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Can "Ecstacy" help trauma victims?

  • anonymous Asks ...
    anonymous

    What do you think about the practice of using MDMA therapeutically for PTSD? I am in Toronto and they are doing a lot of experiments with it here.

  • Dr. Ari Hahn Says ...
    Dr. Ari Hahn

    MDMA, which is also known as the street drug "ecstasy" was studied for its effects as a possible substance that can enhance the therapy for PTSD before it became an illegal recreational drug. Unfortunately, once it became commonly abused and illegal it also became much harder to study. Like you mention, there are studies being done in recent years and they actually look promising.

    However, there are a few caveats. First, it is not a form of therapy. The drug does not do anything to relieve PTSD. It is used as an adjunct to therapy and seems to make PTSD therapy more efficient. Second, the studies are still fairly preliminary. That means that it cannot be assumed that a psychiatrist knows how to use it. Third, all the studies are done on people who have had unsuccessful previous therapy. Which means that nobody knows how it works with many different populations.

    That being said, if you have PTSD and there is a study that you might be accepted as a subject, I would think that it might be a good idea if your suffering is great and nothing else has helped.

    There is a lot more to say about this, and I suggest you stay tuned. I will be publishing an article here on choosehelp.com in a few days about this subject.

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