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This is a personal essay written by Howard Steinberg, the author of the memoir, "Confessions of a Problem Seeker: My Lifetime Journey From Busy Brain To Loving Heart." The following has been edited for length and clarity, reflects only Steinberg's views, and should not be taken as medical advice. Steinberg is not a medical professional.Psilocybin is illegal under federal law and in most US states. Research into psilocybin-assisted therapy is ongoing, and while early clinical trials have shown promise for some mental health conditions, psilocybin has not been approved by the FDA for general medical use. There is no medical consensus that it provides the broad benefits described here, and it carries risks.For most of my life, it looked like I had achieved the American dream. I enjoyed an over-40-year partnership with my wife, had three lovely daughters, a successful entrepreneurial career, nice homes, shiny objects, and the kind of suburban stability that signals to the world you're doing fine.I started my first business, Source Marketing, at 28. I built a successful company, earned a seven-figure income in my 30s, and sold the business to a public company before I turned 40.I could see around corners. I was dependable, competent, the one scanning the horizon for problems, and then diving in to fix them, whether at work or at home. I thought this persona was indeed me.In my 50s, the whispers from within grew louder, questioning: Is this who I really am, or just the identities I clung to? Father, husband, entrepreneur.I began to recognize that what looked like ambition and success was, in fact, fear. I questioned why, despite these achievements, stillness eluded me. I struggled to be truly present in any moment, to experience joy or comfort, let alone peace. Ever since I can remember, my mind has been a relentless scanning machine, forever searching for what was wrong or what would come next.
