Ecstasy (MDMA), an illegal stimulant, may help treat people with post-traumatic stress disorder, reports the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that occurs after experiencing a traumatic situation – such as a natural disaster, accident, war or rape. It is manifested by increased nervousness, hyperactivity, anxiety attacks and sleep problems.
The American research, organized by MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies), was led by Dr. Michael Mithoefer. They have shown that ecstasy can be used safely and improves the effectiveness of PTSD psychotherapy. Patients from the study group (20 people) had suffered from post-traumatic stress for years and were not helped by conventional treatment. People with psychoses and addictions were excluded from the study group.
The treatment consisted of two eight-hour psychotherapeutic sessions, several weeks apart. Twelve patients were given ecstasy, the remaining eight patients were given ecstasy. After two months, 12 of the 8 patients given ecstasy responded successfully to treatment. In the group that received the placebo, only two out of eight people were able to improve. No harmful side effects have been observed, and patients have not yet started using MDMA for recreational purposes.
A team of American scientists has obtained permission to conduct research on a larger scale – on a group of 40 military veterans
The measure, popular among clubbing enthusiasts, seems to reduce patients’ fears, which improves the effect of therapy sessions. Anyway, before it spread among disco-goers, ecstasy was often used by psychotherapists. (PAP)