Dr. Anna Yusim is a psychiatrist and a professor at Yale Medical School. Mark “Moose” McGrath met her at a psychedelic assembly in Manhattan and led this conversation, and I joined them. Our company is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business, so we care about what psychedelics might offer people with PTSD.
The research
Anna walks through what psychedelic research shows for PTSD and trauma, and where questions remain. She explains why placebo controls are so hard in these studies. People usually know when they have taken a psychedelic, and that complicates the science.
Healing is personal
Anna describes healing as personal and subjective. Psychedelic experiences can change how people see substance use, mindfulness and their connection to something larger. Meditation and breathwork help people hold on to what they gain.
Law and culture
We look at how countries treat psychedelics, from Jamaica to the Netherlands. Anna also talks about possible benefits for neurodiverse people. At Yale, she is part of an effort to bring spirituality into mental health care.
For us, this is orientation work. Experience reshapes how a person sees the world, and integration keeps that new view in place.
This episode is not medical advice. Most psychedelics are Schedule I substances in the United States. If you are a veteran in crisis, call 988 and press 1, or text 838255. Anyone else can call or text 988.
What would you need to see before trusting a new treatment?
Listen and watch:
Apple Podcasts:
Spotify:
No Way Out on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/@nowayoutpodcast