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A Canadian Forces veteran who served in Afghanistan says Canada should be a “world leader” in alternative therapies to treat veterans' post-traumatic stress disorder and other post-combat trauma, including the use of psychedelics.
Retired MCpl. Gordon Hurley says psychedelic treatments such as ketamine and psilocybin, or “magic mushrooms,” can give veterans “a relief” from their trauma or addictions, citing his own experiences, and calls for further research and coverage for physician-assisted treatments. therapies.
“I really think we are in a unique position as a country, with such a liberal view of healthcare and life, that we should be able to lead the world in providing alternative therapies,” he told Mercedes Stephenson in an interview . aired on Sunday The Western Bloc prior to Remembrance Day.
“We should do the same with our veterans, just like you send us into war. Most of the time we say, “Send me, send me.” We can do the same with these types of treatments.”
Hurley deployed to Afghanistan in the summer of 2008, just 15 months after joining the Army and completing basic training. He was injured by an improvised explosive device, but returned to the battlefield just three weeks after the operation.
More than 40,000 Canadians served in Afghanistan, many on multiple tours during the two-decade global War on Terror, and 165 members of the Canadian Armed Forces died there.
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Many veterans of that war returned to Canada suffering not only from PTSD, but also from traumatic brain injuries and the effects of exposure to toxic burns, among other traumas.
Research has suggested recent veterans have had higher mental health and addiction problems compared to older veterans and the overall Canadian population.
Veterans Affairs Canada is conducting research and clinical trials on the use of ketamine as a treatment for traumatic brain injury and depression, but has yet to launch a similar project on psilocybin. In recent years, independent studies of psychedelic treatments have begun across Canada.
A Senate committee report last December urged the federal government to “immediately” conduct a “major program of research” into how psychedelics can help veterans suffering from PTSD. The report said research already exists on the effectiveness of such treatments and warned that Canada is falling behind other countries in studying them.
The United States has funded research into psychedelic treatments for veterans, but the US FDA this year rejected an approval for MDMA treatment and called for further research.
Briefing notes prepared for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs last year saying the department only provides financial coverage for treatments backed by sound research, saying approved psychological and psychiatric treatments are the “first-line evidence-based” approach to treating PTSD and other mental health problems.
“Western treatment is completely fine,” Hurley said. “There is nothing wrong with prescription medications or SSDIs (antidepressants). Whatever helps bring that person back from the edge is worth it. But there are other treatment options.”
Hurley said he is traveling to Mexico to receive psychedelic treatment through a clinic run by Canadian doctors, praising its effectiveness.
In addition to psychedelics, Hurley also pointed to a treatment known as stellate ganglion block, which numbs the nerves in the neck and “basically resets your nervous system,” he said. The treatment has been studied in several Canadian hospitals and universities has been called 'miraculous' in the treatment of PTSD.
“To get that first breath and that first break where they don't crave their addiction anymore, or don't have the annoyances of trauma, of post-traumatic stress, of maybe being too afraid to go out into public spaces or noises and all these other damage to the veteran's life… we could solve this with different types of treatments,” he said.
Hurley said the government should especially fund assisted treatment programs that allow doctors to work with patients and ensure veterans receive the right treatments and dosages.
“The doctor receives specific training in dealing with psychedelics and how they integrate into someone's life,” he said.
“We're so new to it. It's no one's fault, but we really have to be at the forefront of this.”
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Sean Boynton
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