Study: Ecstacy May Be Useful in PTSD Therapy

Researchers believe they have found the next step in PTSD therapy: MDMA--commonly known as ecstacy--usage in therapeutic environments. In a recent Phase II study published in Journal of Psychopharmacology, psychologists found using MDMA during PTSD therapy sessions allowed patients to better manage and understand their emotions than with traditional therapy methods alone.

"PTSD treatment involves revisiting the trauma in a therapeutic setting, but many patients become overwhelmed by anxiety or numb themselves emotionally, and so they can't really successfully engage," says study lead researcher Dr. Michael Mithoefer, a psychiatrist in Charleston, S.C. "But what we found is that the MDMA seemed to temporarily decrease fear without blunting emotions, and so it helped patients better process their grief." After the study completed, 10 of the 12 patients treated with MDMA and therapy no longer suffered from clinical PTSD, compared with two of eight placebo patients.

The intense therapy programs included two all-day therapy sessions and overnight visits in the therapy clinic. A long-term follow-up study of the patients is already under way.

Read the source article.