like you
what mental injury is I would like you
what mental injury is I would like you to think of a woman in your life someone
to think of a woman in your life someone
to think of a woman in your life someone you love a mother a daughter a child
picture this person next think of
picture this person next think of somebody that you know is a veteran of
somebody that you know is a veteran of
somebody that you know is a veteran of war maybe you don’t know one maybe
war maybe you don’t know one maybe
war maybe you don’t know one maybe imagine your friend’s friend picture
imagine your friend’s friend picture
imagine your friend’s friend picture them in your mind now picture this one
them in your mind now picture this one
them in your mind now picture this one out of every three to five women will be
out of every three to five women will be
out of every three to five women will be the victim of violence or sexual assault
the victim of violence or sexual assault
the victim of violence or sexual assault in their lifetime
in their lifetime
in their lifetime we are talking about more than one woman
we are talking about more than one woman
we are talking about more than one woman per minute and in the US alone
per minute and in the US alone
per minute and in the US alone one out of four veterans of war suffer
one out of four veterans of war suffer
one out of four veterans of war suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome and
from post-traumatic stress syndrome and
from post-traumatic stress syndrome and every new day 22 of them committing
every new day 22 of them committing
every new day 22 of them committing suicide now I ask you are these people
suicide now I ask you are these people
suicide now I ask you are these people mentally ill were they before or did
mentally ill were they before or did
mentally ill were they before or did they become so and if they became so
they become so and if they became so
they become so and if they became so that is there a way that we can fix it I
that is there a way that we can fix it I
that is there a way that we can fix it I think the answer to that question is yes
by calling mental distress mental
by calling mental distress mental illness we imply that these people are
illness we imply that these people are
illness we imply that these people are broken and that it is partially because
broken and that it is partially because
broken and that it is partially because many of the tools that we are using
many of the tools that we are using
many of the tools that we are using simply didn’t work
simply didn’t work
simply didn’t work what if most of what we knew was about
what if most of what we knew was about
what if most of what we knew was about mental health was wrong when I think of
mental health was wrong when I think of
mental health was wrong when I think of mental health I think about three things
mental health I think about three things
mental health I think about three things that I think are going to change the
that I think are going to change the
that I think are going to change the face of mental health of public health
face of mental health of public health
face of mental health of public health actually blind spots neuroplasticity and
actually blind spots neuroplasticity and
actually blind spots neuroplasticity and psychedelic science many years ago I
psychedelic science many years ago I
psychedelic science many years ago I read a story that’s stuck with me in one
read a story that’s stuck with me in one
read a story that’s stuck with me in one particular story was a woman called mrs.
particular story was a woman called mrs.
particular story was a woman called mrs. s who was in her 60s and suffered a
s who was in her 60s and suffered a
s who was in her 60s and suffered a massive stroke which impacted the
massive stroke which impacted the
massive stroke which impacted the functioning of her right cerebral
functioning of her right cerebral
functioning of her right cerebral hemisphere she could only see things
hemisphere she could only see things
hemisphere she could only see things that happened to be on her left field of
that happened to be on her left field of
that happened to be on her left field of vision
vision
vision but mrs. s didn’t know she continued on
but mrs. s didn’t know she continued on
but mrs. s didn’t know she continued on happily unaware that she was seeing
happily unaware that she was seeing
happily unaware that she was seeing really only 50% of the world her mind
really only 50% of the world her mind
really only 50% of the world her mind protected her from what she did not know
protected her from what she did not know
protected her from what she did not know by pretending to know this is what I
by pretending to know this is what I
by pretending to know this is what I call blind spots and the truth is that
call blind spots and the truth is that
call blind spots and the truth is that we all to varying degrees have these
we all to varying degrees have these
we all to varying degrees have these blind spots and science does too
blind spots and science does too
blind spots and science does too what if we are all stuck with working
what if we are all stuck with working
what if we are all stuck with working with 50% of the facts and we’re told
with 50% of the facts and we’re told
with 50% of the facts and we’re told that that was the whole picture well
that that was the whole picture well
that that was the whole picture well statistically mental illness mental
statistically mental illness mental
statistically mental illness mental injury affects 1 in 4 people over the
injury affects 1 in 4 people over the
injury affects 1 in 4 people over the courses of their lives and is projected
courses of their lives and is projected
courses of their lives and is projected to account for more than half of the
