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The rebranding of MDMA

In recent years, growing numbers of scientists have been asking whether MDMA could become a recognized, official part of psychotherapy. Rachel Yehuda, who runs a lab at Mount Sinai focussed on post-traumatic stress disorder, or P.T.S.D., says that MDMA “produces a substantial change in mental state that increases people’s ability to engage with traumatic material in psychotherapy.” Although the drug has been illegal since the eighties, the F.D.A. considers MDMA one component of a “breakthrough therapy” for the treatment of P.T.S.D., and could soon consider an application for its prescription use during therapy sessions. Such a development would force us to change our idea of the drug. Many…

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Featured

 MDMA Moves Closer to Approval for PTSD Treatment After New Clinical Trial

If endorsed by the FDA, the drug would become the first psychedelic approved for mental health treatment in the United States.

 MDMA Therapy Inches Closer to Approval

If approved, “MDMA-assisted therapy would be the first novel treatment for PTSD in over two decades,” said Berra Yazar-Klosinski, the senior author of the study, which was published in Nature Medicine, and the chief scientific officer at the company. “PTSD patients can feel some hope.”

 The History And Potential Of MDMA

MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly, is illegal. It is listed as a Schedule 1 drug by the U.S. federal government (the same group as marijuana and psilocybin, or magic mushrooms). In recent years, a growing body of academic research has suggested potential benefits of MDMA beyond the recreational ecstasy some partygoers are familiar with.

Previously Featured

Five Things to Know About MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD

The pharmacologic effects of MDMA involve the release of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, with a subsequent increased secretion of several hormones such as oxytocin, prolactin, cortisol, and vasopressin. “But these properties do not fully explain the sense of empathy towards self and openness to engage in self-reflection,” said Dr. Yehuda. “People taking MDMA report feelings of energy, well-being, empathy, transcendence, and sensory pleasure, and these are optimal conditions for engaging in processing of difficult or traumatic material.”

How MDMA Went From Club Drug to ‘Breakthrough Therapy’

Better known as ‘ecstasy,’ it’s emerging as one of the most promising treatments for PTSD.

I’m a Therapist Who Tried MDMA—Here’s How the Experience Shaped My Perspective on Psychedelic Therapy

Although the current research exploring MDMA-assisted psychotherapy is promising, my experience revealed to me the need and importance of culturally responsible care in psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Ketamine, psilocybin and ecstasy are coming to the medicine cabinet

From expanding minds to healing brains.

Latest trials confirm the benefits of MDMA – the drug in ecstasy – for treating PTSD

MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is an active ingredient in the illicit street drug known as ecstasy or molly. People in dance clubs and raves use illicit MDMA because it elevates mood and energy levels, induces a feeling of bonding with others and produces a surreal psychedelic effect. These same effects have been hypothesized to support people with PTSD during psychotherapy sessions, since they can make people more willing and able to share and explore their traumatic experiences. Our new meta-analysis of clinical trials confirms the benefits of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of PTSD.

MDMA Is Not Ecstasy: The Production of Pharmaceutical Safety through Documents in Clinical Trials

While MDMA is best known as a recreational drug, the substance is in fact an old product of the pharmaceutical industry that was originally synthesized and patented by Merck pharmaceuticals at the beginning of the 20th century, though the company never developed an application for the drug (Freudenmann et al. 2006). However, MDMA’s particular molecular structure—part amphetamine ring and part mescaline ring—made it of interest to psychotherapists experimenting with psychedelic substances in California in the 1970s...

MDMA Is One of the Safer Illegal Drugs. But There Are Risks

As countries legalize the psychedelic for therapy, recreational use of Ecstasy is likely to become more common. Experts say we need an open conversation about what can go wrong and how to prevent it.

MDMA-assisted therapy for moderate to severe PTSD: a randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial

These data suggest that MDMA-AT reduced PTSD symptoms and functional impairment in a diverse population with moderate to severe PTSD and was generally well tolerated.

More than a party drug: MDMA could help ‘extinguish’ traumatic memories

MDMA, popularly known as molly or ecstasy, could be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for PTSD as soon as 2024. If you trace the drug’s rambling journey over the past century, including the DARE-fueled 1990s myth that taking ecstasy makes your brain look like Swiss cheese, this development — pardon my technical language here — is a big deal.

New study adds to evidence on psychedelic as effective treatment for PTSD

MDMA is a safe and effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder in a racially and ethnically diverse population, according to the results of a study published Thursday in Nature Medicine. The research adds to the growing body of evidence supporting MDMA as a treatment for PTSD, and brings the psychedelic one step closer to potentially becoming the first to obtain Food and Drug Administration approval.

Prescribing MDMA and psilocybin: who will get the drugs and how will they help?

There have long been predictions that psychedelics could “transform” psychiatry, and many clinical trials around the world have had promising results. While some experts remain cautious about the move, psychiatrists welcomed it as a “baby step in the right direction”.

Psychedelics May Be Part of U.S. Medicine Sooner Than You Think

It came as a surprise to many when, on Feb. 3, Australian regulators announced that medicines containing the psychedelic substances MDMA and psilocybin can soon be used there to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and treatment-resistant depression, respectively. That decision makes Australia the first country in the world to formally recognize the therapeutic use of psychedelics.

Science Names MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD a 2021 Scientific Breakthrough of the Year

A blockbuster year of advancements in psychedelic-assisted therapies is culminating with recognition of the profound potential of emerging treatments for difficult-to-treat mental health conditions. On December 16, the journal Science designated MAPS’ MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD among its top ten Scientific Breakthroughs of the Year in 2021.

The FDA says ecstasy is a ‘breakthrough’ drug for PTSD patients

It's a big step forward for a controversial treatment.

The US Is One Step Closer To MDMA Therapy

If approved by the FDA, MDMA would be rescheduled by the Drug Enforcement Agency so that it could be prescribed. MDMA is currently a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning the government believes “it has a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.”

We’re Too Excited About MDMA’s Potential for Treating PTSD

Yes, the clinical outlook is promising. But we need to start getting just as serious about how the people who need the drug the most will access it.

What Happens When Psychedelic Treatment for PTSD Turns Into a Bad Trip

After recovering from my run-in with Sarah, I have since had a handful of successful experiences in the so-called psychedelic underground. But they happened because I was able to seek out and establish the right container. Whether through psychedelics, traditional therapy, or other means, there are no shortcuts to healing. Likewise, in order for psychedelic treatment to work effectively in our society,

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MAPS

We envision a world where psychedelics and marijuana are safely and legally available for beneficial uses, and where research is governed by rigorous scientific evaluation of their risks and benefits.