Can ecstacy help ease post-traumatic stress?

Can ecstacy help ease post-traumatic stress?

pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com

Two months later, 10 of the 12 people who took MDMA had improved to the point where they no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD, and three participants whose condition had prevented them from holding down a job were able to return to work.

By contrast, just two of the eight people in the placebo group experienced a substantial improvement in their symptoms

(visit the link for the full news article)

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.


pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Illegal drugs are starting to get some good PR these days....except for your nasty ones like herion, crack, meth ect....u get the idea...

I believe some illegal drugs can be very benefical not only to help cure people of a troubled past but to help one grow as a human of this earth. I for one just testify to this

and why does one have to be sick to enjoy these mysteries of natue?

Im not saying everyone should be on mdma all the time, but we need to understand there are good drugs too be used in moderation and with the understanding of there being a place and time for it too. Unlike the nasty addictive drugs that steal your soul. Sound like true FREEDOM to me

My friend used MDMA a little too much. I remember the first time he tried it. The next day we hung out. Lets just say the clover comedown for MDMA consists of anger, and violence.

He was in a constant state of anxiety, any sound or movement would make him uneasy, and he described it as the worst feeling he had ever had. Yet, he would persist to take it, and eventually it led to his parents sending him to rehab due to a 200 000 dollar damage bill.

While he was on it, he was the happiest person i have ever known. Its causes more danger than it fixes problems.

Then again, it was an illegal version, with god knows what inside of it.

[edit on 18-7-2010 by gandhi]

Interesting indeed.

There may be as you say an initial refocusing of the mind from the playback of the memories, and also an "resetting" of the mind/experience of the subject to a more uplifted and positive experience. indeed even the "oneness" or expanding love experience of the ecstasy known effects at the time.

However from personal experience (I never have taken it myself) seeing friends who used it frequently when younger, for an extended period of time, the long term effects of the inability of the brain to take up the natural high chemicals from normal or even peak experiences when "straight" later on leaves me in doubt as an long term solution.

I feel it may if used once as above reset the experience and mind of the sufferer to better place. However then the issue of looking for that boon experience when the memories and subconscious emotions rearise, would lead many I am afraid to dependance or control doese. And as said in my experience that would leave them many years later not only with PTSD but also depression brought on by an actual physiological change in the brains ability to feel happy in normal life.

One problem may indeed become two.

Kind Regards,

Elf

MDMA has been tested many times for helping people with ptsd, coming to terms with "demons" etc.

www.maps.org...

Much of what is used by the public has contaminants and other cheaper/easier to formulate concoctions.

Pharmaceutical grade material would theoretically provide much cleaner experiences than what street users experience.

Just because it makes people feel good the govt decided to make it illegal. Sure there are dangers with it, maybe making bad decisions like unprotected sex etc, while under its influence, but I don't think alcohol can be said to be innocent of that.

I do personally know a girl who was molested as a child and during a "roll" with some of her very close friends who where also on the drug she described it and said it has helped her move on and become a happier person infinitely more than 12+ years of classical therapy.

I am sure it will not work for everyone, nothing does, but for those who can benefit from this type of treatment it really is as cruel as denying a cancer patient access to marijuana so they can keep their food down and have some resemblance of normality.

This is a horrible idea. In the long run, common sense says applying severely mind altering substances to an already troubled brain will only lead to more problems. I'll wait for the long term results if they are actually continuing the study, but I don't think giving MDMA to PTSD patients is a very good idea...

reply to post by time91


I dont agree with that common sense. My common sense says that the use of a tool be it chemical or other, can often help a researcher/therapist/carpenter to achieve results that where not possible without it.

This is science, just because the chemical can be used for recreational purposes does not diminish its capability to help people who suffer from certain debilitating effects.

IE pharmaceutical industry.

Honestly I always thought that mdma in conjunction with some good therapy/mind play and interrogation would be the ultimate truth serum and help in the fight against terrorists.

This has been known about for over 20+ years (Shulgin introduced this for therapy as well through his buddies I believe). If you ever see the documentary E-Rising, oddly enough produced by MSM (ABC), it details this as well.

If you haven't seen it, I 100% do recommend it. Pretty crazy that it basically gives MDMA the thumbs up in more or less terms. Surprised the hell out of me at least.

Originally posted by gandhi
My friend used MDMA a little too much. I remember the first time he tried it. The next day we hung out. Lets just say the clover comedown for MDMA consists of anger, and violence.

He was in a constant state of anxiety, any sound or movement would make him uneasy, and he described it as the worst feeling he had ever had. Yet, he would persist to take it, and eventually it led to his parents sending him to rehab due to a 200 000 dollar damage bill.

While he was on it, he was the happiest person i have ever known. Its causes more danger than it fixes problems.

Then again, it was an illegal version, with god knows what inside of it.

[edit on 18-7-2010 by gandhi]

The last thing you said was the most important: what was put inside of it. MDMA on its own is almost impossible to A)get addicted too, and B)almost impossible to overdose on, the OD level is after an insane amount of ingestion of the drug, something that wouldn't be feasible. MDMA is often mixed with other drugs for pill form, like speed, meth, or the kinder mixes, like caffine. Provided it's mixed with something like caffine, MDMA is generally not harmful in the least. The only danger I could imagine is that because MDMA forces a secretion of seratonin (thing that makes you happy) in the brain, so continued use could result in short-term depression, but these supplies are naturally re-filled. Personally, people I know were never more than heavy sleepers the day after they "rolled", it can take quite a bit out of you because of the energy that it gives you and it keeps you up, but booze can leave nastier hangovers--and deaths.

Originally posted by time91
This is a horrible idea. In the long run, common sense says applying severely mind altering substances to an already troubled brain will only lead to more problems. I'll wait for the long term results if they are actually continuing the study, but I don't think giving MDMA to PTSD patients is a very good idea...

Not to be smart aa butt ( haha ) , humans have two brains at this time, ruled by left hemisphere in most people.

As said MDMA only cause a production of more of a natural substance in the brains or several substances.

"MDMA has found to that it causes a brain surge of oxytocin - the hormone that helps to bond couples, and mothers to babies."
The fact that MDMA has the capacity to instantly and, in many cases, permanently transfom the conditioning and cultural belief's responsible for enminity, aggression and violence deserves concideration." "It is also siginaficant that these type of drugs can relieve deppression and induce joy.?

"There's some documentary research has even raised the ideal that MDMA played a partr in instigating the famous WWI football game between German and English soldiers. Apparently the drug was trailed as a appetite suppressant but quickly dropped by the military due to unwanted side effects."

Back in the day it suppose to have stopped the violence between the Northern Ireland, Protestant and Catholic teenagers, at clubs and started to hugg each other.
Football arrest/violence dropped 22%

Originally posted by time91
This is a horrible idea. In the long run, common sense says applying severely mind altering substances to an already troubled brain will only lead to more problems. I'll wait for the long term results if they are actually continuing the study, but I don't think giving MDMA to PTSD patients is a very good idea...

It is actually an excellent idea.

I recommend you watch a documentary called E-Rising. I am sure if you did a search on Google for MDMA + PTSD you would come upon quite a bit of literature contrary to your current line of thinking.

Link to PT. 1 of Documentary

You need to understand the history of MDMA and why it couldn't be tolerated by the DEA. I urge you to look into this before stating anything more to the contrary.