to account for more than half of the
to account for more than half of the global burden of disease and these
global burden of disease and these
global burden of disease and these numbers are growing rapidly particularly
numbers are growing rapidly particularly
numbers are growing rapidly particularly among youth because mental injury is not
among youth because mental injury is not
among youth because mental injury is not just PTSD it is also depression anxiety
just PTSD it is also depression anxiety
just PTSD it is also depression anxiety most people when they think of mental
most people when they think of mental
most people when they think of mental health and the tools that the
health and the tools that the
health and the tools that the psychiatric industry has made available
psychiatric industry has made available
psychiatric industry has made available think of SSRIs they think a prozac
think of SSRIs they think a prozac
think of SSRIs they think a prozac Zoloft paxil selective serotonin
Zoloft paxil selective serotonin
Zoloft paxil selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors that are often
reuptake inhibitors that are often
reuptake inhibitors that are often reused in these instances
reused in these instances
reused in these instances but while these drugs all work on
but while these drugs all work on
but while these drugs all work on changing the levels of neurotransmitters
changing the levels of neurotransmitters
changing the levels of neurotransmitters none of them impact neuroplasticity and
none of them impact neuroplasticity and
none of them impact neuroplasticity and this is key neuroplasticity is in the
this is key neuroplasticity is in the
this is key neuroplasticity is in the brain’s ability to reorganize itself to
brain’s ability to reorganize itself to
brain’s ability to reorganize itself to compensate for injury or loss an easy
compensate for injury or loss an easy
compensate for injury or loss an easy example to yourself of neuroplasticity
example to yourself of neuroplasticity
example to yourself of neuroplasticity is to dry try to brush your teeth with
is to dry try to brush your teeth with
is to dry try to brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand for a week in the
your non-dominant hand for a week in the
your non-dominant hand for a week in the beginning it will be hard but then
beginning it will be hard but then
beginning it will be hard but then suddenly it will get easy because
suddenly it will get easy because
suddenly it will get easy because neurons that fire together wire together
neurons that fire together wire together
neurons that fire together wire together or the more you encourage axonal
or the more you encourage axonal
or the more you encourage axonal sprouting around an activity the more
sprouting around an activity the more
sprouting around an activity the more your brain will create pathways that
your brain will create pathways that
your brain will create pathways that create make that activity faster and
create make that activity faster and
create make that activity faster and easier neural pathways are there as
easier neural pathways are there as
easier neural pathways are there as learned patterns to help us get through
learned patterns to help us get through
learned patterns to help us get through life more easily and also to help us
life more easily and also to help us
life more easily and also to help us with survival for example in PTSD neural
with survival for example in PTSD neural
with survival for example in PTSD neural pathways are also altered your survival
pathways are also altered your survival
pathways are also altered your survival mechanism is triggered and it goes into
mechanism is triggered and it goes into
mechanism is triggered and it goes into fight-or-flight bypassing the prefrontal
fight-or-flight bypassing the prefrontal
fight-or-flight bypassing the prefrontal cortex and going straight into the
cortex and going straight into the
cortex and going straight into the primitive zone of the brain where the
primitive zone of the brain where the
primitive zone of the brain where the amygdala is this is the limbic system
amygdala is this is the limbic system
amygdala is this is the limbic system and the problem with this is that it’s
and the problem with this is that it’s
and the problem with this is that it’s very hard to undo it is after all the
very hard to undo it is after all the
very hard to undo it is after all the mechanism that was put in place to keep
mechanism that was put in place to keep
mechanism that was put in place to keep you alive and one of the ones that gets
you alive and one of the ones that gets
you alive and one of the ones that gets most hardwired the most quickly attempts
most hardwired the most quickly attempts
most hardwired the most quickly attempts through the years to address this have
through the years to address this have
through the years to address this have been largely unsuccessful cognitive
been largely unsuccessful cognitive
been largely unsuccessful cognitive behavioral therapy exposure therapy and
behavioral therapy exposure therapy and
behavioral therapy exposure therapy and SSRIs but these tools are woefully
SSRIs but these tools are woefully
SSRIs but these tools are woefully inadequate to their task what we need in
inadequate to their task what we need in
inadequate to their task what we need in this case as in the case of more mental
this case as in the case of more mental
this case as in the case of more mental injuries is to harness the power of
injuries is to harness the power of
injuries is to harness the power of neuroplasticity psychiatric medications
neuroplasticity psychiatric medications
neuroplasticity psychiatric medications for the most part shackle the brain and
for the most part shackle the brain and
