If you are a veteran with PTSD asking whether psychedelic therapy is available to you, here is the short answer: the VA is running clinical trials of it, not offering it as routine care. As of November 2026, the VA’s psychedelic-assisted therapy page for PTSD describes MDMA and psilocybin, the two most-studied psychedelics for PTSD, as Schedule I substances with no currently accepted medical use. A Cleveland Clinic overview for nonpsychiatrists from June 2025 says no psychedelic is currently FDA approved. That is the overview’s statement as of its date; confirm the current approval status on FDA.gov.
This page lays out each option side by side, so you can see what is studied, what is available now and what is still unknown.
Does the VA do psychedelic therapy?
Not as routine care yet. A CBS News 60 Minutes report from early 2025 said the VA was then conducting nine clinical trials using MDMA and psilocybin to treat PTSD, depression and addiction. The current number is not known from that report, so check ClinicalTrials.gov. The same report said, “Even if these trials are successful, it would be years before the VA could prescribe either drug for its patients.” To see which VA studies are active now, check ClinicalTrials.gov directly.
The VA’s own page says veterans interested in MDMA-assisted therapy “can explore opportunities to participate in approved clinical trials underway within the VA setting.” The same CBS report says the VA warns against “self-medicating” with psychedelics or using them as “part of a self-treatment program.”
Which psychedelic drugs are being studied for PTSD?
Two drugs have most of the research: MDMA and psilocybin. The VA says the greatest evidence base is for MDMA, specifically the protocol from Lykos Therapeutics (formerly MAPS Public Benefit Corporation). Ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT appear mostly in reports from programs outside the US. Here is how each option stands.
| Option | Status | What the research or reports show | Who it may suit and its limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talk therapy and exposure therapy | Standard, evidence-based care the VA offers | The VA says “the effectiveness of evidence-based treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is established.” | The VA also says “many people do not benefit enough from these treatments.” |
| Antidepressants (SSRIs) | Elnahal described prolonged exposure, cognitive processing and SSRIs as “the current standard-of-care options.” | CBS reported that Randy Weaver had tried “nearly every treatment for PTSD the VA offers.” | Response differs from person to person. Ask the VA/DoD PTSD guideline and a pharmacist or clinician for specifics on medications. |
| MDMA-assisted therapy (Lykos protocol) | Investigational. The FDA declined to approve it in August 2024 and asked its sponsor to run another phase 3 trial, the Cleveland Clinic overview says. | Two randomized placebo-controlled phase 3 trials “have demonstrated treatment efficacy with large effect sizes,” according to the VA. | Veterans were about 19% of each phase 3 sample. The protocol is about twelve 90-minute therapy sessions plus three 6-8-hour medicine sessions. |
| Psilocybin-assisted therapy | Investigational. The VA says there have been no clinical trials conducted on P-AT for PTSD to date. | A meta-analysis cited by the VA found “large and statistically significant reductions of anxiety” in placebo-controlled studies. | Most of the strongest data comes from depression and anxiety, not PTSD. Typical protocols use about six 60-90-minute therapy sessions and one to two 6- to 8-hour administration sessions. |
| Ibogaine | Schedule 1 in the US, according to Marcus Capone, co-founder of VETS, on the PBS NewsHour | Capone said his program has treated “over 1,200 individuals” and described them as having gotten better. This is his account, not a trial result. | Capone said people travel outside the US because the drug is not legal there. |
| Retreats outside the US (psilocybin ceremonies, ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT programs) | Not approved for PTSD in the US | CBS followed nine veterans at a retreat near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Eight of them told CBS their symptoms had improved nearly a year later. A VA-cited survey of US Special Forces Veterans who attended a program in Mexico reported “substantial improvement in PTSD symptoms and suicidal ideation.” | These are small groups and self-reports, not controlled trials. Elnahal told CBS: “there’s no way to monitor, certify– make sure that they’re actually safe environments.” |
What are the new PTSD treatments, and what is standard today?
The new options are the psychedelic-assisted therapies in the table above, and all of them are still under study. The standard options are the evidence-based therapies and antidepressants the VA already offers. Psychedelic-assisted therapy pairs a psychedelic session with psychotherapy. It is meant to be an add-on to talk therapy, not a stand-alone pill.
Is there a best drug for PTSD?
No single drug is the best choice for every veteran. The VA says the effectiveness of evidence-based PTSD treatments is established, but that “many people do not benefit enough from these treatments.” Which option fits you depends on your history, what you have already tried and which trials you could join. Take that comparison to your clinician.
How strong is the evidence for MDMA-assisted therapy?
The VA page says the MDMA protocol has the greatest evidence base for PTSD. It reports that PTSD symptom severity “significantly decreased more” for people given MDMA-assisted therapy than for those given placebo and therapy in two phase 3 trials.
The same page sets out the limits. Veterans were a small part of those trials, and the VA says there is “an urgent need for additional studies with Veteran participants within the VA medical setting.” The current Lykos psychotherapy model “has not been studied as a stand-alone treatment for PTSD” and is not mentioned in the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for PTSD.
In August 2024, the FDA declined to approve MDMA after an advisory panel said there was not enough evidence it was safe or effective, CBS reported. Elnahal told CBS that a small VA phase 2 MDMA trial showed that “45% have gone into complete remission, which is essentially a ‘normal emotional state.'” This is an official’s verbal summary of a small phase 2 trial, not a published result. He also said, “We need to do larger Phase III clinical trials.”
