Guidelines for treating Veterans????

[Carlitos]

Dear friends,


Im curious if anyone has devised guidelines and protocols specifically for hairy PTSD catharsis like War Trauma. Ive been working in this area the last couple of years and I feel a few caveats should be worked in to the pre-screening guidelines and treatment protocols:


1) Veterans and or/ Ex Military require deeper pre-screening for complications from TBI and contraindications from multiple Rx medication therapy, and as such, may be disqualified at a higher rate and/or require longer preparation and detoxification?


2) Veteran patients and their guides should ideally be accompanied by other Veterans in the session for full trust capacity


3) Members of the Special Forces who have undergone trauma-based conditioning and who's kill-instinct reactions are unconscious should not undergo this therapy unless under extremely rigorous conditions of safety, including having fully trained security staff in the event of a combat or op flashback.


What has been your experience and/or does anyone have any further suggestions or discussion?

[jomo137]

Interesting post.

I'm curious in the TBI part. Do we have any data about TBI being a contraindication to psychedelics in general or 5meo? Speculations?


I do agree about your safety suggestions around ptsd \ kill training. Having other vets there for the safety of all may be the major decision \ win. I often have concerns around this and am glad to hear someone else air it.

[Carlitos]

TBI does not seem to be contraindicated. The majority of the Vets I worked with directly had some form of it, a few of them, severe. All seemed to benefit from the medicine.


Checked contraindications with some high profile Doctors and all give it the thumbs up. Main concern is seizures.



Im currently treating a former NHL player with CTE. Will let you all know how that goes.

[Handshake]

IIRC, TBI is not contraindicated as long as there are no active symptoms (such as seizures).
War trauma is completely different and should be handled by specialists in that field.

[Carlitos]

Thanks for the responses. I appreciate the support. Been in many Veteran sessions and I consider myself a specialist at this point,  however one can "specialize" in it. There are no guidebooks to repairing a soul destroyed by the wanton destruction of human life. We do what we can. But its the men and women themselves who have the power to heal themselves, they just need a fighting chance. And new options available outside the nightmare of the VA system. Hence, and ergo, we enter Stage Left....

That being said, has anyone here worked with Veterans in this capacity and do you have any observations to share or protocols to suggest with our medicine? If not, the question still remains for anyone who can contribute to this discussion.

[jomo137]

Personally, no.
I'll ask around. Seems like a very interesting line of questioning.

[jomo137]

Maybe reach out to a veteran specific group like - Veterans for Entheogenic Therapy or some notable vets who are public about their use?

[Carlitos]

Im well-acquainted with VET. They were in a film I made about Vets and Aya. But they are neither providers nor professional researchers. They come to people like US for info.

Im looking, specifically, for people with hands-on experience with MAJOR trauma catharsis. War, death, rape, etc. I want to compare notes. And hopefully, draw up a set of protocols.


Hopefully that clarifies.