NEW NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY EXPLORES HOW PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS OFFER HOPE TO US VETERANS BATTLING PTSD
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Agency Report
A new Netflix documentary, In Waves and War, sheds light on how psychedelic drugs are providing a lifeline for US military veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and suicidal thoughts.
The film, directed by husband-and-wife duo Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen, follows three retired US Navy SEALs as they navigate life after years of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, confronting invisible wounds including brain injuries, trauma, and addiction.
Despite being prescribed multiple antidepressants, the veterans found little relief and watched their relationships crumble under the weight of their suffering. Seeking an alternative, they travelled to Mexico for experimental therapy involving ibogaine, a compound derived from an African shrub, and 5-MeO-DMT, a powerful psychedelic extracted from the Colorado River toad.
“It’s like a complete reboot,” said former soldier Marcus Capone, one of the film’s subjects. “It kind of brings you back to your truer self, before you had any real struggles or real issues in your life.”
His wife, Amber Capone, described the treatment as “bringing hope to the hopeless.” Together, the couple founded Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS), a non-profit that has helped around 1,200 veterans access psychedelic-assisted therapy in Mexico since 2019 where such substances remain legal for research and controlled use.
Shenk, co-director of the film, told AFP: “We’re not scientists, we don’t know exactly what’s happening. But it does seem like there’s something to it.”
The documentary captures emotional scenes of veterans undergoing the treatments, confronting their deepest traumas, and experiencing cathartic breakthroughs. Animated sequences depict their psychological journeys through pain, healing, and rediscovery.
One veteran, Matty Roberts, initially sceptical of what he called “crazy hippie-ass stuff,” undergoes a powerful transformation groaning in pain and tears during the experience before emerging with a renewed sense of peace and clarity.
The filmmakers also feature Stanford University researchers who are studying the veterans’ unexpected recoveries. While the documentary avoids deep scientific analysis, it highlights growing interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics such as psilocybin (found in magic mushrooms), LSD, and MDMA.
However, the film acknowledges the risks ibogaine, for instance, can have serious side effects, including potential heart complications.
Cohen explained: “We wanted to make an emotional film that drew you in. The studies are really exciting, but they’re just at the beginning.”
Advocates featured in the film are not calling for immediate legalisation but rather expanded research access to better understand these substances’ medical potential.
“What we’re saying is, let’s expand the data. Let’s reduce the barriers to research so that we can grow the data set and better understand if these therapies are viable,” said Amber Capone.
Momentum for psychedelic research is building across the US. Oregon and Colorado, both Democrat-led states, have legalised supervised psilocybin use, while Texas led by Republicans recently approved $50 million in public funding for research into ibogaine.
According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, 6,407 veterans died by suicide in 2022, averaging more than 17 suicides per day, underscoring the urgency of exploring alternative treatments for trauma-related mental health conditions.
In Waves and War begins streaming on Netflix on Monday.
For veterans in crisis, help is available through the Veterans Crisis Line dial 988 and press 1, or visit [www.veteranscrisisline.net](http://www.veteranscrisisline.net).
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