Ayahuasca Healing Veterans in the USA

Ayahuasca heals so many traumas and addictions that sometimes I feel funny telling of all the healing I have witnessed in 12 years of working with the Medicine. Below is an article I would love to share. Go to http://www.ayaquest.com if you would like to heal in the USA

The topic of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been visited and revisited as it pertains to military veterans. Current statistics reveal that some 30% of Vietnam veterans, 20% of Iraq veterans, and 12% of Afghanistan veterans have PTSD. Unfortunately, only about 50% of veterans seek treatment for PTSD. In fact, one of seven veterans returning from war zones will be diagnosed with PTSD. The VA has some 200 treatment programs, but many veterans complain that there is inadequate mental health providers at the Veterans Administration to treat the rising number of cases. We have beaten this dead horse often and will likely continue to do so until veterans who deserve effective treatment receive it.

Current therapies

The current means of therapy provided by the Veterans Administration includes:

-Assessment and testing -Group therapy -Medications -One-on-one psychotherapy/counseling

Sadly, not every treatment outside of the mainstream is available at the VA. Moreover, the primary method of treatment of PTSD is to:

-Alleviate flashbacks -Nightmares -Lack of trust with authority -Anxiety -Depression -Nausea -Tension -Racing heart -Agoraphobia It is estimated that approximately $1.5 million in taxpayers dollars goes towards the treatment of PTSD over the course of a lifetime for a veteran suffering from the disorder. Lately, new treatments are being studied, including marijuana, MDMA, and the hallucinogenic, Ayahuasca.

Ayahuasca

More recently, veterans have been experimenting with a hallucinogenic called Ayahuasca. The medicinal vine is found in the Amazon and is referred to as the “vine with a soul.” Additionally, Ayahuasca is also found in Ecuador and Bolivia as well as most of the Upper Amazon. In the case of Peru, experienced shamans use the bark of Ayahuasca to mix a drink with another combination, that is, chacruna or chagoopanga, a plant that contains a substantial amount of the psychedelic substance called DMT. Like LSD, DMT is illegal in the United States, so don’t run off looking for it as a panacea. This is why some veteran’s travel to the Phoenix Ayahuasca Center located in Iquitos, Peru. The Multidisciplinary Association is for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is conducting a study with veterans to ascertain the effectiveness of the vine and how it can alleviate symptoms associated with PTSD.

How Ayahuasca works

Veterans who have used Ayahuasca swear by its healing qualities. Ayahuasca works on the emotional processing center of the brain, that is, the hippocampus and amygdala. The medicinal vine serves to purge the processing center of our brain of memories associated with traumatic experiences associated with PTSD. In fact, those who befit and otherwise use Ayahuasca are commonly referred to as purgers. In fact, vomiting and on occasion diarrhea are associated with drinking La Medicina (the medicine). Obviously, Ayahuasca is not for everyone as the experience of hallucinating is extremely intense. Before you run off to South America for treatment for your PTSD, feel free to conduct your own research or preferably, stop by next week when we’ll talk more of the experience, ceremonies as well as the healing powers of the “vine with a soul.”

This information is not intended as medical advice. Be sure to consult a professional for individual counseling.

Alan Scott/Pazoo.com Military Writer