ABOUT THIS EPISODE
In this episode of GrabLives, Jon sits down with LAFD firefighter Michael Bochey to discuss his case study exploring psychedelic-assisted approaches for firefighters living with treatment-resistant PTSD, depression, anxiety, and burnout.
For firefighters who are suffering, curious, hesitant, or simply unfamiliar with this emerging field, this episode isn't about telling anyone to take a psychedelic. It's about replacing stigma and ignorance with education.
Many first responders are already quietly exploring these approaches while fearing professional judgment, legal consequences, or misunderstanding from their departments and healthcare providers. Michael's research creates an anonymous way for those experiences to become part of a larger scientific conversation.
We also explore the deeper end of the spectrum with medicines such as ayahuasca and iboga, traditions often approached not simply as symptom management, but as profound experiences that can challenge how a person relates to trauma, identity, behavior, and their life as a whole.
Because if new approaches to PTSD treatment are going to be studied, developed, and potentially integrated into legitimate healthcare, the voices of the firefighters actually living with these injuries need to be part of that conversation.
This episode is an invitation to become informed, ask better questions, and explore what the future of first responder mental health could look like.
If interested please visit the case study:
