The Battle for Healing:
Veterans, Psychedelics, and the Fight Against Stigma

For decades, the struggles of American veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and addiction have been met with limited and often ineffective treatments. Traditional approaches — SSRI medications, cognitive behavioral therapy, and other forms of talk therapy — provide relief for some. But for many, they fall short.

Now, an alternative is emerging; one that is both ancient and radically new in modern medicine: psychedelic-assisted therapy. This is when mental health professionals administer psychedelic drugs and facilitate the experience; from preparing patients to guiding them through the experience to supporting their reintegration and learnings after.

Despite the promise that psychedelics hold for veterans — particularly when used in therapeutic, facilitated environments — stigma, bureaucracy, and outdated laws and policies continue to stand in the way of veterans seeking these life-changing treatments.

Veterans know how to fight, though, and a growing number are advocating for better access to support their mental health.

The Veterans Seeking Alternative Healing

Matthew "Whiz" Buckley, a former Navy fighter pilot, has dedicated himself to advocating for psychedelic-assisted therapy for veterans and first responders. He founded the organization No Fallen Heroes after his own transformative experience with Ibogaine, a plant-derived psychedelic that has successfully treated veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Buckley believes this experience saved his life, so he’s made it his mission to connect struggling service members with the healing power of psychedelic medicine and save more lives.

His story is not unique. Kristin Barnes, a former Navy navigator turned naturopathic doctor, also found her way to psychedelics after struggling with the aftereffects of military service and a severe post-retirement accident.

Her path to healing led her to work in integrative medicine, where she now helps others navigate the complexities of PTSD and trauma recovery using both conventional and alternative approaches.

“There’s a moment when you realize you’ve been walking around with armor on, and psychedelics help you take it off,” Barnes says. “Not just for a moment, but in a way that allows you to actually do the work of healing.”

Healing Beyond the Individual: Family Support and Community Integration

While much of the discussion around psychedelic-assisted therapy focuses on the individual veteran’s healing process, organizations like Heroic Hearts Project, founded by former Army Ranger Jesse Gould, emphasize that recovery extends beyond the individual.

The program doesn’t just provide veterans with access to psychedelic-assisted therapy retreats. It also offers structured support for their families, recognizing that trauma reverberates through entire households.

“Families often don’t know how to help,” Gould explained in a recent interview. “They’ve watched their loved one struggle for years, and when they start to heal, it can be disorienting. We prepare spouses and family members to understand what this process looks like, how to support it, and how to heal together.”

This family-centered approach acknowledges that post-traumatic stress and moral injury don’t exist in a vacuum. By educating and equipping families with tools to navigate their loved one’s healing journey, Heroic Hearts Project fosters a more sustainable path forward. One that ensures veterans returning from these transformative experiences have the support network they need to integrate their progress into everyday life.

The Disconnect Between Research and Access

Studies from Johns Hopkins, Imperial College London, and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) show significant reductions in PTSD symptoms with MDMA-assisted therapy, and psilocybin is linked to improvements in depression and anxiety.

Yet, as Lance Cutsforth, an Army veteran and advocate, points out, the gap between research and implementation remains vast. “We have all this data; we have all these veterans who need help,” he says. “And yet, at the VA, they’ll hand you a bag of pills before they’ll even entertain a conversation about psychedelics.”

Cutsforth argues that the disconnect is not just about policy but about a deeply ingrained resistance to change within military and veteran healthcare systems.

Across the country, veterans who have exhausted traditional therapies and VA offerings are turning to substances like psilocybin, MDMA, and Ibogaine, often at great personal and financial risk due to legal and logistical barriers. Not everyone can afford to fly to an overseas retreat or wait for a clinical trial.

Those willing to take the risks of obtaining psychedelics solo also miss out on the therapy component that makes the experience much more safe and effective.

Stigma and the Legacy of the Drug War

The resistance to psychedelic therapy is rooted in decades of stigma, much of it stemming from the federal government’s War on Drugs starting in the early 1970s and its aggressive, anti-psychedelic messaging.

The 1970 Controlled Substances Act classified psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin as Schedule I drugs — substances with “no medical value,” despite research suggesting otherwise.

This classification effectively halted studies for nearly half a century, leaving the modern push for psychedelic therapy to rebuild credibility from scratch.

Buckley, founder of No Fallen Heroes, has seen firsthand how lingering stigma affects veterans who are already struggling with their mental health. “People think psychedelics are for hippies, not warfighters,” he explains. “But if you look at the indigenous use of these medicines, warriors have been using them for thousands of years — to heal, to reconnect, and to process trauma.”

The veteran community, itself, remains divided. Many see psychedelics as a last resort, while others fear judgment from peers or leadership. “Some guys are afraid that if they say they’re interested in psychedelics, they’ll be seen as weak or as drug addicts,” Cutsforth says. “But the truth is, we’re losing more veterans to suicide than we ever did in combat. What we’re doing now isn’t working.”

Legal Efforts and Emerging Research, Even at VA

There is slow progress, despite the challenges. Oregon and Colorado legalized psilocybin-assisted therapy, and several other states, including Texas and Michigan, launched pilot programs to study its effects on veterans.

Federally, the Breakthrough Therapies Act, introduced in 2023, aims to reclassify psychedelics for medical use, though it faces an uphill battle in Congress.

At the same time, organizations like MAPS are pushing for a compassionate use framework, which would allow veterans in crisis to access these therapies before full FDA approval. “We don’t have time to wait for five more years of studies,” Barnes emphasizes. “People are dying now.”

Recognizing the urgent need for effective treatments for PTSD and related conditions, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) also finally initiated research into psychedelic-assisted therapies.

In December 2024, the VA awarded a $1.5 million grant to study MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans suffering from PTSD and alcohol use disorder. This landmark study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of MDMA in conjunction with psychotherapy to alleviate symptoms in veterans unresponsive to conventional treatments.

Dr. Shannon Remick, a psychiatrist at the VA San Diego Healthcare System, is leading a related study focused on MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans with severe PTSD.

“We’ve seen promising results in early trials, and while the VA has historically been cautious, the data is becoming harder to ignore,” she stated in a 2023 interview. Other VA-backed studies are investigating psilocybin’s potential to promote neuroplasticity and ease treatment-resistant depression.

However, these trials remain limited in scope, and access is restricted to veterans who qualify for research participation. Unlike efforts in Oregon and Colorado that have created legal pathways for broader treatment, the VA’s approach remains strictly within the realm of research. For many veterans, this means psychedelic-assisted therapy is still out of reach through the official healthcare system.

The Personal Stories Driving Change

For many veterans, the decision to pursue psychedelics solo or psychedelic-assisted therapy with a professional is not just about statistics or policies — it’s about survival. Cutsforth remembers a fellow soldier who exhausted every traditional treatment available.

“He told me, ‘I’m either going to try psychedelics, or I’m going to eat a bullet.’ Those were his words,” Cutsforth recalls. “And when he finally did the therapy, it changed everything for him. He’s still here. He’s living his life.”

Stories like this highlight why so many veterans are willing to take risks to access these treatments, even when it means traveling abroad or operating in legal gray areas. “I had to fly to Costa Rica for my first Ibogaine treatment,” Buckley says. “I had to find underground practitioners. Veterans shouldn’t have to jump through those kinds of hoops to get help.”

If psychedelic therapy is to become a viable treatment option for veterans, advocates say three key changes need to happen: policy reform, broader education, and increased accessibility.

Cutsforth believes VA adoption beyond limited critical trials is essential. “If the VA backed this, it would change everything,” he says. “They have the infrastructure, the resources. They could make this safe and accessible. But they need to get past the stigma.”

Meanwhile, Buckley is focused on education and peer advocacy, helping fellow veterans understand that psychedelics are not just “party drugs” but powerful therapeutic tools.

“We have to break through the misinformation, the fear, the outdated thinking,” he says. “Veterans deserve better.”

The Path Forward

As the fight for access continues, one thing is clear: for many veterans, psychedelic therapy is not just a promising option — it’s a lifeline. And the battle to make it available is one they are willing to fight.

The road ahead is uncertain, but momentum is building. With more veterans speaking out, more research confirming the benefits, and slow but steady legal progress, the barriers to psychedelic-assisted therapy are beginning to crack.

The question now is not whether these treatments work; it’s whether the institutions meant to serve veterans will finally listen.

About the author

Patricia King

Trish King is a retired U.S. Army infantry NCO and the first openly transgender service member in her field. She writes about military life, family, and LGBTQ+ rights, drawing from her decades of service and personal experience.

Top photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash