Most Americans Support Psychedelics for Military Mental Health

Thank you for your service! But what if their war is far from over? 

Research has shown that around 83% of all U.S. veterans, as well as active service men and women, report the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) such as nightmares, flashbacks, depression, anxiety, anger, and grief. 

And, as with other serious mental conditions, PTSD affects not only the patients but also their loved ones at home. There are government programs in place, of course, but Big Pharma antidepressants often fail to relieve the symptoms of complex PTSD. Psychedelic treatments show great promise, but current laws have made it tough to access the life-changing compounds. Can something still be done? 

Most Americans OK With Psychedelics for Military Mental Health

Believe it or not, most Americans are perfectly fine with changing policy in favour of psychedelics for military service members. A newly-conducted poll has shown that U.S. citizens support the study of psychedelics (such as LSD, MDMA, or psilocybin from shrooms and magic truffles) as alternative options for treating the mental health of veterans and active soldiers. 

The recent poll saw nearly 55% of Americans in favour of studies using psychedelic compounds to help treat military members suffering from PTSD. With 1,000 respondents, the number includes 60% of Democrats, 45% of the GOP, and 54% of Independents. Only 18% were not in favour of pursuing psychedelic research. Promising numbers, indeed! 

People who lived in the West Coast, and those who have had personal experiences using psilocybin and other psychedelics, were more likely to accept policy changes in their favour as opposed to those who did not. 

Veterans Using Psilocybin to Treat Trauma

In 2017, Guy Murray was diagnosed with PTSD. 

As an infantryman with the 4th Battalion, The Rifles, Murray served on an extended tour in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. He watched his best friend and other soldiers being killed by the Taliban. The veteran never slept soundly after the tour and had to live with severe depression, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide.

After he saw a Ted Talk about psilocybin’s potential to treat depression, Murray decided to try magic mushrooms. Later on, he took LSD under the watchful eye of a clinician. What was it like to finally face his traumas head on, you may ask? 

Murray told The Guardian:

“[Psychedelics] allowed me to address things which I was not open to addressing and it has honestly changed my life. I believe I left my PTSD behind in those sessions, no longer destructive or closed off. I have my life back.”

One Third of Veterans Have PTSD ‘Beyond Recovery’

Murray’s battle with PTSD after returning home is hardly rare among those in the armed forces. Crispin Blunt, Conservative MP for Reigate and a veteran of the 13th/18th Royal Hussars, told The Guardian about the real emotional damage caused by PTSD:

“About a third of veterans with PTSD from recent conflicts, estimated by some to be 2,400 individuals, have the condition so serious as to be beyond recovery from current treatment practice.

“We need to provide a safe, professional, and lawful route of access to novel treatments such as psilocybin, collecting evidence, and calling for our drug laws to be evidence-based so our servicemen and women are not forced to travel to other countries, go underground, or break the law to obtain treatment that works.”

Shrooms ‘Cured’ Navy SEAL Veteran’s Trauma

Chad Kuske, a retired Navy SEAL who had served for 18-and-a-half years until 2016, was no stranger to the terrors of PTSD. One way the trauma expressed itself in public was with road rage. 

For instance, if a driver slipped in front of him, Kuske would be filled with so much anger, he would run the speed limit to overtake every other car on the highway. The anger, anxiety, and stress would not leave Kuske for hours afterwards — even though he has long parked the car in his garage. To cope with the symptoms of PTSD, Kuske would self-medicate with harmful drugs and alcohol. It was an unhealthy habit, which led to Kuske’s search for a better alternative. 

In 2016, Kuske heard of a “hush hush” psychedelic retreat for army vets, in which they took psilocybin to relieve their depression and anxiety. Later on in 2019, Kuske finally gave in and had his first magic mushroom therapy session. The experience changed his life forever.

Kuske told Insider:

“I came out of it feeling rejuvenated, feeling this massive weight had been lifted off of me that I’ve been carrying around needlessly for decades.

“I came out of the session with the desire and the willingness to make the changes necessary to start moving in the other direction.”

Newfound Insights from Shrooms

The ex-Navy SEAL liked his first shroom trip so much that he’s been doing psilocybin therapy sessions every four months in a clinical setting. Each guided magic mushroom trip would be followed right away with an “integration” portion (aka talk therapy), where Kuske would reflect on using newfound insights in his daily life.

