Can ecstasy help ease post-traumatic stress?

The drug MDMA—better known by its street name, Ecstasy—may be illegal, but a new study suggests that it’s also a promising treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

The study, which appears in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, included 20 people with PTSD stemming from traumas such as sexual assault and combat stress. On two separate occasions, 12 of the people took a dose of MDMA and then spoke for several hours with a pair of trained therapists. The others took a placebo but received the same therapy. (All of the participants received additional therapy sessions that did not involve the drug.)

Ecstacy cures PTSD?

It appears that MDMA (Ecstacy) can help cure PTSD. This is very good news for all of the soldiers returning with the disorder, but I doubt it will ever be implemented in treating PTSD. Maybe there will be MDMA available by perscription. Imagine getting back from war and then your shrink puts you on a strict regimen of MDMA. I think the PTSD will only get worse with time and maybe even come back full force, MDMA probably just takes your mind off it for awhile.

You know why it can "help cure it?"

I do. Because it can eat holes in your brain.

I have seen the brains. They are like swiss cheese almost it's really weird.

So of course you won't have any more stress after you totally fry your brain and lose function of multiple ganglions.

If you think X is safe you need to do some research.

parentingteens.about.com...

For some reason, I think better training before soldiers enter conflicts may help too. They are programmed to behave a certain way yet not taught how to rationalize the outcome. "For a greater good" is certainly not proper training.

As muzzleflash's link states, chronic, extended MDMA use does dramatically change the brain structure however, that appears to be why there was success in treating PTSD: the change in seratonin channels in the brain.

I do not think that those treated with MDMA and therapy would be considered chronic users though, and if the results are life-long lasting without any further need for MDMA, no negative impact to the lifestyles following treatment, is it necessarily a bad thing to do?

[edit on 7/18/2010 by abecedarian]

I don't like the gov't telling anyone, what can be put in the body of any citizen. Just to make my stance clear.


That being said... I can see that there is a possibility of using MDMA to help control PTSD. Even though I am for the freedom of use of substances, I would not recommend to anyone to self diagnose and medicate.

I would like to see some studies done of the short/medium term use of MDMA to ease the stress brought upon by PTSD.

I'd like to see the ability of a Dr. to recommend, in a very structured manner, of use of it to help those who could benefit from it.

I want the strict controls for those who could benefit from using it, so the people who are told to use it by their Dr. will not abuse it and hurt themselves more in the long run.

In the end though, I believe it is the choice of the person as to the path they take.

They should do this study on 5HTP aswell. This is a suppliment that you can get from health food stores like Holland and Barrett. I think it works simular to ecstasy, by releasing seratonin, but it doesn't make you high. It just makes you happier for a bit. I know alot of people prefer it to some of the prescribed "happy pills" that you'd get from the doctors.

It's quite well known that ecstasy can help with stress and depression. But it's far from safe to use as such IMO.

[edit on 19/7/2010 by Acidtastic]

Mind over matter is better than any drug for any mental condition, visualisation was a good book i read on the subject. As a species on this planet humanity are the weakest emotionally because the masses program themselves to be that way.

I'm quite certain any of the main hallucinogens such as '___', Mescaline, Psilocybin, Ibogaine, etc. would be just about as effective as MDMA minus the risks.

Despite what some of the ridiculous propaganda out there might say, these substances do not "eat holes in your brain"... and the only risks involved are that of confronting that which your ego does not wish to confront, giving you an "uncomfortable" experience. Of course having the aid of a skilled "therapist" or shaman will reduce the likeliness of having a "bad trip" or at least better prepare you for the painful truth.