Summary
In this episode of The Drive podcast, host Peter Etia interviews Dr. B.J. Miller, a hospice and palliative care specialist, about understanding the end of life and how it can help us understand what we want out of life. The conversation covers topics such as the difference between death and dying, palliative care and hospice, loss and regret, and what really happens at the end of life. Miller shares his personal story of losing both legs and an arm in an electrical accident and how it changed his life. They also touch on the hastening of death and the use of psychedelics. Etia encourages listeners to push through any discomfort they may feel around the topic of death and dying.
The speaker in another context discusses their personal experience of being in a burn unit as a patient, including the difficult decision to amputate their limbs and the emotional toll it took on them. They also talk about their journey to becoming a medical student and how their personal experiences with pain and suffering can be an advantage for clinicians in empathizing with patients. The speaker eventually decides to drop out of medical school and pursue other things, feeling empowered to make choices beyond just a career.
The conversation then shifts to the importance of palliative care and finding a way to live the best life possible while also accepting the inevitability of death. The healthcare system is criticized for its focus on disease rather than the people dealing with disease, and the need to realign resources to make healthcare more about helping people live and die with dignity. The speaker suggests that medical training should include conversations about palliative care and dying from day one. The healthcare system needs to focus on chronic care and prevention, rather than acute care, and address the design flaws, emotional barriers, and reimbursement issues that hinder progress.
The context also discusses the importance of finding meaning and purpose in one's final days. The story follows the experience of a young man named Randy who was dying from cancer. The focus was on helping him find comfort and peace in his final days, rather than pursuing aggressive treatments. The conversation also touches on the topic of euthanasia and the importance of allowing patients to choose their own path. The conversation then shifts to the use of psychedelics in end-of-life care, specifically psilocybin and MDMA, which have shown promising results in helping patients cope with death anxiety and find meaning in their lives. The speaker expresses excitement about the potential of these substances to revolutionize end-of-life care.
