Filming At Our Retreat Center in Orlando
We filmed both the veterans and their families ahead of Cooley and Kahl’s first-ever Ayahuasca ceremonies, which were held that weekend at Soul Quest Ayahuasca Church Of Mother Earth, our retreat center in Orlando.
We captured both the hopes and fears they had about taking the medicine, including how it would impact their wives and children. And once at our Ayahuasca retreat center in Orlando, we filmed the healing ceremonies themselves, showing up close the transformational effects it had on these long-suffering vets.
We then returned to visit the veterans five months and again 15 months later to see how their lives had unfolded since the spiritual Ayahuasca ceremony. In particular, we wanted to learn about how their respective healing journeys had affected their families and their own wellbeing.’
PTSD In the United States
According to the National Center for PTSD, an affiliate with the VA, PTSD is still a pervasive issue when it comes to veterans health. Indeed, the National Center for PTSD states that between 11 and 20 percent of soldiers who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom suffer from PTSD within a year.
For other conflicts, such as the Gulf War and Vietnam War, the statistics range between 12 and 15 percent. Needless to say, being involved in the military and seeing combat has a lasting effect on physical and mental health.
Western Treatment Of PTSD
Depending on the severity of PTSD and the symptoms, veterans are usually treated in a number of ways, including cognitive behavior therapy, stress inoculation training, anti-anxiety medication (SSRIs and SNRIs), and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).
The thing about taking anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants is that they can often come with more harmful side effects than advantages. Weight gain. Lethargy. Suicidal thoughts. Suppressed libido. Mental fog.
For veterans suffering from PTSD, reconnecting to mother nature’s medicine can be a more viable option. As From Shock to Awe shows, life-changing Ayahuasca wellness retreats can effectively mitigate symptoms of PTSD — naturally.
About Our Wellness Retreat Center In Orlando
From Shock to Awe is partially set at our Ayahuasca retreat center in Orlando, where these veterans participated in a traditional Ayahuasca ceremony.
Chris Young co-founded the Soul Quest Ayahuasca Church of Mother Earth to assist individuals who are on a path of self-healing, like these veterans. Whether you or a loved one are suffering from PTSD, depression, addiction, or seem to have just lost your path, our shamanic guides can help you to reconnect to nature and to self-healing.
To get a better sense of our retreat center in Orlando, watch From Shock to Awe today. You can also browse our helpful guides to learn more about Ayahuasca and our sacred spiritual retreat ceremonies. To take the next step toward self-healing, book your spot at our Ayahuasca retreat center in Orlando.
