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The Heroic Hearts Project UK, in collaboration with the University of Gibraltar, is leading a groundbreaking study to explore how psilocybin—the active ingredient in magic mushrooms—could be used to treat gambling addiction in veterans.
ReadWrite has been reporting on the rise in addiction, with one study revealing that 10% of young men in the United States exhibit behavior indicative of a gambling problem, compared to just 3% of the general population.
Psychedelic therapy for veterans
The project is offering a legal psychedelic (psilocybin) retreat in the Netherlands, exclusively designed for military veterans and emergency service workers. On their website, the charity behind the project explains, “this retreat aims to help you address gambling issues in a safe, supportive environment alongside other veterans who understand your journey—all while contributing to groundbreaking research.”
We're offering a free, legal psychedelic retreat in The Netherlands for veterans affected by gambling.
Follow the link to apply! https://t.co/YGYdqOTRVj pic.twitter.com/sIjuWn9nnI
— Heroic Hearts Project UK (@HeroicHeartsUK) October 29, 2024
The nine-week program is fully funded so there’s no cost to participants except for travel and the process will remain confidential. It kicks off with two weeks of preparatory coaching to guide veterans through what to expect and to help them get ready mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Linking magic mushrooms, gambling addiction, and veteran support
This isn’t the first time a connection has been made between psychedelics, gambling, and the veteran population. A study from Bangor University in the UK found that veterans are more likely to gamble as a way to cope with distress, and those dealing with PTSD or complex PTSD face an even higher risk of developing problem gambling habits.
Another paper, published this year in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions by researchers from the University of Gibraltar, showed another promising link. The researchers noted that “considering the similarities in the underlying neurobiological mechanisms in these disorders and the existence of proposals to integrate psychedelic-assisted therapy for [gambling disorders], it seems realistic that [psychedelic-assisted therapy] could be effective in the treatment of gambling disorder as well as other behavioral addictions, such as gaming disorder, compulsive sexual behavior disorder, and eating disorders.”
For this particular program, 10 veterans will be carefully selected through a rigorous screening process. The participants will attend the retreat, which includes two psilocybin ceremonies. Each session offers up to five grams of psilocybin truffles, administered in a safe, controlled environment under the guidance of trained therapists.
Veterans with gambling disorder: Tap the link to hear our CEO, Keith, share the details of our next funded retreats and the impactful research behind them.
If you'd like to apply, visit the HHPUK website now. https://t.co/E6kR9nfhEX
— Heroic Hearts Project UK (@HeroicHeartsUK) December 12, 2024
Cited by Forces News, Heroic Hearts UK CEO Keith Abraham said: “I’m a big believer. But that’s just me as a person, and when we’re conducting research, it doesn’t really matter what I believe.
“But I’ve firmly dedicated my life to working with these medicines and providing access to others for these medicines. So I’m a huge believer in their potential.
“But we’re here for research, and our beliefs don’t matter. So let’s wait and see what the research comes back and says.”
Check out our page on gambling addiction including signs, causes and prevention.
Featured image: Canva
