Study: Ecstasy Treats PTSD

[DJ13]

July 16, 2010

Military.com

The drug Ecstasy shows positive results in the majority of patients when used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a report coming out Monday in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.

The study, which focuses on 20 patients for whom previous drug and psychotherapy treatments were unsuccessful, is the first of its kind and a stepping stone for a follow-up that will focus entirely on U.S. military veterans, said Rick Doblin, who founded the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies – a group that analyzes the use of psychedelic drugs in mental health treatment.

“We want most of the veterans to come from Iraq and Afghanistan,” Doblin told Military.com in an exclusive interview July 15. “But we want some Vietnam veterans as well because we want to see if we can help people who have had these patterns for decades.”

http://www.military.com/news/article/study-ecstasy-treats-ptsd.html?col=1186032325324&ESRC=army.nl

[targetpractice]

1. Not only should MDMA be legal...

...but, compulsory as well.

[Ignis]

2. K&R, but file under DUH!

:argh:

This was one of the most promising avenues of application that psychiatrists were studying before it was criminalized. Other interesting areas were addiction treatment, family counseling, marriage counseling, etc.

It's such a shame we sacrificed almost three decades of good research at the altar of the War on (Some) Drugs.

[slampoet]

3. WOW. That was in LIFE magazine back in 1985.

Absolutely not news.

[TexasObserver]

4. This was first proposed in 1985, and quelled by anti drug forces.

Ecstasy showed great promise in the 1980s, and some health care professionals felt it could help patients experience greater empathy and insight.

[Tsiyu]

5. Interesting

I have never tried it...

Isn't it great that minds are opening once more?

:kick:

[blogslut]

6. I can see it being used temporarily in a therapeutic fashion

The stuff imbues a general feeling of peace and tranquility. However, over the long term, it turns users into chemically-created zombies.

[FreeState]

7. Im all for research - however other studies show Ecstasy to have side effect that are not pleasant

in the long run. There are conflicting studies out there. There are several studies that show MDMA can cause chronic depression.

More research needs to be done IMO.

(Full disclosure I've used before in my younger days)

[undergroundpanther]

8. I wonder if it could help me.

I have complex PSTD,and been on countless meds and in hospitals and therapy for decades.I wish there was something that could help.

[Axle_techie]

9. Have you tried pot?

I know at least three vietnam war vets who use a high quality sativa with good results. The pills I used to make for them when I grew for a clinic worked especially well and circumvented the possible lung problems.

[undergroundpanther]

12. I tried it three times

first time it gave me bronchitis and had no effect.Second was a "marinol" pill.I hated it the effect felt weird and went on for THREE DAYS. I do not like the "high" sensation.The third time was because of throat surgery to avoid nausea to stop the nausea so I could eat then quit getting sick from the pain meds.I had my tonsils out and soft palate shortened and uvula cut out because the huge bone spurs in my neck were giving me sleep apnea.Anyway I was taking anti nausea scrips and they didn't work, the dr was concerned about the nausea and he gave me a few kinds of anti nausea meds.I tried them all..I was scared of getting sick,because he told me I would bleed out and have to go to the ER.So I was offered some pot it was in an atomizer thing so it didn't piss off my lungs and it made me able to eat and so the nausea& pain meds cycle was stopped.And the pot helped me distract from the pain of eating too.

[Axle_techie]

10. I have lost two friends to ecstasy

and I do not feel that these studies should be published/ made public until they are studied on a larger scale than 20 people and for a longer period of time. EX is a dangerous drug that has numerous side effects and is made with bad chemicals and other drugs including Meth, Coke, Heroin, etc. They didn't even put a disclaimer for people to realize that this was probably not taken from a broad spectrum of the street drug Ecstasy but probably from clinically created MDMA, nor is there any information to inform the readers of possible risks and different types.

Ecstasy is a dangerous drug. MDMA may have positive uses, but there is a long way to go to prove it.

[TexasObserver]

11. It is estimated fewer than 100 die annually in US from Ecstasy.

Have you seen the numbers on alcohol? Or prescription drugs?

It's statistically significant that you know 2 of those fewer than 100 per year. Truly statistically extraordinary.

[Axle_techie]

13. Yes, I guess it is...

[Bluenorthwest]

14. What you are typing about street use of illicittly manufactured

product. When the drug comes from a proper lab, it is most certainly not 'made of meth and heroin' that is absolute nonsense.
This is a study by scientists, not by club kids. Other military organizations in other countries are already making use of this drug in this manner.

[Axle_techie]

15. I even said that the MDMA was probably clinically created

but there was a picture of the street drug and they didn't state what source the MDMA came from. Also, the purer MDMA only "ecstasy" is commonly known as mollies on the street, not ecstasy.

The simple fact is that some desperate people may want to try to self-medicate, and there was nowhere in the article that it gave warnings... I am all for this kind of clinical study, and think it is an awesome possible breakthrough, but the article is lacking in what I view as some important info.

That is just my opinion.

[EOTE]

19. It's certainly made of meth.

Considering that the chemical name for ecstasy is Methylenedioxymethamphetamine. It may not be the same as crystal meth, but it's definitely a methamphetamine and it's in the amphetamine family of drugs. Having said that, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I think it's a very valuable drug that has a fantastic potential to benefit mankind.

[BakedAtAMileHigh]

16. could you be a bit more specific, please?

I don't mean to be rude, but MDMA doesn't cause many deaths by overdose; instead deaths result from overheating or water poisoning. "Ecstasy overdose" deaths tend to be from copycat drugs that get sold as MDMA; this is why organizations like Dance Safe exist.

If "dangerous" means "causes many deaths by overdose" then no, real Ecstasy actually isn't dangerous. And all this doesn't address the fact that if it were legal and regulated there would be many fewer deaths from substitutes or adulterants. Sorry.

[Axle_techie]

17. That's correct, Mollies (pure MDMA) are fairly safe

However street ECSTASY though based with MDMA is usually mixed with different drugs. Both friends had heart attacks on Ecstasy probably due to the make-up of the pill.

That probably would not have happened with pure MDMA.


I have done a lot of this drug, always from trusted sources, though. The article simply makes no clarification that there are bad drugs out there, and there are many who may try to self medicate...

[Matariki]

18. Treating the world's military with ecstasy BEFORE war would probably end a lot of misery

before it's started. just saying.