Can mushroom therapy help with PTSD?
Psilocybin is the psychoactive compound found in some mushrooms. The research on it for PTSD is still early. The VA says there is “minimal research to date on psilocybin for PTSD” and that “there is currently no published data on psilocybin use for treating PTSD.” Its data is stronger for conditions that often occur with PTSD, such as depression and anxiety. One preliminary study cited by the VA found that a single administration of psilocybin along with group psychotherapy can decrease symptoms of PTSD in older long-term AIDS survivors. That group is not veterans, so the result does not transfer directly.
Why are veterans with PTSD turning to psychedelics?
Many veterans say standard care has not worked for them. TJ Duff, a former Navy sailor, told CBS: “I’ve been through a lot of therapy, a lot of different treatments. And not a lotta success.” CBS reported that thousands of veterans “aren’t waiting, desperate for help,” and are attending psychedelic retreats where the drugs are legal. DAV’s page says, “Many veterans are desperate for more effective mental health treatments.” The Cleveland Clinic overview says patients are “increasingly self-treating with psychedelics.”
How do you qualify for psychedelic therapy?
The VA’s route runs through clinical trials. The VA’s PTSD page says studies of MDMA for PTSD can be found on ClinicalTrials.gov. Each study sets its own eligibility rules, so read the criteria on each listing and ask the study team what they check. If you are not yet enrolled in VA health care, the VA’s “Apply for VA Care” pages are the place to start.
What is psychedelic therapy like, and what are the side effects?
The Cleveland Clinic overview describes the structure. Participants have preparation sessions with their therapists, then a treatment session that can last 6 to 8 hours, with one or two trained therapists present. Vital signs are collected throughout, and participants have a medical evaluation before they leave. The Lykos protocol described on the VA page includes three 90-minute integration sessions after each medicine session, where the patient processes the experience with the therapist.
The effects are strong. The Cleveland Clinic overview says psychedelics “can significantly alter perception, cognition, mood, affect, social relatedness, and sense of self or meaning.” DAV says these substances “can induce intense psychological experiences that may be challenging for some veterans.” The VA lists setting, safety and time as clinical considerations for these therapies. Ask the study team which side effects they monitor for.
Can you go into psychosis from psychedelics?
CBS reported that the Mexico retreat it visited required a medical screening and no family history of psychosis or schizophrenia. The VA says current studies use rigorous medical and psychological exclusion criteria that keep many people with PTSD out. Neither says whether psychedelics cause psychosis. Ask the study team or your clinician.
Who should not do psychedelic therapy?
No one list of exclusions applies to every study, because each trial sets its own rules. The Cleveland Clinic overview says that, if the FDA approves, therapy practitioners will likely look to physicians for guidance on safety in older patients and in those with conditions that were exclusionary in trials. The VA gives examples: studies require tapering SSRIs and other psychoactive medications, and MDMA raises safety concerns with uncontrolled hypertension, cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease, and symptomatic liver disease. Each study sets its own criteria. DAV’s advocacy language says psychedelics can offer alternative options for conditions that “haven’t responded well to conventional therapies,” which is not a qualification rule. Your own history decides whether you are a fit, and that call belongs with a clinician.
What does psychedelic therapy cost?
For VA care, see the VA’s copay information. For a trial, ask the study team whether there is any cost to you. For the CBS retreat, the Heroic Hearts Project, a nonprofit, “organized and paid for” the trip. A retreat you book yourself will have its own price. DAV says its advocacy includes “ensuring affordability and accessibility” for veterans seeking these therapies.
Is psychedelic therapy legal for veterans?
This is general information, not legal advice. The VA’s PTSD page says MDMA and psilocybin are still Schedule I substances, “drugs with high abuse potential and no currently accepted medical use.” Capone said ibogaine is also a Schedule 1 drug in the US. Jon Shenk, director of the film “In Waves and War,” said in a November 2025 PBS NewsHour interview that Texas passed an ibogaine research funding bill and that California followed suit. The bill numbers and status are not given there. Check the Texas and California legislatures’ own records for the bill numbers, dates and current status. On the federal side, Congressman Lou Correa (D-CA) and Congressman Jack Bergman (R-MI) launched the “PACT” Caucus on November 17, 2022, according to We Honor Veterans. For current status, check the VA or a lawyer.
What should you do next?
- Talk with your VA or primary care team about the standard PTSD treatments you have tried and the ones you have not.
- If a VA trial interests you, search ClinicalTrials.gov for VA psychedelic studies and read the eligibility section of each listing.
- For any retreat or clinic outside the VA, ask for the monitoring plan, the medical screening and the price before you commit.
- If you are in crisis, use the “Get Help in a Crisis” section of the VA’s PTSD site or call your local emergency number.
Anxiety and stress can affect other parts of your health too. Our reader guide on performance anxiety and ED covers therapy and safety questions in that area, and our guide to sex therapy for ED explains what that kind of talk therapy involves and when it fits.
Questions to ask your clinician
- Which standard PTSD treatments have been used so far, and which fit me now?
- Am I eligible for a VA trial, and what would it ask of me?
- Would a psychedelic session be safe with my current medications and health history?
- Does my mental health history affect my eligibility?
- How would I be monitored during and after a session?
- What support would I have in the days after a session?
By Gut, Gum and Nail Health Editorial Team
This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult your doctor or qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.