#28 - Tommy Aceto: Turning Pain into Passion

Tommy Aceto is a former US Navy Seal and intelligence officer, a father, a breakthrough therapies advocate, a writer and director, a life coach and retreat coordinator, and veteran mental health chief officer at the Give to Give Foundation. Tommy served as a US Navy Seal for 16 years, deploying to Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, and the Pacific Islands, and eventually becoming a basic underwater demolition Seal instructor where he developed training curriculums for close quarter combat, combat diving, and more. Tommy credits ibogaine for helping him overcome PTSD, traumatic brain injury and alcoholism and is committed to spreading the word about psychedelic medicine to others in need.

What we discuss:

• Who was Tommy Aceto before ibogaine?

• The mental health treatment options available to veterans after their service

• What it’s like to witness transformation in other vets as a retreat coordinator and psychedelic integration coach

• Other valuable tools that have been a part of Tommy’s healing journey

• The inspiration behind Tommy’s Instagram handle, flowstatefrogman

• The value of movement, sport, and physical challenges in the context of mental health

• Unpacking the statement, “be careful of your belief systems because they are your biggest limiting factor”

• What it means to “take your pain and turn it into passion,” and how Tommy is pursuing his passion through storytelling

• Tommy’s message to politicians who insist on denying the power of psychedelics, and the work he’s doing for veterans in Washington, DC

Why it’s important:

I first caught wind of Tommy’s profound experience with ibogaine when he testified in front of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commision in September of 2023. His story of resilience was one I knew we had to feature on Ibogaine Uncovered. Tommy’s transition from traumatized veteran to proud breakthrough therapies advocate and mental health ally is a true testament to the power of ibogaine – a drug that remains illegal in the United States despite mounting evidence that it could improve the lives of millions of Americans who suffer from opioid dependence, alcoholism, PTSD, TBI, and more.

Relevant Links:

• Tommy’s Instagram profile
• Tommy Aceto on LinkedIn
• Kentucky’s Risky Million-Dollar Bet to Fight the Opioid Crisis With Psychedelics
  
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  Kentucky Commission holds hearing on $42M funding for ibogaine research
• Ibogaine Treatment for PTSD & TBI | Tommy Aceto - Testimony at the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, Sept 2023 (YouTube)