Give Us Ecstasy and We Can Fight PTSD
Prior to its Schedule 1 criminalization in 1985, MDMA was widely used in the psychiatric community to treat patients who were unable to let go of fear. Dating back to the 50s, clinical use of ecstasy showed great promise until research into its transformative potential on brain chemistry were completely cut off. Now, largely due to the boldness of Michael Mithoefer, a South Carolina Psychiatrist who got the FDA to approve MDMA for psychological treatment in 2004, an international movement is emerging to use the drug for combating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Considering that nearly half of the people being treated for PTSD are still in therapy, many of them in the military and trying to cope with extreme visions of terror, a new approach for treatment is long overdue. The conventional technique of inviting the patient to relive the traumatic experience over and over again until they can face it without fear can be completely bypassed with MDMA. 125mg of love and some soft music in a comfortable private setting with the therapist will allow the patient’s brain to release oxytocin – reducing fear and boosting trust so that they can openly discuss the experience without anxiety. And then comes the release of norepinephrine and cortisol which will help to re-learn the experience emotionally providing the patient with a fresh perspective.
This is a far cry from using drugs to escape ones problems or getting bombed at a rave. And the offer is on the desk at the Department of Veterans Affairs where Mithoefer and the good people at MAPS are urging them to consider MDMA for the treatment of those who need it most. We urge the VA to take true love and care into consideration while dealing with our psychologically damaged armed forces and sign on to the movement.
