MDMA for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

MDMA, more commonly known as ecstasy, has an overwhelming reputation as an illegal drug that people at raves take. However, certain organizations have seen the potential of ecstasy for use in applications other than recreational drug use. The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) has recently gained permission from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to conduct research concerning post-traumatic stress disorder using MDMA. Information obtained for this article may be obtained from the MAPS clinical plan at http://www.maps.org/research/mdmaplan.html

The purpose of the study is to "develop MDMA into an FDA-approved prescription medicine, initially for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This disorder is one in which damaging and lasting psychological consequences occur in an individual who has been exposed to a traumatic event, including such things as wartime combat or rape. Symptoms of PTSD include but are not limited to nightmares, flashbacks of the traumatic event, depression, and insomnia. The lifetime prevalence of PTSD in the United States is about 7.8% with women having twice the risk of developing the disorder as men. This doubled risk is likely due to the fact that women are raped much more frequently than men and although men outnumber women in the military, rapes occur more often than combat.

Why did MAPS choose MDMA for the study involving PTSD? There are a number of reasons. The first has to do with safety. MDMA is quite safe compared to other psychedelics that could potentially be used in psychotherapy due to its comparably short-lasting effects and the fact that it does not alter cognitive functioning significantly. The main risks associated with recreational MDMA use is the presence of other chemicals in tainted MDMA tabs. MAPS cites the ability of people on MDMA to move freely toward their emotions while on MDMA as opposed to LSD when the mind is more at the whim of the drug in terms of producing cognitive effects. In essence, MDMA acts on emotions and not cognition and furthermore allows the patient to be in a relaxed and gentle state for psychotherapy to progress.

Why PTSD? MAPS sees the benefits of working with PTSD patients instead of terminally ill patients due to the fact that physically PTSD patients are more healthy and are on less medications. This means that MDMA has less of a chance of acting adversely on other medications in the human body. Currently, PTSD patients are prescribed two main medications, both of which are used to treat depression primarily. There have been some effective results, though more so in the female population than male. The purpose of the MDMA would not be as a direct pharmaceutical treatment for PTSD, but to allow psychotherapy for traumatic event victims to take place more freely and comfortably. The effects of the psychoactive drug would help to put the PTSD patients more at ease in a controlled, clinical environment and allow them to explore their emotions without invoking the terrible responses that their disorder invokes.

Although the research seems promising, MAPS admits that the likelihood of MDMA being approved as a prescription drug is not high. The study cites political and economic hurdles to the plan. On the political side, it will be very difficult to convince the United States government to suddenly allow limited use of a substance that sees rampant recreational use and which it has deemed dangerous enough to control as a schedule I substance. There have been many studies involving the potential medical use of marijuana which have achieved positive results and marijuana still remains a schedule I substance in the United States. On the economic side, MAPS does not foresee any major pharmaceutical company putting up the money to manufacture MDMA as a prescription drug given its current reputation as well as patent hurdles.

Although the United States is unlikely to reverse the status quo any time in the near future, this proposed study is very promising. If a clinical study can provide hard data about the efficacy of MDMA in treatment of PTSD, then perhaps more American eyes will be opened to the benefits of a psychoactive substance they have been told is evil.