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- Over 17 veterans die by suicide each day, VA reports say.
- MDMA therapy stopped PTSD in 67% of people in a trial.
- Psilocybin quickly helps major depression and the relief lasts, studies show.
- VA people inside the system are pushing for psychedelic therapy because more veterans want it.
- Laws and how drugs are classified are still big problems.
Post-traumatic stress, depression, and drug use ruin the lives of many veterans long after they leave the military. The VA offers standard treatments that help some, but not everyone. This means there's room for other options, like psychedelic therapy, which looks hopeful. New proof and changing views are bringing in a fresh time for mental health ideas. This makes us ask: should psychedelic therapy be part of what the VA does for PTSD and mental health?
The Problem: Mental Health Issues for Veterans
Mental health problems are common and deep among veterans in the U.S. Many veterans live with hidden wounds from their service. These show up as post-traumatic stress (PTSD), depression, worry, and drug use problems. The numbers are serious:
- The VA says over 6,000 veterans commit suicide each year. That's more than 17 each day.
- Up to 20% of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have PTSD each year.
- About 1 in 10 veterans getting care at the VA has a drug use problem. Often, they use drugs to try and deal with untreated trauma on their own.
These ongoing mental health issues mess up lives, families, and communities. And importantly, current mental health treatments, while based on science, just don't help everyone. Veterans with problems that don't respond to treatment might spend years trying different drugs and therapies without getting better.
Because of this ongoing suffering, both at the VA and in mental health in general, people are interested in other treatments. Psychedelic therapy is one of these. It seems to have good science behind it and can really change people's lives.
Limits of Current Treatments
The usual mental health care at the VA focuses on treatments that have been shown to work, like
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy
- Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
- Group therapy and support from other veterans
These help many people. But others don't find them helpful or have trouble with them. For example, exposure therapy, where people slowly bring up memories of trauma, can be too much or cause more trauma for some veterans. Also, SSRIs can take weeks to fully work and often need to be taken for a long time. They can also have side effects and become less helpful over time.
Many veterans talk about a hard process of trying different things. It can take years to find the "right" treatment and still not feel much better. Because of this, more people are looking for options that deal with more than just symptoms. They also want emotional and spiritual healing.
What Is Psychedelic Therapy?
Psychedelic therapy, also called psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, is when psychedelic drugs are used in a safe, medical setting along with therapy. The main drugs being studied now include
- Psilocybin – a natural substance in over 200 kinds of mushrooms. It’s known to change how you see and feel things.
- MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) – a made-made drug created for therapy. It's often known for making people feel more open and connected.
- Ketamine – a drug that makes you feel disconnected from your body. It's approved for depression that doesn't respond to other treatments, as a form called esketamine (Spravato).
- LSD and Ayahuasca – These are studied less in big trials, but are being looked at in smaller studies and private groups.
These drugs are given in safe places with medical staff. Usually, there are therapy sessions before, during, and after the drug experience. Therapy helps keep people safe emotionally, put together what they learned during the experience, and reduce the chance of going through more trauma.
How Psychedelic Therapy Works
Psychedelic drugs cause big changes in the brain and in how people feel. How they work includes
- Brain Changes: Psychedelics might make the brain more able to change, helping it make new connections.
- Brain Network Changes: Psychedelics can briefly change how the brain's "default mode network" works. This network is linked to depression and negative thoughts.
- Trauma Work: When using these drugs, people often think about past trauma but with less fear. This can allow them to rethink and let go of emotions they haven't dealt with.
- Feelings of Connection: Many people talk about experiences that feel spiritual or bigger than themselves. These experiences can change their deep beliefs about themselves, others, and the world.
These things can lead to fast and big changes in mental health. They can help people make deep healing progress in just a few sessions, not years.
The Science: Recent Important Studies
More and more research is showing that psychedelics could be a new option for PTSD and mental health care at the VA.
MDMA for PTSD
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) ran a very hopeful study. It was published in Nature Medicine. This Phase 3 trial looked at MDMA therapy for people with severe PTSD. The study found:
- 67% of people no longer had PTSD after three MDMA therapy sessions.
- People in the study had long histories of trauma, often for many years.
- Many had not gotten better with other treatments, making MDMA therapy possibly life-changing.
These results show MDMA does more than just hide symptoms. It changes the root problem by helping people learn about emotions.
Psilocybin for Depression
Johns Hopkins University has studied psilocybin a lot for major depressive disorder (MDD). The research shows:
- Over 70% of people had big drops in depression symptoms.
- Many stayed better for months after treatment.
- Psilocybin sessions often included spiritual feelings and letting out strong emotions.
This suggests it could be very helpful not just for PTSD, but also for veterans struggling with depression and not being able to feel pleasure.
Ketamine: Legal and Fast-Acting
While MDMA and psilocybin are waiting for FDA approval, ketamine is already available. It can be used "off-label" or in its FDA-approved form, esketamine (Spravato). VA clinics and doctors outside the VA are starting to use ketamine therapy more for veterans with depression or PTSD that hasn't gotten better with other treatments. It has had some success.
