In this episode of the Tommy T Podcast, combat veterans Tommy T and Anthony Longo candidly share their struggles with mental health and the challenges of transitioning back to civilian life after military service. They discuss the potential of alternative treatments like psychedelics and service dogs in addressing issues such as PTSD, which traditional pharmaceuticals and the VA healthcare system have failed to adequately support.
Longo and Tommy T also highlight the mission of the Warrior's Choice Foundation, which aims to provide comprehensive health assessments, personalized treatment plans, and access to alternative therapies like psychedelics for veterans. The episode sheds light on the funding challenges faced by organizations trying to meet the crucial needs of combat veterans reintegrating into society.
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Veterans Tommy T and Anthony Longo discuss psychedelics and alternative treatments as potential mental health solutions, sharing personal experiences that transformed their well-being.
Longo details profound encounters with 5-MeO-DMT and the value of microdosing psilocybin. He expresses concern over pharmaceuticals altering psychedelics' therapeutic effects. Tommy T laments veterans' lack of "right to try" psychedelics despite their potential.
Longo recounts an emotional, ill-prepared transition from service. The transition assistance program was brief and ineffective. He received no mental health evaluation and faced frustrations with the VA's inadequate healthcare support, according to Tommy T.
Longo shares stories of service dogs providing crucial emotional support during veterans' challenging transitions, facilitating stability and reintegration into civilian life.
The Foundation aims to construct a facility offering comprehensive health assessments, personalized treatment plans, and alternative therapies like psychedelics. Longo mentions potential partnerships for hormone replacement therapy and stem cell treatments.
Longo and Tommy T emphasize relying on community donations and sponsors to maintain services for combat veterans. They host fundraising events like CrossFit competitions and golf tournaments while advocating fiscal transparency.
1-Page Summary
Veterans Tommy T and Anthony Longo discuss the potential for psychedelic and alternative treatments to address mental health challenges following service. They share their personal experiences and insights into how these substances have had profound impacts on their lives.
Veterans explore psychedelics as a means to heal from trauma and improve mental well-being, highlighting the inefficacy of conventional methods and the potential of alternative approaches.
Tommy T discusses the practice of microdosing with psilocybin as part of a treatment protocol, an approach he adopted after using NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) to address addiction issues. Anthony Longo shares his experience with microdosing over two years, which he approached with caution due to concerns about possible negative outcomes.
Longo details his significant encounters with 5-MeO-DMT, often called "the Toad." He compares it to throwing a grenade in a room and then reassembling everything, suggesting a chaotic yet transformative effect. Longo describes the powerful and expansive effect of inhaling 5-MeO-DMT, which made him feel present but also everywhere. He equates using regular "DMT to 5-MeO-DMT as going from a moped to a ballistic missile," referencing the intense experience it provides.
During his experiences, Longo fought the effects, which led to purging and the release of a "black cloud" of tension. He describes profound or existential moments, such as everything fading to black with a distant speck of light, and mentions being at the "doorstep" or "waiting room," alluding to deeper experiences he hadn't fully explored.
Longo also recounts the difficulty in communicating the nature of these experiences and confronting his internal challenges after using the substance.
While CBD and medical marijuana are mentioned, the transcript does not specifically detail experiences with psilocybin, ayahuasca, or ibogaine—other ...
Mental Health Challenges After Service
Anthony Longo's personal experience sheds light on the complexities and challenges many veterans face when transitioning from military service to civilian life, bringing into question the adequacy of support given to transitioning service members.
Longo recalls his transition out of the military as a time filled with emotional difficulty, indicating a broader lack of preparation and support for veterans.
Anthony Longo describes the transition assistance program he experienced as brief and ineffective, hinting at a systemic issue within the program itself. He was given only a short time to absorb information on what to expect post-discharge, where to go for support, and even learn resume writing, all of which needed to be grasped in just three days.
Longo mentions personal struggles that went unaddressed, implying a significant gap in mental health support during his transition. His account does not specifically mention receiving any mental health evaluation, which could have aided in addressing these personal challenges.
His out-processing, which took about a month after completing a transition course, suggests that the military might prioritize a quick discharge over thorough prepar ...
Problems Transitioning Out of Military
The Warrior's Choice Foundation is making strides to support veterans through service dogs and the development of an alternative treatment facility that promises a comprehensive approach to veteran healthcare.
Anthony Longo shares touching stories of how service dogs have significantly impacted the lives of veterans, highlighting the substantial emotional support these animals provide.
Longo recounts the transformation in a veteran's life after receiving a service dog, detailing the stability and emotional support the dog provides. He describes the profound change, evidencing the emotional anchor the dog can be for a veteran in need.
Through the narrative of a vet named John, Longo illustrates how service dogs assist with transition challenges. The service dog he provided for John played a crucial role in helping the vet "lean on" and move forward in life.
Due to the positive impact of the service dog, John is now married, has two children, and is excelling in civilian life, demonstrating the potential of a service dog's role in successful reintegration.
Longo discusses the Warrior's Choice Foundation's future developments, including a comprehensive health treatment facility with alternative treatments like psychedelics.
While not explicitly mentioned in the provided excerpt, Anthony Longo discusses his positive personal experience with 5-MeO-DMT, indicating the potential inclusion of psychedelics like 5-MeO-DMT in the Foundation's alternative treatment options.
Longo emphasizes the warrior's Choice Foundation is building a team, which includes a clinical director for mental health and a new executive director with a background as a doctor. This suggests the facilities will be equipped with onsite medical and mental health staff capable of offering custom treatments.
The conversation alludes to comprehensive health assessments, including over 2,500 ...
Warrior's Choice Foundation
Financial sustainability is crucial for any organization focused on service, as highlighted by Anthony Longo and Tommy T, who face funding challenges in their efforts to support combat veterans.
Anthony Longo discusses the reliance on community support for financial backing. Despite having a capable grant team, there is an evident need for sponsors to continuously provide and maintain services for combat veterans. Longo praises the local community and some sponsors for their help, emphasizing that community involvement is paramount. He also underscores the importance of social media engagement, such as likes and follows, which does not cost supporters anything but greatly aids the organization's visibility and reach.
Longo maintains that every contribution counts, with even small donations like a dollar making a meaningful difference over time. He also appreciates those who reach out to learn more and provide support in various forms, including volunteering and engagement. Stressing the value of quality personnel for the mission, Longo reveals his own dedication by not taking a salary for eight years, investing instead in the foundation's services, which includes providing service dogs.
Tommy T reinforces the idea that even modest contributions have a significant impact, relating three dollars to a gallon of gas which can support their initiatives. Longo grudgingly admits the usefulness of social media in fundraising and spreading awareness, even if he personally dislikes it.
Anthony Longo and Tommy T speak to the importance of hosting fundraising events to sustain their services and mission.
Longo details events such as CrossFit competitions and golf tournaments in Jupiter, Florida, as key fundraising efforts. He emphasizes the need for the community's active participation, both by sponsoring lanes in the fitness competition and joining the golf tournament, which ai ...
Funding Challenges
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