for the most part shackle the brain and control the level of neurotransmitters
control the level of neurotransmitters
control the level of neurotransmitters but don’t necessarily create a change in
but don’t necessarily create a change in
but don’t necessarily create a change in behavior and don’t necessarily create a
behavior and don’t necessarily create a
behavior and don’t necessarily create a change in the person neuroplasticity
change in the person neuroplasticity
change in the person neuroplasticity changes that which takes me to my third
changes that which takes me to my third
changes that which takes me to my third point psychedelic science
point psychedelic science
point psychedelic science no psychedelic science is not a misnomer
no psychedelic science is not a misnomer
no psychedelic science is not a misnomer it is a real science with real tools and
it is a real science with real tools and
it is a real science with real tools and think about the idea that perhaps we
think about the idea that perhaps we
think about the idea that perhaps we have spent the last 50 years solving for
have spent the last 50 years solving for
have spent the last 50 years solving for only half of the equation
only half of the equation
only half of the equation keeping the mentally ill alive but not
keeping the mentally ill alive but not
keeping the mentally ill alive but not healing them so when I asked the
healing them so when I asked the
healing them so when I asked the question what if most of what we
question what if most of what we
question what if most of what we understand about mental health is is not
understand about mental health is is not
understand about mental health is is not true I was also inferring what if we are
true I was also inferring what if we are
true I was also inferring what if we are not admitting to what we don’t know what
not admitting to what we don’t know what
not admitting to what we don’t know what if we have been forced to wear blinders
if we have been forced to wear blinders
if we have been forced to wear blinders to not see the other half of the mental
to not see the other half of the mental
to not see the other half of the mental health equation now just to be clear I
health equation now just to be clear I
health equation now just to be clear I am NOT promoting the use of psychedelics
am NOT promoting the use of psychedelics
am NOT promoting the use of psychedelics I am however promoting the use of
I am however promoting the use of
I am however promoting the use of science for example if I told you that
science for example if I told you that
science for example if I told you that there was a drug currently in trials
there was a drug currently in trials
there was a drug currently in trials that in severely depressed treatment
that in severely depressed treatment
that in severely depressed treatment resistant patients healed the patient in
resistant patients healed the patient in
resistant patients healed the patient in 3 to 4 sessions in sessions with a 72
3 to 4 sessions in sessions with a 72
3 to 4 sessions in sessions with a 72 percent success rate you would say
percent success rate you would say
percent success rate you would say that’s crazy
that’s crazy
that’s crazy that can’t possibly be true but it is
that can’t possibly be true but it is
that can’t possibly be true but it is true and this is just one of the
true and this is just one of the
true and this is just one of the psychedelic drugs that is currently in
psychedelic drugs that is currently in
psychedelic drugs that is currently in trials and it is one of the many that
trials and it is one of the many that
trials and it is one of the many that show real promise
show real promise
show real promise specifically in treating depression and
specifically in treating depression and
specifically in treating depression and PTSD but for a number of other things
PTSD but for a number of other things
PTSD but for a number of other things involving the element of kid
involving the element of kid
involving the element of kid neuroplasticity
neuroplasticity
neuroplasticity major institutions such as John Hopkins
major institutions such as John Hopkins
major institutions such as John Hopkins NYU in Imperial College London have
NYU in Imperial College London have
NYU in Imperial College London have persisted in the in the face of huge
persisted in the in the face of huge
persisted in the in the face of huge obstacles to progress this science and
obstacles to progress this science and
obstacles to progress this science and groups such as the multidisciplinary
groups such as the multidisciplinary
groups such as the multidisciplinary Association for psychedelic studies the
Association for psychedelic studies the
Association for psychedelic studies the Berkeley Foundation and the Hefner
Berkeley Foundation and the Hefner
Berkeley Foundation and the Hefner Institute are in my opinion heroes for
Institute are in my opinion heroes for
Institute are in my opinion heroes for keeping the flame of this research alive
keeping the flame of this research alive
keeping the flame of this research alive together we can solve the mental health
together we can solve the mental health
together we can solve the mental health crisis together we can
crisis together we can
crisis together we can to bring this science back into the
to bring this science back into the
to bring this science back into the mainstream mental health is a human
mainstream mental health is a human
mainstream mental health is a human right and these people the mentally
right and these people the mentally
right and these people the mentally injured they deserve to heal – thank you
injured they deserve to heal – thank you
injured they deserve to heal – thank you [Applause]
”
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