With the new quarantine mandate in effect (due the country’s coronavirus pandemic), now is a time when many people are turning to their cable and streaming services for entertainment. On that front, we wanted to highlight an interesting new documentary that touches on the field of recovery. Dosed follows a women’s rollercoaster journey trying to overcome a heroin addiction and the unconventional measure that ultimately gets her clean.
The plot of Dosed, which hails from Canada, concerns a particular treatment drug called psilocybin. Known as the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” it has seen success as a solution for people battling drug and mental health issues. Yes it is a psychedelic, but as Dosed lead Adrienne displays; it can actually make a difference for those trying to break their habits.
The film’s producer, Nicholas Meyers, spoke to several news outlets about the project, claiming that they did a lot of research on psilocybin before filming its effects on Adrienne.
“I will admit that tt was scary to start off with,” Meyers told The Sydney Morning Herald. “You hear scary stories about psychedelics and there’s a stigmatization about how they can make someone jump out a window, or whatever. But the research that we had done had indicated that psychedelics were very effective in treating mental illness and addiction.”
The filmmakers did not hold back on Adrienne’s harrowing experiences. As the Herald explains, difficult withdrawal moments were shared in clear view throughout the 90-minute doc. But it was those compelling scenes that wowed the critics thus far. Currently, Dosed has been honored with awards from The Santa Cruz Film Festival and The Altanta Docufest; just to name a few.
Our own local outlet, The Los Angeles Times, offered a compelling review as well. Their resident critic, Michael Ordona, praised the filmmakers but warned viewers about adopting psilocybin too hastily.
“Dosed works best as a purely anecdotal, personal chronicle of a friend’s struggle with addiction therapies,” Ordona wrote. “It is not recommended as a substitute for scientific conclusions.”
And we would have to agree. In our opinion, it is always worthwhile to stay informed with different types of treatments and support recovery filmmaking. But, that doesn’t mean one should blindly follow their recommendations.
Anyone in serious need of recovery should always reach out to trained, licensed professionals. But for those curious about the landscape, enjoy this unique piece of cinema. You can watch the full Dosed trailer below…
