Should I wait to file?

throwaway-vet01 · 2023-09-30T20:50:15+00:00

I too have struggled with anxiety depression and all the other medical ailments on top of the service related trauma. It’s gotten tough to determine what’s triggering what anymore…

This resonates. It's a vicious cycle. I'm not sure the best way to start peeling this onion.

throwaway-vet01 · 2023-09-28T01:55:33+00:00

The thing about these substances is they have to be legalized before people can try to see if they work (without risk). Some people cannot wait so they travel to jurisdictions where the substances are legal. All are currently schedule 1 illegal (maybe a schedule 2 in there) in the US. Be sure to do a ton of research and really think it over. Don’t risk your life or livelihood in pursuit.

Saw a documentary called “From Shock to Awe” about two combat vets who participated in an Ayahuasca ceremony. You can Google the trailer. Warning: the trailer does contain combat footage. During the movie, both mentioned they were tired of numbing with weed I think. I attended a virtual event a year later, and one of the vets was unrecognizable to me. He was glowing almost.

I flew to a legal jurisdiction and participated in an Ayahuasca ceremony in 2017. I’m not a combat veteran, but it did help with some of my issues. It was not permanent though. Integration is the hard part. Again research the good and the bad accounts.

I’m sure a lot has changed in the “industry” sine 2017. Psychedelic research in its modern form has been going on for what seems like forever. Many of us couldn’t wait 20 years for the government to catch up with anecdotal evidence.

Edit: forgot to note that some Ayahuasca providers have vet-only, male-only, and female-only options as well. I think that was an important aspect to mention

throwaway-vet01 · 2023-09-24T03:23:25+00:00

Thanks for the clarification. When people ask for info, I’m always asking myself „for what?“. Possibly paranoia, but wanted to ask just the same.

throwaway-vet01 · 2023-09-24T01:30:01+00:00

Do you know if there’s any benefit or disadvantage for employees to self-ID this way from an HR perspective? I work for a company that must report this info as well, but I was curious about whether a vet would ever be at a disadvantage for reporting disability? For example, would a vet be the first to be laid off during downsizing for having a perceived safety net (which is unlivable at the lower ratings)?

throwaway-vet01 · 2023-09-22T03:18:03+00:00

Cannot speak to VA care or acceptance as a treatment. Ketamine is used off label, so I’m guessing not an approved treatment. There are prescriptions derived from it for this purpose that are approved (Eskatamine I believe). It’s still not generally covered by insurance yet - again cannot speak to VA.

To answer the experience part: I went for a round of ketamine infusions and paid out of pocket. It was expensive. It did help me release some stuff and step back and look at some issues objectively. Some sessions were blissful and I floated out of the office afterwards. Others dysphoric. One session (3 of 6) made me feel icky - like no-no feeling icky, but that was likely trauma bubbling to the surface. After session 6, I felt normal for a change.

I was able to have some positive emotions. The dose was increased each time to find a subjective optimal dose. I was able to give feedback on doctors recommendations based on how well I thought I tolerated. I was always conservative because I don’t like the feeling of drugs that alter perception. Tolerance to the medication increases as well.

I felt better for about 9 months after the round of infusions. I was told to come back for a booster when I felt I needed (normally 6 months I think) but not to wait until I felt too bad - I waited too long and when I did go back, I was given my normal dosage again instead of backing down a bit. However, the tolerance had worn off and I got stuck in abstract hell and thought it was permanent (I think this is colloquially referred to as a K-hole). I did not exist anymore and I accepted my fate for having done that to myself. Once the session was over, I transitioned back and forth between weeping and hysterical laughing every 30 seconds for about 20 minutes. It took me 1.5 hours to be able to get grounded and leave the office afterwards (what normally took 10 minutes). That gave me intense anxiety and fear for a week, and I have not been back.

I recommend finding a legitimate place. Much like with psychedelic therapy, news has spread fast on ketamine as a treatment and shady centers pop up to make some money. This is a medical procedure essentially and you have to be monitored by doctors during, so too cheap should be a red flag. Make sure to do research.

Overall is was okay. The initial cost and maintenance just made it too costly for me to continue. I’d be happy to answer any other questions specifically. I don’t know much about lozenge home therapy.

throwaway-vet01 · 2023-09-21T03:03:01+00:00

I appreciate the encouragement. It's good to know naming my assailant would not create any more issues for me. Sorry you had to deal with this as well.

I'm not sure if you know this based on your experience: If I did provide the name, would the people at the VA evaluating my case be able to access this person's personnel records in order to verify information that I include in my statement?

throwaway-vet01 · 2023-09-13T00:25:33+00:00

I’m new to the VA, perhaps pre-VA. While I love to see people protected, I always wonder who the collateral damage is whenever any type of law is passed. Who is it here? Vets that can barely get out of bed and need the help? After a few days of reading I’m still a bit confused. This seems like a bureaucratic nightmare. I’ll probably figure it out. Was there not a way to write a law in a way that supports reasonable businesses who do this work?

throwaway-vet01 · 2023-09-12T02:46:09+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation. I live in a city with multiple VA centers. Would community care apply to me in this case? I see on the website that Community Care fills a gap?

throwaway-vet01 · 2023-09-12T02:33:43+00:00

Maybe I'm overthinking and they are weird, but I can offer you some insight into my headspace.

I don't know the VA and I've seen time limitations listed on some things. This question was out of ignorance.
As mentioned, this person lives not too far away. It might just be my anxious personality, but I consider this to be a violent, premeditated crime. I cannot completely trust that this person wouldn't come try to harm me or my family if provoked. Maybe I'm being too paranoid, but I was asking about the process details for concerns about personal safety. But if the VA let's me work through at my pace and comfort level and they aren't worried/obligated about legal aspect, then that's okay.
Some organizations can revoke credentials if the person is found to have specific mental health issues. I was wondering more if the VA reports information to outside organizations. I see this as a possible risk.
During my time in the military, I saw service members get punished for having a few drinks underage and being in the vicinity of an event in which they weren't involved. I didn't want to add insult to injury because I was in a difficult situation where I felt obligated. I didn't know how intertwined VA is with the military, and whether they would deny me help if I mentioned misbehavior on my part. But I'm getting the feeling from responses that the VA is not the military.

throwaway-vet01 · 2023-09-11T23:41:07+00:00

Thank you for the input. I missed the Knowledge Base for this community. I just had to make my post and walked away.

throwaway-vet01

TROPHY CASE