A disco instead of a bar?

MDMA will try to be used to treat alcoholism

Anna Stavina, XX2 century, according To HuffPost: In World First, MDMA Will Be Used To Treat Alcohol Addiction In Clinical Trial

While MDMA is known primarily as a "club drug", but in the near future it may become an officially recognized drug.

The results of previous studies have shown that MDMA, the active ingredient of the "disco drug" ecstasy, is effective for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and increased anxiety. Now UK scientists are preparing to conduct the first clinical trials of the therapeutic effect of MDMA on people struggling with alcohol addiction.

Researchers from Imperial College London have told The Guardian that they have received ethical approval to conduct a small MDMA study in Bristol. The work will be carried out with the participation of people suffering from alcohol addiction. This study will include 20 people with a long history of alcoholism and who have suffered repeated failures in treatment. Volunteers will undergo psychotherapy sessions while under the influence of MDMA purity of 99.99%.

MDMA is an empathogen, a substance that causes feelings of love, community, and enhances empathy between people. Researchers suggest that this feature of the compound may help those suffering from alcohol addiction to benefit more from psychotherapy sessions.

Ben Sessa, a psychiatrist involved in the study, told The Guardian that the ability of MDMA to promote the healing of people with psychological trauma can also help in the treatment of alcoholism, since many cases of alcoholism are based on trauma. "We are going to use this substance to improve the relationship between therapist and patient, which will allow us to get to the bottom of the problem underlying addiction."

Previous clinical studies have shown that psychotherapy using MDMA can be effective in the treatment of traumatic and anxiety disorders. In a small study conducted in 2010, after two psychotherapy sessions using MDMA, symptoms of the disease disappeared in more than 80% of patients with PTSD.

Rick Doblin, executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies Plans, explained in an interview with HuffPost in 2015 how MDMA can help traumatized patients. He said: "There is an erroneous assumption that these substances are dangerous, because because of them people lose control of themselves. But it often happens that it is the inability to weaken control that prevents the injury from healing. When a person stops controlling his emotions so tightly, or ignoring them, or suppressing them, amazing cases of healing occur."

Sessa told The Guardian: "We know that MDMA works very well for those who have experienced trauma and helps to gain empathy. Many alcoholic patients have experienced trauma in the past, and it continues to affect them in the present, not allowing them to give up addiction."

Sessa has long called for the use of psychedelic substances such as MDMA, tetrahydrocannabinol and psilocybin to treat mental disorders.

Earlier in an interview with Psychedelic Press, Sessa said: "Psychotherapy combined with the use of psychoactive substances is a radically new approach to the treatment of mental disorders. But, since such substances have often been abused throughout the history of mankind – and in modern society we are faced with this problem – this is a very ambiguous topic. But it doesn't have to remain that way: psychedelic substances (unlike cocaine, alcohol and many prescription drugs) are exceptionally safe – despite their negative image."

Other experts, however, warn that the use of MDMA for recreational purposes can lead to unpleasant consequences.

A high dose of MDMA causes the following side effects: nausea, muscle tension, sweating and chills. Excessively high doses can lead to "sudden spikes in body temperature that lead to liver, kidney, heart failure, and even death," warns the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The Drug Enforcement Administration lists MDMA in Schedule I, which means that it is considered a substance "of no medical significance and with a high potential for abuse." This category also includes heroin, LSD and marijuana.

However, the status of MDMA may change in the near future. Last year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a permit for the third phase of clinical trials of MDMA for the treatment of PTSD. The third phase is the last one before the FDA grants permission for the open use of the substance.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  05.07.2017