IN SEARCH OF SOLUTIONS FOR BRAIN INJURIES, SOME VETERANS EXPERIMENT WITH PSYCHEDELIC TREATMENTS
Unable to find effective treatments at home, some American war veterans with brain injury symptoms are crossing the border in search of psychedelic therapies that are not yet legal in the US.
Author: Dave Philipps
Photos: Mark Abramson
December 16, 2024
On a sunny July day, a van full of US Army special operations veterans crossed the border into Mexico for a mission that was strange even for them.
Over the course of 48 hours, they will experience a psychedelic substance, go through a period of hallucinations and see their consciousness altered. The aim is to find what they haven't found anywhere else so far: relief from post-traumatic stress and the symptoms of trauma and brain injuries.
"It may sound like an exaggeration, but I've tried everything else and it hasn't worked," explains retired soldier Jason, who, like everyone else in that van, asked not to give his full name, mainly because of the stigma still associated with psychedelics.
After a long military career in which he was exposed to explosions and gunfire, he now finds himself struggling with depression and anger, an impaired memory and problems concentrating. He was about to get divorced. He even put a gun to his head.
"I don't know if this treatment will work," Jason said of psychedelic therapy. "But right now I have nothing to lose."
"They just want to feel better, and they realize that this is working."
Psychedelic therapy is becoming increasingly common among war veterans. For many years, psychedelic treatment clinics in Mexico were almost unknown, last-resort options used mainly to treat addictions. Recently, veterans have discovered that they also provide a lasting solution to mental health problems they have had to deal with since leaving combat.
There is no record of how many veterans have sought treatment like this in Mexico. The owners of the clinics estimate that they already treat a few thousand American veterans a year, and say that the numbers are growing all the time. Many of these soldiers have access to a free health service for military personnel in the US, but feel that conventional treatments for mental health problems related to war trauma are ineffective.
The State Department dedicated to veterans announced this month that, for the first time in 50 years, it will fund scientific research dedicated to therapy with psychedelics. But while the studies progress, the treatment will remain inaccessible to most veterans, probably for several years. [...]
Some soldiers still on active duty are also making these trips to access psychedelic treatments, despite the risk of being punished if they are caught. "Who can condemn them?" asks a senior US Army officer. "They've tried talking to psychiatrists, taking all kinds of medication, and they always end up frustrated. They just want to feel better, and they realize that this is working." [...]
Studies show a 90% reduction in symptoms
A group of researchers from Stanford University recently contacted 30 veterans who had undergone this type of treatment. The resulting study, published in January, found that symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) fell sharply, by around 90%, and remained low for at least a month afterwards. The researchers also detected improvements in cognitive performance, including learning and memory skills.
MRI scans, taken a month after treatment, show that certain areas of these veterans' brains have become thicker than they were, explains Dr. Nolan Williams, associate professor of psychiatry at Stanford who led this study. "We can see physical changes in the brain - a kind of neuronal repair phenomenon that is not found in any other established modern therapy or with approved drugs."
Another research team from the University of Texas found similar improvements in the area of mental health.
"The question that remains is how long it can last," says Dr. Charles Nemeroff, co-director of the Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy at the university's medical school. "You still don't know how long the effects will last." [...]
"I can't explain what happened, but it worked."
The veterans accompanied by this report woke up on Sunday surprised to feel so well. One of the men said he had been able to sleep well for the first time in many years.
About his experience with heightened awareness, Jason told us afterwards: "It wasn't a vision - I didn't see anything, but I could feel everything." He looked amazed, and had tears streaming down his face. He looked astonished and had tears streaming down his face. "I was overcome by this feeling that I'm fine," he added, then burst into laughter.
After ten years of therapy in the Army health system, he had felt very little progress: "This treatment could save the Armed Forces a lot of money."
Two months later, in an interview, the veterans said that the trip to the clinic had drastically improved their sleep, their state of mind, their relationships and their outlook on life. Jason added that he had stopped smoking and drinking, and no longer needed cannabis to sleep. He felt kinder, more peaceful. He now had clear thinking and a much better memory.
"The effect hasn't worn off yet," he said. "I can't explain what happened, but it worked."
