Ecstasy Reduces Symptoms Of PTSD

A new study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology suggests that treating soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder using ecstasy can reduce their symptoms.

The study is controversial because of the fact that Ecstasy is an illegal drug but if findings are confirmed in future studies, the drug could become a recommended treatment option for soldiers diagnosed with PTSD.

PTSD is a condition that comes on following a traumatic event in a person’s life, and is very prominent in soldiers who are exposed to horrible things during war

The researchers studied 20 soldiers who had been living with PTSD for 20 years and had not responded to other types of therapy.

Some of the patients were given the drug in combination with psychotherapy and others were given a placebo as well as undergoing the psychotherapy.

At the end of the study, 80% of patients who received Ecstasy along with psychotherapy no longer met the requirements to be diagnosed with PTSD.

“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,” said study lead researcher Dr. Michael Mithoefer.

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