7 Things Psychedelics Help You Quit

Welcome to the Psychedelic Blog. I write about the Impact of Psychedelics on Grieving, Relationships, Culture & Death. Today marks 7 years alcohol-free. It felt like the right time to reflect on what Psychedelics helped me walk away from — and why you might want to, too.

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"The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves." — Alan Watts

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Intro

Wisdom is ruthless. It’s the ability to see clearly what works for us—and what doesn’t. To pick up what’s useful, and discard what’s not. That clarity requires introspection.

For some, that comes naturally. For others, Psychedelics help. They lift the veil, revealing the parts of ourselves we’ve hidden or ignored. Suddenly, we can see what we were pretending to enjoy versus what actually brings us joy.

And once you see it, there’s no unseeing it. Life gets infinitely better from there.

June 20th will always mark a personal milestone. Quitting drinking was the first major act of deprogramming. There have been many others since.

Psychedelics helped.

Here are 7 things they might help you quit too.

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1. Alcohol

I’ll never forget lying in bed, unable to sleep, riding out low-grade alcohol withdrawals. The light creeping through the window told me morning was close. My alarm would go off soon, and I’d have to drag myself to work—again. I’d done this too many times in my twenties in New York. And here I was, well into my thirties, living a new life in Los Angeles, still haunted by the same demon. And make no mistake—alcohol is a demon.

That night was the last time I ever felt that way.

Casual drinking became a mask. Psychedelics helped me tear it off (and evidently, I am not alone). They showed me what real connection feels like—and it was never at the bottom of a bottle. Seven years later, I don’t miss the hangovers, the forced laughter, the recycled stories, or the false sense of connection. I don’t miss any of it.

Thankfully, the culture is shifting. Gen Z is drinking less than any previous generation. Alcohol sales are plummeting. And a new era of alternatives—kombucha, cannabis, psychoactive plants like kanna, and my personal favorites, Psychedelics like Psilocybin & MDMA—are transforming how we connect, heal, and experience joy.

What a remarkable time to be alive.

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2. Social Media

In the summer of 2021, I went to Greece with my then-girlfriend and another couple. I’ll never forget walking into Scorpio’s, the famous beach club in Mykonos. My first thought? I need a picture of this. That reflex caught me.

Why was that my first impulse? To post it.

And why would I want to do that? So people from high school, old coworkers, or someone from my gym could see how cool my life looked. What a vapid thought. Instead of feeling gratitude for the moment, my brain jumped to: How do I broadcast this?

The irony? My girlfriend and I argued that entire trip. We broke up not long after. But if you followed me on Instagram, you would’ve thought we were the perfect couple, living the dream.

Psilocybin—more than any other Psychedelic—grounded me in truth. They helped me see how much of my life was performative. And here’s what happens when you quit social media: all those people who liked your posts, hearted your stories, replied to your DMs? They vanish. Not one reached out to me directly. Most didn’t even notice I was gone. Why? Because it’s all a charade. A loop of I’ll like yours if you like mine.

After experiencing real awe, stillness, and presence, scrolling through highlight reels felt like eating junk food. The grip it had on me is gone. It’s a liberating feeling that anyone that quit knows all too well.

In a full-circle moment, I spent last weekend at Las Ánimas—a beach near me in Puerto Vallarta you only access by boat—with a beautiful Mexican woman. We swam, shared amazing food, and got to know each other. I didn’t take a single photo. When you stop feeling the need to share everything, you stop reaching for your phone. And for once, you're just there.

Fully present.

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3. Old Friendships

I’m not talking about cutting people off because of “bad energy.” This isn’t TikTok therapy about “protecting your space” or only allowing in those who are “deserving”—as if any of us are perfect.

I’m talking about the quieter, more painful truth: some relationships just fade. Not because of drama or betrayal, but because they no longer bring joy to either person.

We are ever-evolving, shape-shifting creatures. And sometimes, we simply grow apart.

Psychedelics helped me realize I was holding onto certain friendships out of guilt, not connection. We had history—but not presence. I kept showing up as the old version of myself just to avoid the discomfort of change.

But growth can be lonely. And sometimes, that loneliness is a sign you’re evolving. Psychedelics gave me permission to let go—with gratitude, not resentment.

