SPOTLIGHT COMMUNICATIONS

At the FDA’s public meeting on advancing treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on September 6th, I was once again confronted with a grim reality: each year, between 6,000 and 16,000 Veterans take their own lives. More than 150,000 Veterans have died by suicide in the past twenty years—a number that is twenty-one times the lives we’ve lost in post-9/11 conflict zones.

While advocating for the FDA to approve MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) to treat PTSD this summer, I learned that several more members of my Veteran community, including someone I served with, had taken their own lives. What is deeply alarming is that, despite years of effort, this number has stubbornly refused to decrease. Veterans face a mental health crisis that demands immediate action, yet there seems to be no urgency to address this problem.

Veterans stood as the vanguard of our nation’s security, returning home to honor those they lost on the battlefield, only to find themselves fighting another battle at home—PTSD. Despite twenty-plus years of effort and billions of federal dollars dedicated to addressing this mental health disorder, progress has been dismally slow. When a solution was found in MDMA-AT, the FDA denied access, concluding that the benefits did not outweigh the risks. This decision left many in the mental health community—and Veterans suffering from PTSD—wondering if hope would ever re-emerge.

While the balance of benefits and risks is always paramount, it is crucial to remember that, for Veterans suffering from PTSD, the risk they face is too often death by suicide. Nothing should outweigh this risk.

MDMA-AT has been clinically proven to offer tangible, paradigm-shifting results for PTSD patients. The vast majority of those treated report experiencing a renewed sense of hope and connection, which, in turn, decreases suicidality. MDMA-AT serves as a literal lifeline for those left adrift in the wake of their service.

The science behind MDMA-AT is compelling. Studies have shown that MDMA can facilitate major therapeutic breakthroughs by enhancing emotional openness, reducing fear, and enabling individuals to process traumatic experiences in a safe and supportive environment. For Veterans grappling with the aftermath of combat and trauma, MDMA-AT provides a path to recovery that goes beyond traditional therapies, which are often palliative and require lifelong reliance on medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). MDMA-AT is different: it addresses the root cause of PTSD rather than merely managing symptoms, eliminating the diagnosis in 71% of those fortunate enough to receive the treatment.

Despite the scientific data underscoring MDMA-AT’s efficacy, access to this treatment remains limited, with only a few clinical trials available at select VA clinics nationwide. In response, Veteran advocacy groups like Healing Breakthrough, along with many others, have called for renewed focus on research and increased access to MDMA-AT within the VA healthcare system to expand access to this life-saving treatment.

Veterans and their families have led the charge in advocating for FDA approval of MDMA-AT, but they are far from alone in their appeals. Three of the “Big Six” Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), as well as the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and Wounded Warrior Project, have publicly voiced their support for MDMA-AT. In July, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers hosted press conferences on the steps of the Capitol, issued public statements, and signed letters urging the President and the FDA commissioner to approve MDMA-AT.

The consensus among PTSD experts and those who’ve made it their life’s mission to care for our Veterans is overwhelming—both in highlighting Veteran PTSD and suicide rates and in supporting the approval of this innovative treatment. Our need for effective PTSD treatments is long overdue.

In addressing this crisis, we must remember that each statistic represents a real person whose life has been affected or cut short by a condition that MDMA-AT can treat and potentially eliminate. If MDMA-AT can give so many Veterans their lives back, why are we still denying them this chance at recovery? It is time to make this groundbreaking treatment available to those who need and deserve it most, moving beyond symbolic gestures. We owe it to those who have sacrificed so much to ensure they have every possible chance for recovery.

The FDA’s hesitance to approve MDMA-AT is not only a missed opportunity; it is a potential contributor to the ongoing crisis. We cannot afford to wait any longer. The lives of Veterans depend on swift and decisive action from the FDA.

We call on all our Veteran brothers and sisters to join us in channeling our collective resolve into meaningful action. Let us honor the courage of our fellow Veterans by committing to a future where effective treatments are available and accessible, where no one has to suffer in silence, and where every Veteran can find a path to healing. The fight against Veteran suicide is one we must win. With hope, persistence, and unwavering commitment, we believe we will.

Photo Army Reserve

On behalf of a Marine Corps veteran, published in U.S. Veterans Magazine