“I spent decades in therapy just trying to figure out for myself what caused this, or why am I like this? And psilocybin, just in a moment, makes all of these things crystal clear to where you’re left [without] a doubt in your mind about why something was, or where to go, or how it’s not serving you.”

Kuske told Insider that he now wishes to train to become a trip facilitator in the near future, as a way of paying forward his recovery to other veterans.

‘So Many Vets Are Doing It Now’

Professor David Nutt is the expert at the forefront of the “brave new world of psychedelic psychiatry” and a member of Drug Science, an independent scientific body calling for an evidence-based approach to drug laws. Nutt has seen psilocybin’s rise in appeal among veterans living with PTSD, firsthand.

He told The Guardian:

“This is something that’s been developed by veterans. Three years ago if I was asked the question would psilocybin work for veterans, I would have said it would be quite dangerous to relive the trauma when tripping.

“But so many vets are doing it now that I’m convinced it can work.”

Marked Effect on PTSD 

In 2020, scientists at the Medical University of South Carolina conducted trials using magic mushrooms as a way to treat PTSD. The results showed that patients who received the drug as part of their therapy vastly improved compared to those who did not use it.

Nutt saw how veterans, with the help of psychedelics, have learned to cope with PTSD:

“But when ex-servicemen and women…are reporting how their own use of psychedelics is having a marked effect on PTSD symptoms, we need to restart our studies.

“It could be that these substances can improve the lives of countless people who are suffering [from] debilitating and life-diminishing mental health conditions.”

Ayahuasca for Veteran PTSD

For Army Ranger Jesse Gould, his third deployment in Afghanistan was the last straw. By 2014, the veteran found himself shaken by distress — both physical and emotional. 

He sought help from the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), but it took the office two years to process Gould’s disability claim and diagnose him with PTSD. When the VA finally gave him treatments for PTSD, Gould found no solace at all. Was there anything else that might do the trick? 

After reading for some time, Gould stumbled upon the latest psychedelic research. He found out that psychoactive compounds, such as psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, ketamine, and ayahuasca, can alter one’s perception and mood — way beyond the tripping advertised in pop culture. 

The ex-soldier saw it as a chance to experiment with ayahuasca brew, a tea made from the stalks of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and the leaves of the Psychotria viridis shrub. The concoction is chock full with DMT: a psychoactive compound that has been shown to create new brain cells to replace dead ones.

Gould shared his joy with Healthline:

“It saved my life.”

Heroic Hearts Project

The veteran has since become a champion for the use of psychedelic therapy. In 2017, Gould founded the Heroic Hearts Project, a nonprofit for his fellow ex-soldiers dealing with PTSD, to help them get in touch with ayahuasca treatment centres. He has listened to thousands of veterans who swear by the benefits of ayahuasca brew.

“In terms of direct connection, we have served over 150 [veterans living with PTSD], and a clinic we work with has served 450.”

More Convincing To Be Done

Surprisingly, in the poll less than one-third of Americans liked the idea of decriminalising psychedelics full-on. Psychedelic research for PTSD is one thing; total legalisation is another, according to these respondents. Proving that while U.S. cities and states have been pushing for psychedelic reform, there is still more work to be done to fully convert the majority. 

Both Democrat and Republican legislators have been working to pass laws for psychedelic research, such as the recent success of psilocybin-based therapy and legalisation of cannabis a few years back. Both of which have enjoyed massive support from Americans. Back then, Congress was also criticised for too long not listening to the will of the masses — just like psilocybin’s legal battle today.

Thankfully, we psychonauts have got some heavy-hitters on our side. Rep. Dan Crenshaw and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sponsored research amendments in next year’s National Defense Authorization Act. Crenshaw fought for an amendment that would allow the Defense secretary to approve grants for psychedelic research. Specifically, studies into the medical benefits of psilocybin, DMT, MDMA, and ibogaine for military members living with PTSD. 

Ocasio-Cortez’s proposal, on the other hand, would push the Defense Department to conduct studies using psilocybin and MDMA instead of opioids in treating PTSD and traumatic brain injuries. Will this proposal finally fix the worsening Opioid Crisis in America? 

One can only hope so!