Using MDMA as a Treatment for PTSD “In recent years there have been a number of neuroscientific and clinical studies examining the potential role for adjunctive drug-assisted psychotherapy using 3,4,-methylenedioxmethamphetamine (MDMA) as a treatment for PTSD”(Sessa 176). Recent research has shown that the use of MDMA can help people who suffer from PTSD. MDMA is a schedule one drug which means that it is illegal currently; however, that may change very soon. Marijuana is also still considered a schedule one drug in the U.S. even though in some states it is legal for medical and recreational use. Grinspoon and Bakalar say that MDMA has been used for psychotherapy before it became illegal in 1985 (qtd. in Bouso 226). With these …show more content…
Over the past years, prescription drugs have become a major problem for health of United States citizens (Newton). There are some concerns for making a known party drug legal. MDMA is not to be confused with 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA). Both of these drugs do the same general thing; however, the effects of MDA are stronger, longer and more dangerous than those of MDMA. MDMA’s street names are Ecstasy and Molly. MDMA was first synthesized in 1912, but did not become popular until the 60’s (NIDA). Once it started becoming popular, psychologists realized that it could be useful during therapy sessions for people with anxiety or PTSD because of the effects it has on people’s minds. During this time the government had no regulations on the drug, but in 1985 the government made MDMA a schedule one drug which made it illegal to take, sell or possess (Vollenweider 241). It is still highly popular during this time as a party drug. People still take this drug even though it is illegal because of the feelings of euphoria, reduced stress/anxiety and increased sexual arousal (Sessa 177).
Ecstasy and Molly are both forms of MDMA; however, when bought illegally usually they contain very little if any actual MDMA. Molly and Ecstasy are some of the easiest drugs to lace
Ecstasy, or 3, 4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine, was first synthesized and patented in 1914, by the German drug company Merck. The original purpose of the drug was to be an appetite suppressant, however in 1970 it was given to clinical depressed patients to open them up and talk about their feelings. Then in 1986, Ecstasy was determined to cause brain damage (http://faculity.washington.edu/chudler/mdma.html).
Even though they aren’t necessarily considered a drug, some people still categorize them as such because of the affects they have o the user and their addictiveness of a drug. This also raises more questions, such as which people are using opioids more than any other substance? There are a lot of different types of opioids. Soma in the novel Brave New World is like an opioid and makes the drug highly addictive and haves its user to keep coming back it. It can also kill you just like opioids. Opioids have the power can kill people in like five years if abused. Soma has the power to kill you only if you over abuse it. Methamphetamine is another very addictive and dangerous drug. Methamphetamine is a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. The drug has known as many different things such as meth, chalk, ice, and crystal, among many other names. The drug has the power to kill you fast over time and can have you addicted right away after your first hit. Its origination from the American south-west gives it the reputation of a poor white trash drug used by white people who live in trailer parks. But what about soma? Is the drug taken by the rich or the
Methadone has been used since the late 1960s to treat heroin addictions. Methadone is a synthetic opioid that is highly addictive and is harder to withdraw from than heroin. Despite 50 years of experience and widespread acceptance by addiction specialists and health agencies, Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) has sometimes been publicly controversial in the U.S. and other countries. MMT is a program in which addicted individuals receive daily doses of methadone as part of a broad, multicomponent treatment plan (Methadone Maintence Treatment, 2002). Critics argue that methadone doesn’t actually help heroin addicts, but just replaces heroin with an equally addictive methadone (Mason, 2013). From my perspective, methadone should not be given to heroin addicts because it does not
Methadone is one of the most common medications used to treat opioid addiction. It decreases the symptoms of opioid withdrawal and inhibits the euphoric effects caused by abusing heroin and prescription opioids such as oxycodone. When used as prescribed and under the supervision of a trained physician, methadone is an effective complement to treatment. SAMHSA also recommends patients remain on methadone treatment for at least 12 months. Many people require multiple years of treatment. When discontinuing methadone treatment, patients should slowly taper off of it under doctor supervision. Buprenorphine decreases the potential for opioid abuse, reduces withdrawal symptoms and cravings and decreases the risks of overdose. Because buprenorphine
Current medications that can be used to treat opioid disorders include methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Patients who are addicted to heroin and narcotics have been treated with methadone for years. In 1937, methadone was synthesized by the german scientist Max Bockmuhl and Gustav Erhart (18). They created the drug in hopes that I will be less addictive then your typical pain killers, although some believe it can be more addictive than heroin (18). While taking this drug it is recommended to be a part of a comprehensive medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program for optimal results. By changing how the brain and nervous system react to pain, methadone can make opioid withdraw; less painful (13). It is taken once a day and can be given
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological condition that can follow a traumatic incident (Emory). PTSD can stem from a variety of traumatic events, such as sexual assault, floods, being kidnapped, and major catastrophes like 9/11 (PTSD: A Growing Epidemic). A major symptom of PTSD is re-experiencing trauma by either distressing thoughts or memories, and sometimes by vivid flashbacks in the most severe cases. Other symptoms can include increased anxiety and paranoia, depression, or avoiding situations where flashbacks can be triggered. An estimated 5% of men and 10% of women experience some form of PTSD in their lives (Emory). However, in a smaller demographic, veterans, The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have estimated
The powerful and dangerous drug, methamphetamine (meth), has recently attracted more and more users around the world. It is an amphetamine drug that is very addictive. Meth users are gaining easier access to the drug, since it can be made from common household things, like Drano and battery acid. Over 400,000 Americans are currently addicted to the drug. Meth causes a huge increase in dopamine and other neurotransmitters in the brain. In addition, meth also blocks enzymes that work to break down dopamine in the brain, which causes the high to last much longer than a high from a stimulant like cocaine. Several methods are used to take this drug, but smoking it has recently become more popular.
