“It never felt like a risky behaviour. It never felt dangerous.”
Ketamine and magic mushrooms are notorious for their damaging side-effects, including paranoia, depression and other ‘bad trips’.
But the process of carefully administering small amounts of these drugs - so-called ‘microdosing’ - is now gaining traction both recreationally and in medical settings.
In this episode, Olly meets NHS worker Nathan*, who credits his psilocybin experiments with improving his interpersonal skills at work; and Irish artist Tamzin Merrivale, who suffered poor mental health for decades until a pioneering Austrian doctor suggested she should try a course of ketamine as an antidepressant…
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Meanwhile, Ollie Peart - fresh from launching The Zeitgeist Collab - checks out the Chinese medical tradition of ear seeds.
Can placing a series of small stickers on his ears make him feel less anxious, or suppress chronic pain?
And what of his other ‘health trend’ predictions for 2023 - padel tennis, personalised nutrition plans, and weight-loss drug tirzepatide? Are any about to become a permanent fixture in our health routines?
If you have a trend you’d like to challenge Ollie to investigate in 2023, fill in the Feedback form.
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Elsewhere, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox has exciting news of a little-known fetish… elbow-sucking!
Then, she assists a listener who would like to know how to dig deep into his partner’s G-Area…
Which toys are best suited for G-Area play? Is G-Area enhancement surgery worth considering? And why don’t we call it the G-Spot any more? Alix has all the answers.
If you have a question of sex you’d like Alix to answer in 2023, fill in the Feedback form. You can remain anonymous if you wish.
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Finally, our record of the month is ‘Long Live The Strange’, a delicious slice of rock-fun from Gaz Coombes’ new album Turn The Car Around 👇
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This episode is sponsored by Stitch Fix, the personal styling site that sends you great clothes to try on at home.
Get £10 off your first purchase at StitchFix.co.uk/mann
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WANT TO SUPPORT THE SHOW? Buy us a beer 🍻…
… And we’ll see you again on February 10th.
CONTENT WARNING: interview includes account of parental suicide and drug abuse. *Name changed to protect anonymity.
In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found here.
