AUSTIN, Texas — San Antonio-based Tim Jensen served as a combat marine in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, deployed to an area called the "Triangle of Death."
"The most violent place in Iraq in that time period, and we conducted over 200 combat missions, put a lot of bad people into jail," Jensen said.
But his life took a downturn once he got out of the Marine Corps, as he struggled to reintegrate.
"Got involved in a lot of different, you know, bad behaviors – alcohol, drugs. My life spun out of control, and I almost took my life," Jensen said.
Jensen's outlook completely transformed once he was introduced to psychedelics as a form of positive mental health treatment.
"I've given up alcohol, I've quit smoking cigarettes. I do not participate in destructive behaviors, and I'm more cognitive in my faculties than I've ever been in my entire life. And I have all of this to credit psychedelics and my experiences in processing my own traumas," Jensen said.
Now Jensen is feeling disappointed after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declined to approve the psychedelic drug MDMA as a therapy for PTSD. Drugmaker Lykos Therapeutics said the FDA could not approve it based on the data submitted.
"What we're advocating for is controlled administration of these powerful, powerful medicines that gives us a fighting chance. Because I'm tired of watching my friends kill themselves," Jensen said.
Logan Davidson is the executive director of Texans for Greater Mental Health, which supports research and access to psychedelic therapies when safely administered by doctors.
"It is a speedbump. There are other psychedelics coming. There's more research happening, and I think there is a lot more to come in the world of psychedelic-assisted therapy for patients and populations who can benefit from these medicines," Davidson said.
Jensen looks at the therapies as a means to help heal the wounds of war for those brave enough to fight it.
"We can do better by the people that put on a uniform in this country to give their life to a bigger idea," Jensen said.
Lykos plans to request a meeting with the FDA and ask the agency to reconsider their decision.
If you or someone you know are in need of mental health support, trained crisis counselors can be reached through the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.