Healing Beyond Algorithms: A Combat Veteran's Journey Through Trauma
The crash that rocked my world wasn't on a battlefield—it was at a suburban intersection.
In February 2021, Hudson sat in the backseat of my Toyota Camry as we waited at a red light. When the light turned green, a white Ford F-150 slammed into us from behind. I stumbled out, rage boiling over as I shouted at the other driver. Then, like a cold blade between my ribs, the realization: my son was still in the backseat.
What followed wasn't just physical recovery. It was months of my brain on perpetual red alert: PTSD, TBI, anxiety that clawed at my chest, sleep that refused to come, and the crushing weight of hypervigilance that made even grocery store trips feel like combat patrols.
How do you heal when your nervous system has turned against you?
The AI Band-Aid: Digital Comfort in a Broken World
On my worst nights, when the ceiling becomes a theater playing back my worst memories, I've found myself talking to PI, an AI chatbot with a soothing voice that never tires of my 2 AM anxieties. As an extrovert, just speaking the fear aloud sometimes loosens its grip.
But let's be honest—it's like trying to patch a broken bone with a Band-Aid.
AI offers something immediate that our quick-fix culture craves: frictionless comfort without judgment. What it cannot provide is:
Moral wisdom—Algorithms don't understand the weight of guilt that comes from life-or-death choices
Spiritual presence—No code can kneel beside your bed when nightmares come
True understanding—Combat trauma remains stubbornly underrepresented in the datasets these tools learn from
Most troubling? Many "free" AI mental health tools are quietly mining your most vulnerable moments for marketing data, betraying the very trust you're trying to rebuild.
When Medicine Meets Mystery: The Psychedelic Renaissance
"Sometimes you need to go outside the wire to find your way home."
In 2017, the FDA granted "Breakthrough Therapy" status to MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD—an official acknowledgment that sometimes the most potent medicines don't come in traditional packages.
What happens in these sessions isn't just chemical—it's transformational:
Neural reset: Psychedelics temporarily quiet the brain's hypervigilant "danger detectors," creating a window where new, healthier neural pathways can form
Emotional access: Under careful supervision, veterans can revisit trauma without being hijacked by terror, often for the first time since the original experience
Community integration: Group processing translates breakthrough insights into practical coping strategies—think of it as an emotional after-action review with your squad
My journey led me to apply to Johns Hopkins and Ohio State clinical trials. After flying to Ohio for an evaluation that felt like being emotionally strip-searched, I was ultimately disqualified for honestly reporting past suicidal thoughts. Disappointment led me to nonprofit retreats. I found the small cohorts, trained facilitators, and ongoing integration that has the potential to change my life radically.
My Heroic Hearts Project veteran psychedelic retreat will begin near the end of next week. Stay tuned for more details, insights, and inspiration.
The Forgotten Medicine: Prayer, Presence, and Divine Power
Even the most profound technological or pharmaceutical breakthrough feels incomplete without addressing our spiritual core.
When Jesus encountered the paralytic, He first said, "Your sins are forgiven" (Mark 2:5) before commanding, "Rise, take up your mat, and walk" (Mark 2:11). The sequence matters—healing often works from the inside out.
Consider this modern miracle from Nigeria, where Pastor Enoch Adeboye recounted a woman—dead and embalmed for eleven days—who returned to life after her brother wrapped her in an anointed handkerchief and commanded her to arise. Whether this stretches your theology or confirms it, the testimony reminds us that God hasn't retired from the healing business.
E.M. Bounds called prayer "the slender nerve that moves the muscle of omnipotence." When hypervigilance has me scanning rooftops for threats on Bankhead Hwy, prayer reorients me toward peace.
The early church shows us what community healing looks like:
Peter heals the lame man with a touch and a command
Paul restores Eutychus after a fatal fall
Believers gathering to lay hands on one another
This isn't passive spirituality—it's active engagement with divine power through human community.
Your Battle Plan: Integration is the Mission
Phase 1: Scout Your Toolkit
Use PTSD Coach (VA-approved) and AI assistants (PI AI) for on-demand coping techniques.
Expand your understanding through targeted podcasts, such as Joe Rogan's episodes with Governor Rick Perry and Kentucky AG Russell Coleman on trauma and purpose.
Bookmark essential resources: Heroic Hearts Project, MAPS, The Mission Within
Action step: Tonight at 8 PM, journal using PTSD Coach and practice one guided breathing exercise
Phase 2: Advance Through Ceremony
Research nonprofit retreats specifically designed for veterans
Speak with your VA mental health coordinator about potential scholarships for specialized treatments
Submit at least one retreat application this week
Action step: Block 30 minutes tomorrow to research and apply for one retreat
Phase 3: Anchor in Prayer & Community
Join or create a combat-veteran prayer circle at your church (note to self)
Memorize healing scriptures like James 5:13-16 or Ephesians. 6:12-18 as spiritual armor
Establish a weekly check-in with a battle buddy who understands
Action step: Text a veteran friend now and schedule your first prayer huddle
Which path are you taking first? Reply with "Phase 1," "Phase 2," or "Phase 3" to share which part of the journey you're beginning today. No one heals alone—we move forward together.
Author's note: This article reflects my journey through trauma recovery. While I've found these approaches helpful, everyone's path is different. Always consult qualified healthcare providers before making changes to your treatment plan.
Praying that your approach will be successful…May God guide you and grant you peace and joy!!!