The NHL, Brain Injury, and Psilocybin with Daniel Carcillo

The NHL, Brain Injury, and Psilocybin with Daniel Carcillo

Author: Paul Ollinger October 24, 2023 Duration: 50:17
When Daniel Carcillo played in the NHL, he was known as an enforcer so tough and volatile that he earned the nickname “Car Bomb.” In his 12 seasons in the NHL, Daniel was a member of two Stanley Cup-winning teams (2013 and 2015 Chicago Blackhawks), led the league in penalty minutes, and was fined or suspended by the NHL 12 times. He also suffered about a dozen concussions and was diagnosed with early-onset dementia at 30 years old. As he told me, “I know I have CTE,” a progressive and fatal brain disease that he believes drove him to the brink of suicide until—as he describes it—mushroom therapy saved his life. Today, Daniel is a brain health advocate and the Founder/ CEO of Wesana Health, a life sciences company that leverages psilocybin-based medicine to treat traumatic brain injuries. In this episode, Daniel and I discuss:

Whether winning the Stanley Cup made him happy

The culture of violence in the NHL.

The epidemic of brain injury among athletes.

How psilocybin, mushrooms, MDMA, Ketamine, and other non-traditional medicines are being used to treat depression, PTSD, and brain disease


Please note I neither endorse nor disapprove of Daniel’s POV here. I think there’s a lot to learn in this space that could potentially benefit a lot of people who are suffering. 

Thank you to my friend Peter Fish for connecting me with Daniel.

👂Check out Daniel’s Instagram here and Twitter here👂
⭐ Rate and Review Crazy Money here. (Seriously, do it!)⭐
 ✍️ Get Paul’s writing to your Inbox here. (Seriously, do this also!) ✍️

Get full access to Reasonably Happy at words.paulollinger.com/subscribe

Paul Ollinger has worn a few different hats-stand-up comedian, tech executive, and now, the curious host of Reasonably Happy with Paul Ollinger. This isn't a lecture series or a dry self-help guide. Instead, it feels more like pulling up a chair for a series of genuinely engaging talks that wander into the places where our daily lives, careers, and inner worlds collide. The conversations, which feature authors, thinkers, and various creatives, are refreshingly candid. They dig into the practical and philosophical questions about what it actually means to build a life that feels both successful and satisfying. You'll find that each episode of this podcast approaches big themes-money, purpose, and the pursuit of contentment-with a blend of wit and thoughtful depth. The underlying idea isn't about finding a perfect, Instagram-ready version of happiness, but something more grounded and attainable. It's for anyone who's ever wondered if there's a smarter, more meaningful way to navigate the pressures of business and culture without losing sight of what matters. Tuning in, you get the sense that Paul is figuring it out alongside his guests, making the insights feel earned and relatable. The result is a consistently interesting exploration of how we can all aim for a life that feels reasonably, and authentically, well-lived.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 321

Reasonably Happy with Paul Ollinger
Podcast Episodes
Millionaires v. Billionaires in NYC [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:04
Chris Pavone is the bestselling author of some of the smartest and most stylish thrillers of the past decade. His latest book, The Doorman is set in a glamorous Manhattan apartment building where the lives of the ultra-w…
The Beatles, Ted Turner, and Ric Flair with Steve Chamberlain [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:25
This week’s podcast is a conversation with my former Atlanta neighbor, Steve Chamberlain, a former media executive whose career has intersected with some of the biggest brands and celebrities in entertainment history. I…
Money, Fame, and Misery: Meet the Beatles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:00
Money, Fame, and Misery: Meet the Beatles (w/ Peter Doggett )In the late ‘60s, The Beatles had it all: worldwide fame, critical admiration, and more money than they ever could have imagined. So why were these four young…
Believe and You Will See! (w/ Nir Eyal ) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:46
My guest this week is Nir Eyal, whose two books ('Hooked’ and ‘Indistractable’) have sold over 1 million copies in over 30 languages. This week he published his latest - Beyond Belief: The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limi…
Gina Gershon on Fame, Desire, and Boobs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:42
Guess who I got to meet last week - Gina Gershon. That’s right, the incredibly beautiful and talented actress, author, singer, and long-standing disruptor of polite expectations. You know Gina from unforgettable roles in…
The Courage to Be Right w/ Matt Kaplan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:18
Matt Kaplan is a science correspondent at the Economist and author of the new book I Told You So!: Scientists Who Were Ridiculed, Exiled, and Imprisoned for Being Right in which he shares the stories of researchers—from…
Insider Trading w/Tom Hardin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:52
How do you handle it when you screw up badly? (Like really badly.) Former hedge fund trader and Wharton graduate Tom Hardin was convicted of Securities Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Securities Fraud, which are felonies.…
Surviving Middle Age w/ Ben Markovits [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:59
Ben Markovits is the author of several acclaimed novels, including his most recent release The Rest of Our Lives, which explores marriage, infidelity, empty nesting, and mortality. The book, which was short-listed for th…
Marriage, Infidelity, and Millennial Disillusionment with Erin Somers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:46
Erin Somers' new novel, The Ten Year Affair is a story about Millennial disillusionment (and extramarital sex). The New Yorker called it “intoxicating” and W praised the book for its “sometimes mocking examination of you…
A.I. Facts, Fears and Fiction (w/ Bryan Reimer) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:16
AI will have at least as big an effect on society as the invention of electricity. That’s the prediction of MIT’s Bryan Reimer. Bryan is the co-author of the new book ‘How to Make AI Useful’ in which he explores AI’s pow…