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Breaking Barriers: How Psychedelics Are Transforming PTSD Treatment for Veterans
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As a veteran and physician who has both experienced and extensively studied PTSD treatment, this article deeply resonates with me and is the very reason we created the Reality Documentary TV Show launching in 2025 – Healing Heroes – No Mind Left Behind. Let me break this article down and add some crucial context from my professional perspective.

The Reality on the Ground:

The statistic of 17-44 veterans taking their lives daily is more than just a number to those of us who’ve served. I’ve lost brothers and sisters in arms not to combat, but to the invisible wounds that followed them home. What the CBS article highlights about Herb Daniels’ experience mirrors what I’ve seen countless times – the traditional pharmaceutical approach often falls short.

Additional Context [Source: Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2020]:
Studies show that up to 70% of veterans with PTSD don’t respond adequately to current FDA-approved treatments. This explains the desperate search for alternatives.

The Psychedelic Revolution:

What VETS is doing in Mexico represents a paradigm shift in trauma treatment. While the article touches on this briefly, here’s what we know from recent research:

[Source: Nature Medicine, 2023]:

  • MDMA-assisted therapy shows 67% PTSD remission rates
  • Psilocybin treatment demonstrates 71% reduction in depression symptoms
  • These treatments often require only 2-3 sessions versus years of traditional therapy
  • Ibogaine (my treatment) shows the highest promise of all especially if traumatic brain injury complicates the veterans history.  Single session and there is NOTHING recreational about it.  It was the most profound 12 hours of my life and I’ve been symptom free for a year.  Read more on the study Stanford carried out on it in Nature 4/2024

My Persona and Professional Take:

Having gone through similar treatment myself, I can validate Marcus Capone’s “miraculous transformation” statement. The key difference between psychedelic therapy and traditional methods is that it allows us to process trauma rather than just manage symptoms. I will say that there are a limited amout of adverse stories in some.  There are several medical and mental health conditions that should be avoided for these treatments.  Also, ALL PATIENTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND CONTRACT TO DO NO MORE PSYCHADELICS FOR AT LEAST 6-12 MONTHS.  We see many that think they can get away from doing the work if they keep going back to the medicine.  The truth is that the medicine is responsible for 15-40% of the healing and this breaks down walls to get to deeply seeded issues that often are repressed memories

[Source: Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2022]:
The mechanism involves increased neuroplasticity – literally allowing the brain to form new connections and process traumatic memories differently.  This is of high value for incidence of traumatic brain injury is common in veterans when you consider low severity cases and how often they aren’t even reported.

What Veterans Need to Know:

While the article focuses on the Mexico option, it’s important to note that a few legal clinical trials are now happening in the US but there is a lot of resistance from some institutions to engage with them. I call those resistant to researching negligent to what for years has been proven to be highly effective care when in trained and experienced caregiver hands.:

  • MAPS is conducting Phase 3 trials for MDMA-assisted therapy
  • The VA is beginning to study psychedelic treatments
  • Several states are working on psychedelic therapy legislation

[Source: VA.gov, 2023]

The Path Forward:

As someone who’s walked this path, I understand both the desperation that drives veterans to seek treatment abroad and the transformative potential these medicines offer. What we need now is for stories to spread all through our democracy showing first hand the lives restored and our heroes finally at peace.  THis is why we have created Healing Heroes – No Mind Left Behind.  Our goal is to educate on the vast and rapid improvements seen with mindful education on these treatment should only be used in the hands of highly experienced and trained individuals in this space.  Your mind is too valuable to put at risk of an unkilled friend who thinks they know what they are doing but they just dont know what they dont know – I’ve seen harm come from these self proclaimed shaman healers on many occasions.  We need awareness of the incredible benefits in appropriate facilities with highly trained staff.  We will educate and change the minds of those with negative/inappropriate stigmas about psychedelic medicine through the real life veterans and first responders we document on the show.  Once people are able to see the vast benefits – we encourage them to reach out to law makers in order to push for change.  It is time we serve those who served us and need us to fight for them to get:

  1. Accelerated research
  2. Policy reform
  3. Integration of these treatments into mainstream medical care
  4. Better support systems for veterans exploring these options

Remember: While these treatments show immense promise, they should be pursued under proper medical supervision. The underground approach, while understandable, carries significant risks that can be mitigated in clinical settings.

From my own healing journey and professional experience, I can say that psychedelic therapy isn’t just another treatment option – it’s potentially a paradigm-shifting approach to healing trauma. The courage of veterans like Herb Daniels in sharing their stories helps break down stigma and moves us closer to making these treatments legally accessible to those who need them most.

[Personal note: My recovery story mirrors many aspects of what’s described in this article, and I’ve since dedicated my career to helping other veterans find their path to healing.]

Charles “Dr. Charlie” Powell, MD

CEO – Solo Vive International

Healing Heroes – No Mind Left Behind

“King of Hearts”

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