Alternative Medicine for Vets

The United States loses about 22 veterans per day due to suicide. Many of these veterans were young and still had many years ahead of them when they decided to take their own lives. Deployed to foreign lands such as Iraq and Afghanistan, they experienced unspeakable horrors. Upon returning home, they checked into veterans' hospitals to be treated for mental and physical conditions. The terrors of war have altered their mental state, and many veterans have tried every treatment offered to no avail.


Before the 1970s, psilocybin and LSD were widely studied and proved medicinally valuable. Then the U.S. Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act. The goal of the bill was to outlaw recreational drug use. Still, the bill criminalized the use of drugs in any capacity, causing research into psychedelics for medicinal purposes to cease. Underground research into psychedelics for healing began, and finally, in 2017, the FDA granted therapy status to MDMA. This allowed the government to operate clinical trials to study MDMA to treat PTSD and TBI. One of the first studies conducted using MDMA showed promising results: 2/3 of the participants no longer qualified for a diagnosis of PTSD.


Psychedelics promote neural plasticity, which keeps your brain from getting stuck in the same thought process loops. After viewing past trauma from one perspective, psychedelics allow the brain to view past experiences differently.

Various advocacy groups began to emerge after the success of this study became apparent. Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) is an organization that researches and advocates for psychedelics to treat PTSD and TBI.


Some cities in the U.S. have begun to legalize the use of psychedelics. Close to home here at VCPG, the cities of Santa Cruz and Oakland have decriminalized the use of natural psychedelics and magic mushrooms. If used in a controlled setting, psychedelics can be highly beneficial in alleviating symptoms of PTSD and TBI.


VETS created treatment plans that involve using psychedelics in a controlled setting. The method includes preparation, psychedelic dosing sessions, and integration therapy sessions. The aim is to help veterans process their emotions and memories, with the goal being new ways of thinking and perspectives. This process is still in its research infancy, but the long-term goal of many advocates is to partner with the VA to make the use of psychedelics widely available.


Preparation

Veterans partner with a trained therapist to prepare for psychedelic dosing sessions. The goal of this phase is to discuss expectations and minimize risks. Psychedelics can have several side effects, and the therapist’s job is to prepare their client. 


Dosing Sessions

This part of the process is self-explanatory: the therapist administers the psychedelics to the client. The therapist is present during the session to ensure safety and assist with any adverse side effects.


Integration

After the dosing sessions, the therapist and the client reflect on the client’s thoughts and feelings. Since many people have never used psychedelics, the experience can be challenging to understand. This part of the process is more likened to a traditional therapy session. Both therapist and client discuss and mold their treatment plan.


All of this is promising, but some still worry that opposition to psychedelics could rise again as it did in the 70s. However, the future of psychedelics for medicinal value is on an upward trajectory. Momentum isn’t slowing down, especially with so much support from veterans and lawmakers. The long-term effects of psychedelics are still not fully known, so research must continue. However, we know that using psychedelics in a controlled setting is relatively safe and effective.


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