From the article: A study of U.S. Special Operations Forces Veterans participating in an ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT treatment in Mexico showed that participants treated with these psychedelic substances showed a significant reduction in alcohol misuse 1 month after the start of the treatment. These effects persisted 6 months later and there was also a strong reduction in symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. The study was published in Military Psychology.

Participating in a war is a traumatic experience. Even for the highly trained personnel, elite soldiers chosen because of their outstanding physical and psychological resilience, exposure to combat situations, injuries and isolation have a profound adverse effect on health and well-being. To cope, many military veterans resort to drinking alcohol. Alcohol is the most misused substance by military personnel.

As a consequence of war experiences and psychological trauma caused by them, many veterans develop posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD. The most well-known symptoms of PTSD include intrusive memories of the traumatic event(s), the so-called flashbacks, bad dreams and frightening thoughts. Symptoms also include higher pain tolerance, emotional numbing and many others. Available treatments for PTSD and alcohol misuse are limited in their effectiveness.

“As a trauma psychologist, I have spent several years working directly with children, adolescents, and adults (including veterans) exposed to atrociously traumatic experiences,” said study author Stacey Armstrong, a clinical psychologist and postdoctoral scholar at the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education at The Ohio State University.

“In my clinical practice, it is essential that I utilize gold-standard, evidence-based treatments to address the functional impairment that often results from these events. However, while providing direct care to clients, many of whom were highly distressed, it became clear that too many were not responding to the established treatments. As I delivered these services, I became aware of and interested in the promising evidence from psychedelic-assisted therapy.”