This Monday, I heard something quite shocking on CNN: ecstasy, the illegal drug most frequently used in clubs, may be a viable means to alleviating the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Ecstasy dramatically reduces immediate anxieties, allowing a user to open up emotionally, even as the body and brain are energized by the drug.
CNN reported the effects of a study conducted by the National Center for PTSD (the “Center”). The Center conducted a long-term follow-up assessment of 171 rape victims who had been treated for PTSD by the administration of ecstasy. The Center found that after ten years, fully 80% experienced milder symptoms than they did previously.
Shortly before the CNN story hit airwaves, a husband-and-wife team were featured in the New York Times. The husband is a psychiatrist and the wife is a nurse, and they are conducting a study with 24 veterans suffering from PTSD. This study will combine controlled doses of ecstasy with psychotherapy in treating PTSD. According to the couple, they have been contacted by over 250 veterans eager to take part in the study. 250 veterans, for 24 spots. For these veterans, traditional methods of treatment are not working.
Surprisingly enough, this isn’t new news. On July 19, 2010, the Journal of Psychopharmacology reported the results of the first randomized, controlled trial of ecstasy (known to chemists as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA). The study’s authors gave MDMA or a placebo to patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study showed that ecstasy is not only safe when administered in controlled settings but also remarkably effective in treating PTSD in conjunction with psychotherapy.
The Journal of Psychopharmacology paper marked the first time the FDA and the Drug Enforcement Administration had allowed a scientific study on MDMA. The authors spent more than a decade getting approval for the research, which began in 2004.
And now, for the first time, the national media has caught hold of this story. Sure, maybe it isn’t new news, but it affects many PTSD-sufferers. For example, I’m sure those 226 veterans on the waiting list for the experimental study covered in the New York Times would appreciate another opportunity. Perhaps with this “new” public focus, additional studies will follow.
For more information on PTSD, visit the Center’s website at: http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/what-is-ptsd.asp. The New York Times article is available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/20/health/ecstasy-treatment-for-post-traumatic-stress-shows-promise.html?ref=posttraumaticstressdisorder.
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