Methamphetamine is classified as a schedule II stimulant5 (meaning it has high potential for abuse), which makes it legally available through a nonrefillable prescription, although it is rarely used medicinally, and only at doses
In order to better understand why a therapist would recommend MDMA to a patent it is important to know exactly how this drug effects the patient. The effects of MDMA become apparent to the patent anywhere from 20 to 90 minutes after it is taken. Then the strongest part of the experience happens in under 20 minutes after the initial wave hits and last around 2.5 hours. The after effects usually last 24-48 hours with rare cases of them lasting up to a week. The most notable of the effects is an openness. This openness can further be understood by knowing that there is an immense reduction in any fear the patient is experiencing, an increase of empathy, overwhelming sense of love, and a loosening of ego. Some negative effects during the initial experience include hyperthermia, dehydration, jaw clenching,
The findings were that 83% of the treated patients that suffered with PTSD no longer qualified as an afflicted patient once the treatment was finished. In a long term follow up, the benefits were reported stable in almost all cases even 4 years later. These amazing results, reported in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, indicate a promising future for the use of MDMA in various psychotherapy treatments. These results indicate that this illicit substance could be a great advancement in the safest and most effective ways to treat this
MDMA has not always been viewed in a negative light. Its health benefits can be traced back to the mid-twentieth century. With the homecoming of World War II soldiers, MDMA use was found to be more prevalent in society. The correlation between the homecoming of the soldiers and the spike in MDMA usage led scientists to research the situation further. The scientists found that MDMA held psycho-related benefits which was most prominent in those who suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Those suffering with PTSD had a hard time coping with their emotions. They felt more detached from others and had sporadic behaviors that could lead to verbal or physical abuse. In the wake of World War II, the discovery that a drug could lessen
MDMA is a well-known drug in today’s society. It can be named called all sorts of things, but the most common name is Ecstasy. Depending on your location it can be named something else for instance the new era of young adults they refer it as molly, and in the bay area, California it was often it’s referred to as thizz, in the early 2000s’. MDMA can very addictive to some populations. In the young adult population MDMA is used as a “rave drug” (will go into more detail later). In other populations it’s known for the high that it gives.
‘Social policies aimed at reducing prejudice and intergroup conflict would do well to take account of social psychological research in this area.’ Discuss this statement, making reference to relevant research in your answer.
The mind altering and hallucinogenic side effects of MDMA could have positive effects on those being treated with it rather than the latter. The use of MDMA soon became a common drug used in psychotherapy, the treatment of a mental disorder by psychological instead of normal medical ways. While the drug was prospering in helping treat mental disorders it was later banned in 1985 due to drug users turning to it as an alternative for another drug called heroin. Drug users chose MDMA because not only was it structurally similar to methamphetamine and the hallucinogen mescaline, but the effects were very similar. A strain of MDMA called alpha-methylfentanyl was created and also banned after the Drug Enforcement Administration was given the right to do so. This was difficult to accomplish due to MDMA being patented, but once the strain began to kill users it became evident that something had to be done to prevent this issue from getting out of
Moreover, individuals who develop complex PTSD first show symptoms of PTSD, an indication that PTSD arousal symptoms may predict lifetime complex PTSD while current complex PTSD is indicated by PTSD avoidance symptoms. Therefore, it is difficult to outline the nature of the complex PTSD construct since there is a lack of formally-defined set of symptoms as well as a standardized measurement tool. Having a standardized measurement tool would make complex PTSD better understood and differentiated from other disorders.