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An approach to treating post-traumatic stress disorder with MDMA emphasizes supervision from specially trained therapists. MULTIDISCIPLINARY ASSOCIATION FOR PSYCHEDELIC STUDIES
A psychedelic drug may help treat PTSD. But questions remain on how best to use and regulate it
May. 19, 2021 , 12:00 PM
The news last week that the compound 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), popularly called ecstasy, alleviated post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a phase 3 trial was a milestone in efforts to turn psychedelic drugs into mainstream treatments. It also highlighted a therapeutic marriage that is getting increasing attention: providing a mind-altering drug while a patient receives care from a trained therapist. “This is really kind of a new zeitgeist in psychiatry,” says Barbara Rothbaum, a clinical psychologist at Emory University.
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I came of age in the late 1960s and early 1970s, which means I’m no stranger to recreational drugs, from pot to psychedelics. Like, I’ve seen things, man… and I could tell you some stories. Through it all, though, I was fascinated with the idea of psychedelics. I still am.
Tough to believe, but back then, LSD was still legal; research was going full-bore. And I understood these drugs had promise - real promise.
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Only two patients in the study reported serious suicidal behaviour or ideation - both in the placebo group. Only one reported cardiovascular problems - someone in the placebo group.
Researchers from the University of California and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) said it appears to work by producing a window of tolerance , in which participants are able to revisit and process traumatic content without becoming overwhelmed or encumbered by hyperarousal and dissociative symptoms .
It does this by temporarily rolling the brain back to a state that typically closes after adolescence , where people have more self-compassion and are no longer suffering PTSD-related shame and anger .
Phase 3 MDMA trial finds huge potential for treating severe PTSD
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) has announced the results of a Phase 3 trial involving MDMA-assisted therapy for people suffering from chronic and severe PTSD. The results were ‘highly statistically significant,’ according to MAPS, which reports that 67-percent of the participants who underwent three of these MDMA-assisted therapy sessions saw enough improvement that they no longer met the requirements for a PTSD diagnosis.
MDMA is a psychoactive compound commonly acquired as part of a drug called ecstasy. This drug remains a Schedule I substance in the US, meaning it has ‘no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.’ A growing body of research is challenging this label, however, with MAPS driving the research that may lead to a change in the way this compound is scheduled.