Jonathan Lubecky on PTSD, MDMA Therapy, and Healing
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In this conversation we are joined by SGT(R) Jonathan Lubecky. Jonathan is a 100% Disabled Combat Veteran who served in Iraq 2005-2006. He served in the United States Marine Corps as a KC-130 Loadmaster from 1995-1999. Following the tragedy on 9/11, he joined the North Carolina National Guard as an Artilleryman while he underwent selection for Warrant Officer Flight Training. He deployed to Iraq with Bravo Btry, 5/113th FAR to Balad, Iraq. Upon arrival, he was assigned as a Designated Marksman on Overwatch Detail carrying an XM107 Barrett Sniper Rifle.
Upon returning home, Jonathan started experiencing nightmares and flashbacks. He developed crippling PTSD which was complicated by his head trauma. His PTSD culminated in 5 suicide attempts that should have been successful. His first attempt was on December 25th, 2006 less than 3 months after returning. He was Medically Retired from the United States Army on December 9th, 2009. His final attempt was on November 4th, 2013.
After his final suicide attempt, with nothing left to lose, he enrolled in an experimental treatment. The treatment eliminated his suicidal ideation, reduced his PTSD by 50%, and his depression by 70%. Jonathan has gone on to get married, after being able to reconnect with people. Currently, he is MAPS Veterans & Governmental Affairs Liaison.
More on Jonathan’s Story:
How MDMA is being used to treat PTSD | The Economist
MDMA Helped Me Recover from War. I went from being in a mental… | by Jonathan Lubecky
'Like a hug from everyone who loves you' — how MDMA could help patients with trauma
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)
Founded in 1986, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana.
Rick Doblin — The Psychedelic Domino That Tips All Others (#440)
I cannot understand how meaningful this conversation is for me. I spent a lot of my time over the last couple of years, learning about the benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy. And in that time, I listened to many conversations with the founder of maps, Rick Doblin and podcasts Tim Ferris and others supporting this research.
I was first exposed to Jonathan's story through a podcast with Rick Doblin that kicked off the maps capstone project. They covered part of Jonathan’s story and mentioned an economist video on PTSD in veterans and how the treatment of MDMA helped Jonathan. In a seven-minute video, it's nothing short of compelling. I watched that, and I heard Jonathan mentioned in other contexts around psychedelic therapy. And I couldn't help but reach out to him. I just wanted to hear more of it for my own by doing so I have now. Able to help an organization, get the word out on and help more people hopefully. To go from someone who just reads and listens to how these therapies help people to now being able to talk to someone and then hopefully amplify the message is incredibly meaningful for me.
I hope all of you enjoy this podcast, and I hope you take something away from it. And at the very least, go and check out the videos, check out maps. The work behind MAPS and proving the efficacy with science is incredibly important for me. And I think that by funding science like this we can provide more tools for people to live better lives. Please enjoy this conversation.
Other content that I found useful for understanding this psychedelics and mental health:
How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan
Michael Pollan — Exploring the Frontiers of Psychedelics (#365)
Hamilton Morris on Better Living Through Chemistry: Psychedelics, Smart Drugs, and More (#337)
#15 - Paul Conti, MD: trauma, suicide, community, and self-compassion
The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys by James Fadiman
Show Notes
[00:07:35] Jonathan's Military Background
[00:09:29] PTSD and Trauma
[00:11:53] The symptoms keep you alive in a combat zone
[00:13:32] A sense of community coming home
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger
[00:15:39] Being praised for service
[00:19:07] An alternative to praise for service?
[00:20:45] The Homecoming
[00:24:42]Trauma and access to support
[00:27:17] Healing mental injuries
[00:31:13] How Jonathan got involved with the trial
[00:34:31] The Experience of MDMA Therapy
Watch Trip of Compassion Online
[00:38:21] Portraying PTSD in pop culture
From shell shock and war neurosis to posttraumatic stress disorder: a history of psychotraumatology
The Iliad by Homer
[00:41:01] How trauma is transmitted in families
Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects: putative role of epigenetic mechanisms
Parents’ emotional trauma may change their children’s biology. Studies in mice show how
[00:42:24] What if MDMA Therapy was normalized sooner?
[00:45:59] Bringing people together
[00:51:43] The Stigma around psychedelics and new uses
[00:53:30] MAPS Capstone Challenge
[00:56:02] Closing thoughts and connecting with Jonathan
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Today on the podcast, we are joined by Joe Jackowski. Joe is a Marine Corps veteran and current graduate student at Vanderbilt University in the Cognitive Psychology in Context program. His primary interest is meaning in life, which broadly extends to problems in ethics, A.I., and culture.
In this episode, we sit down to discuss his first long-form article on his new sub stack, Apotheosis: A Philosophy for Influencers