Why the VA Is Interested
Dr. Shereef Elnahal, who used to be in charge of health at the VA, has talked about the need to look into new treatments like psychedelic therapy. He pointed to three main reasons
- Veterans Want It: Many veterans are already finding ways to get these treatments on their own. They might go to underground groups or centers in other countries, often through groups like Heroic Hearts Project or VETS (Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions).
- It Looks Like It Works: There's more and more proof from good studies that it works. This is hard to ignore, especially because there's a big need for better treatments.
- It's the Right Thing to Do: If there are safer, helpful treatments, and the VA doesn't offer them, it might be failing to do its job for veterans.
This isn't just a small discussion. It's something being talked about at the highest levels of VA leadership.
Problems with Using It Widely
Even though there's excitement about psychedelic therapy, there are still many things making it hard to add to VA mental health programs.
Legal Status
The biggest problem is the law
- Schedule I Drug: Drugs like MDMA and psilocybin are Schedule I drugs federally. This means they are said to have no accepted medical use and a high chance of being misused.
- Controlled Substance Act: This law limits what health systems, like the VA, can do in terms of studying, prescribing, or supporting these drugs.
Until these drugs are rescheduled or approved by the FDA, the VA can't really use them, even in small test programs.
VA System Issues
Putting these treatments in place at the VA is a big job. Some possible problems are
- Lack of Trained People: Psychedelic therapy needs therapists with special training and safety rules.
- Cost and Facilities: These treatments often involve long therapy sessions, like 4-8 hours. This would mean big changes to VA facilities and needing more staff.
- Stigma and Lack of Understanding: Years of anti-drug campaigns have made the public think badly of these drugs, especially older people or those with more traditional views.
Research and Approval Time
MDMA therapy might get FDA approval soon, maybe in 2024 or 2025. But to use other drugs more widely, there need to be strong Phase 3 trials for them, long-term safety data, and changes in rules and policies across different government groups.
Veterans' Stories: Real Experiences and Support
Beyond the science, the strongest reasons for this come from veterans themselves who have used psychedelic therapy to heal.
Many say psychedelics worked when nothing else did
“After everything I tried, it was the mushrooms that finally brought me peace,” said a former Marine who went through a program funded by Heroic Hearts Project.
Others say they have a new desire to live, better relationships, and understand their trauma better. These aren't just a few stories. They are part of a growing movement of people asking for legal access to these therapies.
Groups like Heroic Hearts and VETS are helping by
- Paying for treatment in other countries (like Mexico, Costa Rica, and the Netherlands)
- Offering coaching to help people prepare for and understand their experiences
- Supporting research and efforts to make people aware of this
This community effort shows both the need for and how well psychedelic therapy can work for military trauma.
Mushrooms in Mental Health and Culture
While psilocybin mushrooms get a lot of attention, other mushrooms also have healing potential
Non-Psychedelic Types
- Lion’s Mane: Studied for helping the brain heal and grow new connections. It might help with thinking, memory, and mood.
- Reishi and Cordyceps: Adaptogenic mushrooms used in traditional medicine. They are now being studied for helping with stress and the immune system.
Cultural Meaning
Mushrooms have been used in healing rituals in Indigenous cultures for a long time. Western medicine is just starting to see what these traditional systems have known—that mushrooms can be used in complete, sacred, and healing ways.
Understanding these benefits better can help reduce stigma and remove the idea that they are just "recreational drugs." It can help people see them as real tools for therapy.
What This Means for Veteran Care in the Future
Adding psychedelic therapy to VA mental health care could
- Deal with the real causes of trauma and depression, not just the symptoms.
- Bring back veterans who have given up on usual care.
- Lower costs over time by giving faster, longer-lasting results.
In the end, a system that uses both new science and caring support will help veterans most. The VA could lead this change, if it's willing to change.
How the Mushroom Community Can Help
Companies in the mushroom business, like Zombie Mushrooms, are in a good place to help this movement by
- Supporting research on all mushrooms that can help with therapy.
- Putting on events to teach the public.
- Taking part in efforts to change policies or funding efforts to make psychedelics less restricted.
We all have a reason to help bring real, safe options to people who really need them.
Zombie Mushrooms’ View: Why It's Important to Us
At Zombie Mushrooms, we care about more than just mushroom wellness. We want a future where mushrooms help with both health and emotional healing. We don't sell or support illegal drugs, but we do support responsible research and changes in policy.
Veterans deserve better, and we support those looking for healing through nature and science.
Final Thoughts: A Natural Option with Big Potential
Psychedelic therapy offers something rare in medicine today: hope. Not just feeling a bit better, but real change. As science learns more about suffering, the VA needs to be brave and caring.
Listening to veterans, supporting good science, and helping people understand mushrooms can show the way forward. The question isn't if the VA should use psychedelic therapy. It's if they can afford not to.
Citations
- Mitchell, J. M., Bogenschutz, M., Lilienstein, A., et al. (2021). MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study. Nature Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-021-01336-3
