PTSD and MDMA

              PTSD has affected the lives of countless of individuals following traumatic experiences that continue to haunt them. Treatment for PTSD using drugs has remained generally unchanged for the past 17 years. The leading treatment for PTSD is psychotherapy with supplemented SSRIs to treat symptoms of depression. However, SSRIs fail to relieve the individual of sensations of immediate peril when they are outside of the safety of their home, and many patients suffering from this disorder seclude themselves as a result. While isolation would appear to be a symptom of depression, treatment with SSRIs does not help the patient feel safe enough to reintegrate with society without the risk of encountering triggers of the past trauma.

              New research has emerged which suggests MDMA paired with guided psychotherapy can solve this issue. With this new method, patients will come to a twelve-week course of eight to twelve hour sessions of therapy while using a carefully controlled dose of MDMA. Then there is a follow up session without the influence of the drug to assess the patient’s experience and thoughts while on the drug. Since MDMA releases serotonin and oxytocin, feelings of social connection can arise. When this drug is paired with guided psychotherapy, the patient can revisit their traumas with new feelings of empathy, closeness, and safety. Among the first trials, researchers found a 54% rate of remission in patients with PTSD such that patients no longer fit the criteria for PTSD after one year of therapy and even higher rates after two years. Researchers claim that since the patient is not prescribed to take the drug at home but rather in a controlled psychotherapeutic environment, there is little risk of abuse with the drug.

              In the article ‘Transcranial magnetic stimulation: potential treatment for co-occurring alcohol, traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorders,’ Dr. Amy Herrold et al. examines the prevalence of alcohol use and craving with comorbid mental health disorders and mild traumatic brain injury among a group of Veterans. The frequency of these co-occurring disorders is astounding and something not previously studied until now. Veterans that have seen combat suffer from brain injuries as well as lasting psychological distress, and attempt to self medicate using alcohol in lieu of effective pharmacological treatment. Her findings suggest that transcranial magnetic stimulation could pose potential benefits for these co-occurring disorders. The answer to this treatment’s effectiveness lies in its ability to treat a brain region common in all disorders, such that when a patient comes in displaying symptoms of all three they are able to treat them with one type of treatment.

What both of these studies comprehend are modern and innovative techniques for a disorder long seen as incurable. Both are non-invasive treatment options for those with which no other methods of therapy have proved effective. The implications of these studies show a promising future for those who have long suffered from their traumas, giving hope in their ability to move on and reintegrate with society.

Herrold AA, Jordan N, High WM, Babcock-Parziale J, Chambers RA, Smith B, Evans CT, Li X, Mallinson T, Jenkins S, Pape TL. Alcohol use and craving among Veterans with mental health disorders and mild traumatic brain injury. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2014;51(9):1397-1410. http://dx.doi.org10.1682/JRRD.2013.07.0170

Herrold, A., Kletzel, S., Harton, B., Chambers, R., Jordan, N., & Pape, T.-B. (2014). Transcranial magnetic stimulation: potential treatment for co-occurring alcohol, traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorders. Neural Regeneration Research, 9(19), 1712. doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.143408

Stone, W. (2019, August 21). MDMA, or Ecstasy, Shows Promise as a PTSD Treatment. Retrieved February 20, 2020, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mdma-or-ecstasy-shows-promise-as-a-ptsd-treatment/