Basic Human Right: Freedom of therapy
I base my right to freely choose my treatment on the following grounds:
United Nations General Assembly. “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”, Articles 12 and 25, 1948.
Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) affirms that everyone has the right to an adequate standard of living, including access to appropriate healthcare. This right clearly implies that individuals have the freedom to choose from various therapeutic options, including alternative treatments—such as psychedelic therapy—to improve their own health. Furthermore, Article 12 protects the right to privacy, which extends to personal healthcare decisions. Interpreting the UDHR, it is evident that individuals may freely make decisions about their own health, including the use of psychedelic treatments, thereby reinforcing the right to choose one’s therapy freely and supporting individual autonomy.
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Article 12 (ICESCR, 1966)
This agreement states that every person has the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. According to Article 12, this right not only ensures access to traditional medical treatments but also guarantees that individuals can make decisions about their own healthcare and treatment options. Several countries, including XXX, recognise this right within the framework of the agreement, demonstrating the nation’s commitment to respecting citizens’ freedom in this regard.
World Health Organisation (WHO) – “Health and Human Rights” (2023)
The WHO emphasises that the right to health includes the ability to make independent decisions, particularly when it comes to mental health treatments, which depend on an individual’s needs and preferences. According to the WHO’s ethical framework, medical interventions require the patient’s consent, and coercion into treatments that the patient does not prefer is prohibited. This means that individuals must be given the opportunity to choose the treatment that best suits their needs.
European Convention on Human Rights, Article 8 (ECHR, 1950)
Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) guarantees the right to respect for private and family life, which extends to individual healthcare decisions. The convention stipulates that individuals should have the right to decide how their bodies and mental health are treated, provided that these decisions do not endanger public safety or the rights of others. Based on this provision, it can be argued that the use of psilocybin should be treated as a private and healthcare matter, particularly when the individual uses it to improve their mental well-being.
United Nations General Assembly. “International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.” Articles 17, 18, 26. 1966
This agreement provides a strong legal framework for protecting therapeutic freedom. The protection of privacy, freedom of belief, and the prohibition of discrimination collectively empower individuals to make informed decisions about their healthcare. This is particularly relevant when discussing the importance of psychedelic therapies for improving mental health.
A) According to the international agreements and human rights mentioned above, an individual’s right to freely choose their therapy is independent of anyone else’s opinion on the effectiveness of the therapy they prefer, provided it does not cause harm to others. Any argument against the effectiveness of a therapy preferred by the patient inherently undermines the freedom to choose one’s therapy. In short: every patient has the right to choose a therapy, whether it is ineffective or scientifically unproven, if they believe it to be effective in treating their condition.
B) Nevertheless, fortunately, many notable and credible studies have now been published that strongly support the health benefits of psilocybin, particularly its positive effects on mental health, especially in the context of depression and anxiety.
Regarding the second point, I would like to highlight a few examples from the many studies which—although such justification is unnecessary given the first point—support the therapeutic use of psilocybin-containing healing truffles:
1. Johns Hopkins University. “Landmark Study Shows Psychedelic Treatment with Psilocybin Relieves Major Depression.” 2020.
According to this study, two controlled doses of psilocybin led to a significant improvement in the treatment of major depression; 71 per cent of participants experienced a reduction in symptoms, and 56 per cent were symptom-free four weeks after treatment. This study provides important evidence that psilocybin can be effective in the successful treatment of depression, including cases that do not respond to traditional antidepressants.
2. Imperial College London. “Magic Mushroom Compound Tested for Treatment-Resistant Depression.” 2021.
This study demonstrated that psilocybin provides faster and more effective symptom relief for individuals with treatment-resistant depression compared to escitalopram, a traditional antidepressant. 57% of the psilocybin group were symptom-free within six weeks, compared to 28% in the escitalopram group.
3. Carhart-Harris, R. L., et al. “Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression.” New England Journal of Medicine, 2021, DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2032994.
Researchers at Imperial College compared the effects of psilocybin and escitalopram and found that psilocybin led to faster and more lasting improvement in alleviating depressive symptoms, particularly in treatment-resistant cases.
4. “Single-Dose Psilocybin for Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomised Clinical Trial.” JAMA Psychiatry, 2023, DOI: 10.1001/jama.2023.14530.
Based on a randomised clinical trial, a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin resulted in significant and lasting symptom reduction in patients with moderate to severe depression, particularly those who did not respond to traditional therapies.
5. Fadiman, J., & Korb, S. “Microdosing and Mental Health Benefits.” Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2019, DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2019.1593561.
Microdosing with psilocybin has shown promise in enhancing mental well-being; participants experienced improvements in mood, reduced anxiety and increased cognitive flexibility. According to their findings, microdosing may have a positive effect on mental health.
6. Polito, V., & Stevenson, R. J. (2019). “A systematic study of microdosing psychedelics.” PLOS ONE, 14(2), e0211023. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211023. PMCID: PMC6364961. PMID: 30726251
Among other things, the beneficial effects of psilocybin microdosing were examined. Participants reported many positive experiences, including improvements in creativity,
mood and emotional well-being. The research emphasises that microdosing could be a promising tool for enhancing mental health. These findings have contributed to the growing interest in microdosing, particularly amongst professionals in the technology and creative sectors.
7. Ross, S., et al. (2016). “Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening
cancer: A randomised controlled trial.” Journal of Psychopharmacology, 30(12), 1165–1180. (Ross, S., et al. (2016).
Psilocybin treatment significantly reduced anxiety and depression among cancer patients, resulting in long-term positive effects on their mental well-being.
8. Griffiths, R.R., Johnson, M.W., Carducci, M.A., et al. (2016). “Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomised double-blind trial.” Journal of Psychopharmacology, 30(12), 1181–1197.
Psilocybin demonstrated long-term anxiety-reducing and depression-reducing effects in cancer patients, where other therapies had proved less effective.
9. Carhart-Harris, R.L., et al. (2016). “Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: Six-month follow-up.” The Lancet Psychiatry, 3(7), 619–627. (Carhart-Harris, R.L., et al. (2016).
Psilocybin demonstrated long-term positive effects in reducing symptoms of treatment-resistant depression, as observed at the six-month follow-up.
To summarise, all my orders from the Netherlands were for legal products from a legitimate, officially registered shop, which paid tax to my country on my orders. It is now well known that these therapeutic truffles and mushrooms can significantly support mental health, and I can confirm this based on my personal experiences with microdosing.