Ecstasy + psychotherapy
Psychotherapy with ecstasy has proven effective in the treatment of PTSD
Georgy Golovanov, Hi-tech+
Recent studies have demonstrated the significant potential of psychoactive drugs — psilocybin, LSD and ketamine — in the treatment of various mental illnesses. Recent clinical studies conducted in California have proven that PTSD can be treated with MDMA, colloquially ecstasy.
The authors of the study presented at the American Chemical Society conference report on the results of the third phase of clinical trials of MDMA in combination with PTSD psychotherapy. The data indicate that the therapy was effective even in difficult cases, against the background of alcohol or drug addiction.
The peculiarity of MDMA is that it is an empathogen, the scientists explained, that is, a substance that enhances empathy between people. It causes the release of oxygen to the brain, which creates a sense of trust and intimacy, which promotes psychotherapy, according to a press release of A psychedelic drug, combined with intense therapy, improves PTSD symptoms.
The researchers assembled a group of 90 volunteers suffering from PTSD, a condition characterized by amnesia, sudden hallucinations and nightmares associated with a traumatic experience. The trials were randomized, based on a double-blind method, involving a placebo. The previous two phases determined the optimal dosage, and the third focused on an 8-hour course of therapy after taking the drug. A month after psychotherapy, the participants also had two MDMA treatment sessions.
In the next two months, about two-thirds of patients stopped meeting the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. In the placebo group, only a third of the participants showed a significant reduction in symptoms after psychotherapy sessions.
The potential side effects of taking MDMA, such as nausea, were minimal, there was no formation of dependence on the drug.
The authors note that the benefits of MDMA therapy may be greater than from traditional PTSD therapy with antidepressants like Prozac, which often does not have the expected effect and is accompanied by a whole bunch of side effects. They plan to conduct the second part of the third phase of trials, and if the results are confirmed, then in 2023, the use of psychedelics for medical purposes may be legalized in the United States.
Similar results were obtained by another team of researchers. After a three-month course of psychotherapy under the supervision of doctors, 67% of chronic patients completely got rid of PTSD.
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