Not everyone is meant to walk the whole path with you. Some come into our lives to teach us something and move on; others are here to grow alongside us, learning the lessons together.

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4. Judging Other People’s Path

A theme I return to often is the psychological trap known as the Typical Mind Fallacy—the belief that others experience life the same way we do. It’s what makes us scoff at the alcoholic who relapses: Why can’t they just get their life together? It’s what drives judgment of the promiscuous woman: Why can’t she just settle down?

As someone writing publicly about Psychedelics, I see this fallacy play out constantly in the comment section. Nearly every critique is rooted in the assumption that if something doesn’t work for them, it shouldn’t work for anyone. Our drug laws are built on the same flawed logic—if we criminalize something, people will stop doing it. (Never mind the thousands of years of human history that say otherwise.)

I was just as guilty. I judged constantly. I couldn’t understand why people made certain choices. But Psychedelics softened something in me. They made me more curious, more compassionate. No medicine showed me this more powerfully than Samadhi. It revealed what I had missed: we’re all just trying our best. None of us chose who we became.

What surprised me most is how the empathy came—it started by turning inward. Psychedelics helped me see how harshly I treated myself. And once I saw that, it became obvious: when we’re hard on others, it’s because we’re hard on ourselves. Psychedelics helped me step out of that cycle—for good.

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5. Neglecting Your Body

I have a close friend who microdoses Psilocybin before the gym (I’m not recommending this—I don’t know how he does it). But it highlights something underrated about Psychedelics: they bring us back to the body.

Since working with Psilocybin, I’ve become more intentional about what I put into mine. You won’t find junk food in my apartment (aside from the occasional dark chocolate—because come on, we only get one life). Honoring the body takes on new meaning post-Psychedelics. You stop begrudging the gym and start feeling grateful you have a body capable of movement.

I’ve also noticed my craving for intensity increase. A Samadhi or 5-MeO journey is intense—coming through it leaves you with a sense of accomplishment. You might only do that once every few years, but you can push yourself in the gym almost daily. You can eat clean most days. You can stop neglecting the only spacesuit you get while you're here.

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6. Overidentifying With Thoughts

Some of us are plagued by an overactive inner monologue — less eloquently put, a voice that just won’t shut the fuck up. It’s exhausting.

MDMA silences that voice. I’ve joked with friends that when it kicks in, it’s like that guy in my head goes on a four-hour lunch break. Suddenly, I’m not thinking about how I feel — I’m just feeling. The relief of that is profound.

Psychedelics like MDMA offer a temporary break from the mental noise. They help us remember: we are not the voice in our heads — we are the awareness listening. And in the space between biology & awareness is where peace emerges.

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7. Fear of Death

After returning to baseline reality from a 5-MeO-DMT ceremony—the most powerful Psychedelic known to man—it’s customary for everyone to yell “Happy Birthday.” Why? Because you just died. And therefore, you’ve been reborn. Nothing brings us closer to the source of all creation quite like the Toad.

Once we die and are reborn, we realize there's nothing to fear. That was my immediate takeaway after my first journey with 5-MeO. Friends—bewildered by my decision to take a one-way rocket ship to the outermost edges of human consciousness—were relieved by my response: if that’s what dying feels like, as many believe, then we have nothing to fear.

This is no small thing for the so-called "anxious generation." We stuck iPads in front of toddlers, raised them with social media, and now we wonder why they’re overwhelmed by reality. Thankfully, people like Jonathan Haidt are helping reverse this trend—pushing back against iPad parenting & social media use among teens.

But here’s the real question: what happens when this chronically anxious generation starts to age, lose loved ones, and confront death themselves?

Well, perhaps Psychedelics like 5-MeO-DMT—substances that mimic death—offer a way through. If, that is, they have the courage to face the unknown.

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Closing Thoughts

Maybe the point was never to quit anything. Maybe the real shift was learning how to be—without the crutches, the performances, the noise.

Psychedelics didn’t just help me walk away from alcohol, social media, and outdated friendships—they helped me remember that life isn’t something to optimize, curate, or escape. It’s something to feel.

As Alan Watts said, the meaning of life is simply to be alive. And once you feel that truth in your body, everything unnecessary falls away. You stop chasing and start living.

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