From Shock to Awe

Being a veteran myself I fully understand the struggles that someone can go through with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. Though I don’t personally have PTSD as a consequence of war activities, I do have close friends and family who have PTSD from combat. Most Americans can sadly say the same thing as PTSD has become a nationwide epidemic that is not well understood.

PTSD is a disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event. It is natural to feel afraid during and after a traumatic situation. Fear triggers many split-second changes in the body to help defend against danger or to avoid it. This “fight-or-flight” response is a typical reaction meant to protect a person from harm.

PTSD is often hard to discuss for veterans because they feel that they will not be understood. They are also often continually reliving the memory of the trauma that continues to haunt them. Often guilt is a critical factor in reliving the trauma and sometimes the memory of the experience is buried deep down inside of the psyche to the point that the individual is unable to work through the issues to alleviate some of the symptoms. Though the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or VA is doing as much as they can, the medications used to treat veterans don’t always work. Fortunately, there are options available for those who conventional treatment does not work.

“More and more research is showing that psychedelics are useful in treating depression as well as PTSD in controlled environments. Some studies conducted by MAPS have demonstrated that MDMA is effective in treating PTSD. On August 16, 2017, the FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to MDMA for the treatment of PTSD. In result, we are not far off from giving veterans the opportunity to utilize alternative therapies like MDMA to treat their PTSD.” -nimh.nih.gov

From Shock to Awe is a new documentary that explores the discussion of the effectiveness of psychedelics in helping veterans. It follows the lives of two veterans who suffer from PTSD as start the journey to transformation after experiencing Ayahuasca, a powerful psychedelic and plant medicine, for the first time.

Mitch Schultz From Shock to Awe

In this episode, we speak with Mitch Schultz the director of DMT: The Spirit Molecule about the documentary he helped to produce called From Shock to Awe. From Shock to Awe explores the lives of two veterans as they use Ayahuasca to treat their PTSD and shows the changes that took place. Additionally, it explores the veterans families and how they react to the changes that take place.

Mitch talks about veterans, the documentary, what psychedelics are and their healing potential, and how others can access the healing power of psychedelics to change their lives.

From Shock to Awe will be released on November 12th in select cities. You can watch the trailer and read more about the documentary at ShocktoAwe.com or visit www.taileaters.com/cepodcast and find links to the site as well as Mitch’s work.

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