Ligalise ecstasy!
Legalizing Ecstasy will change the treatment of mental illness
Sergey Kolenov, Hi-tech+
The MDMA compound was banned in 1985 as a dangerous drug, but modern research has partially rehabilitated it. It has been established, in particular, that MDMA does not damage the brain, as it was mistakenly thought earlier. Scientists hope that this will pave the way for new methods of treating mental illnesses.
Mental disorders can be as dangerous as cardiovascular diseases or cancer, but the methods of their treatment are still imperfect. Psychiatrists and their patients are in desperate need of fast and effective tools – analogues of surgical scalpels and immunotherapy. Some experts are sure that drugs that have been considered narcotic for a long time can become such tools.
However, ecstasy can also help in solving other psychological problems, Verge notes.
For example, there is encouraging evidence that this compound relieves anxiety in adult patients with autism, as well as in people faced with life-threatening diseases.
In addition, MDMA increases trust between the patient and the therapist, which has a positive effect on the course of treatment.
Side effects
In the USA, most specialists do not doubt the therapeutic prospects of ecstasy. However, this drug has serious side effects. Although a U.S. government–funded study that found that MDMA damages the brain turned out to be a mistake, the substance can increase heart rate and blood pressure - and this is dangerous for patients with heart disease.
In rare cases, ecstasy can cause psychosis.
The disadvantages of MDMA are forcing some scientists to look for an alternative to it. They are sure that this substance is just the starting point, starting from which it is possible to create an equally effective, but absolutely safe drug against a number of mental disorders. Many of their colleagues disagree: in their opinion, instead of looking for a replacement for ecstasy, it is better to carefully develop reception protocols that will reduce the risks of dangerous side effects to a minimum.
MDMA is a unique psychoactive drug that enhances empathy and the desire to communicate with people. This gives researchers a unique opportunity to explore which mechanisms in the brain are responsible for social activity. Perhaps experiments with ecstasy will one day reveal the nature of autism, PTSD and other diseases associated with impaired social interactions – and find methods for their treatment.
Ecstasy is not the only psychoactive compound that can become the basis for a new generation of drugs. Another example is the hallucinogen psilocybin. Just one or two doses of this substance can significantly reduce the symptoms of depression.
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