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Medicine

MDMA-Assisted Couples Therapy Investigated In Landmark Pilot Trial 68

Posted by BeauHD from the proof-of-concept dept.
A new study, published in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology, is the first to explore the effects of MDMA therapy in couples where one member is suffering from PTSD. New Atlas reports: This preliminary study investigated the feasibility of incorporating two MDMA sessions into a previously established PTSD therapeutic regime known as CBCT, or cognitive-behavioral conjoint therapy. As opposed to traditional PTSD therapies focusing on the individual, CBCT is designed to help improve relationship functioning for couples, while still improving PTSD symptoms in the individual patient. The new trial recruited six couples, in which one member of the couple had a pre-existing PTSD diagnosis, and explored the feasibility of incorporating two MDMA sessions into the CBCT protocol, which traditionally involves around 15 therapy sessions conducted over several months.

The new study reports the addition of MDMA to the couples therapy protocol resulted in effects that were, "on par with, or greater than, those achieved with CBCT alone." Improvements were detected in both relationship outcomes and individual PTSD symptoms. The effects were most significant at the six-month follow up implying the MDMA therapy confers compelling long-term benefits. It is important to note the study was uncontrolled, so any efficacy comparisons to CBCT alone can only be garnered by examining prior CBCT studies. However, this feasibility study does establish the addition of MDMA to the pre-existing therapeutic protocol is safe and it does not negatively interfere with other PTSD treatments.
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MDMA-Assisted Couples Therapy Investigated In Landmark Pilot Trial More

MDMA-Assisted Couples Therapy Investigated In Landmark Pilot Trial

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  • Uhm... (Score:4)

    by The New Guy 2.0 ( 3497907 ) on Wednesday December 09, 2020 @10:30PM (#60814378)

    What does MDMA mean anyway?

    • Re:Uhm... (Score:4, Informative)

      by Actually, I do RTFA ( 1058596 ) on Wednesday December 09, 2020 @10:39PM (#60814412)

      What does MDMA mean anyway?

      The scientific name of the drug Ecstacy

      • What does MDMA mean anyway?

        The scientific name of the drug Ecstacy

        Thanks, now do CBCT.

      • Re:Uhm... (Score:4, Informative)

        by Astramensis ( 6745682 ) on Thursday December 10, 2020 @08:58AM (#60815326)
        Actually ecstasy is MDMA that has been mixed with amphetamines (speed, cocaine, crystal meth, etc).

        Pure MDMA is probably the closest thing to a 'happy pill' or 'love drug' that we have in society. Many studies have shown it to be incredibly successful in treating PTSD.

        It would be nice to see MDMA replace SSRI based anti-depressants in our society. (Although that's not feasible from a business sense, since MDMA might actually cure some people with depression, - and continually selling them treatments to keep their symptoms at bay is much more profitable).

        • Re: Uhm... (Score:5, Informative)

          by TJHook3r ( 4699685 ) on Thursday December 10, 2020 @09:48AM (#60815434)
          It's not 'mixed with amphetamines', the 'A' in MDMA is part of the makeup ie 3,4-Methylâenedioxyâmethamphetamine
          • Correct. I should have been more specific - 'ecstasy' contains additional amphetamines.

            • There are a lot of knock-offs, some drug dealers also mix heroin/fentanyl with methamphetamine and try and pass it off as ecstacy

              FYI, "real" Ecstacy is MDMA and does not contain "extra amphetamine"

              We need to throw away the current DEA scheduling and allow for scientific investigation into many Schedule 1 drugs

    • MDMA is the chemical name for Ecstacy [wikipedia.org]

      I can attest to it's ability to encourage conversation and eliminate prior hurt feelings, this would be an incredible boon to "talk therapy", imo

  • Ongoing MDMA use has compelling benefits?

    Considering a couple I know, who are regular users, are one of depressed, angry or violent in any given moment. Hard to see a benefit.

    Didnâ(TM)t use to be that way, but... MDMA is epic according to them. Ah well, the bf gets out of jail in the new year, and his gf just got out of hospital but might be committed.

    • Re:So... (Score:4, Informative)

      by yassa2020 ( 6703044 ) on Wednesday December 09, 2020 @11:52PM (#60814568)

      Ongoing MDMA use has compelling benefits?

      Not what the summary says, not what the study says.

      They were given 75mg in one therapy session and 100mg in a second session and that's it.

      Improvements were detected in both relationship outcomes and individual PTSD symptoms. The effects were most significant at the six-month follow up implying the MDMA therapy confers compelling long-term benefits.

      In other words, The post-therapy improvement of their PTSD symptoms was long-lasting.

      Considering a couple I know, who are regular users, are one of depressed, angry or violent in any given moment. Hard to see a benefit.

      Consider that having a single glass of wine 2-3 days a week, well-paired with dinner (not just flavor but sugar profile), can benefit your liver, your kidneys, your pancreas, and possibly even your heart. While getting black-out drunk every weekend will obliterate each of those organs. Everything happens on a spectrum.

      • Re:So... (Score:5, Interesting)

        by scamper_22 ( 1073470 ) on Thursday December 10, 2020 @10:34AM (#60815538)

        I can confirm this personally.

        Have suffered severe PTSD (childhood ethnic warfare). It went largely without treatment for most of my life.

        In my 20s, I did some MDMA/raved a few times. The first 2-3 times, it literally changed my life. It was more just being in a brain state of semi-normal was mind blowing. Being able to converse and express. Beyond that, I didn't feel much benefit, but those first 2-3 times were transformative.

        I've since received more proper PTSD therapy and have progressed even further. I spent about 9 months on zoloft and properly tapered off it.

        When people say mental illness is physical, please take it literally. What I found it is that parts of your brain literally shutoff in PTSD. They stop processing, like killing a process on your computer. It's no longer running. No matter what you do, you can't think your way out of it.

        I theorize that MDMA kicks starts some off of those process; at least temporarily.
        In a similar way, Zoloft did the same thing. It really helped me get out of a mindstate where I could actually think clearly enough to seek proper treatment.

        Then. proper PTSD therapy with a therapist can actually work to help resolve the underlying trauma.

        I try and explain this to people, but it's really hard to understand. But i've lived through it. It really was like a switch and restarting parts of my brain and now trying to keep them on.

        • imo, "Fear is the Mind Killer" is at the core of PTSD, and MDMA regulates the Amygdala in some fashion that mediates the fear response

          imo

          • Yep.

            I speak on this obviously as just a patient and internet researcher.
            But the best way to understand PTSD is to watch a nature documentary and recognize that those same behaviors are within us.

            Imagine a gazelle on the African grass lands

            Normal: the gazelle is grazing with fellow gazelles doing gazelle things

            Flight: A lion approaches and the gazelles start fleeing engaging a flight response just trying to survice

            Shutdown: A gazelle is caught and in the jaws of the lion. It's body and mind shutdown. Believe

            • Glad to hear that you are recovering.

              I benefitted similarly from a combination of Cognitive Behavior Therapy and the US rave scene in the late 90's. From what I understand, the quality of street ecstacy has fallen significantly since then.

              We will have to work against decades of propaganda to get proper recognition for the beneficial effects of many schedule 1 drugs, but it is worth it for more people to have access to something that has benefitted us both.

        • Here is a study into PTSD treatment with MDMA investigating the effect on Amygdala and Pre-Frontal Cortex

          Study Description
          Brief Summary:
          This study aims to investigate the effects of MDMA on prefrontal and amygdala activation, and to explore the relationship between these MDMA-induced neural changes and the acute behavioral effects of the drug in patients with PTSD.

          Condition or disease Intervention/treatment Phase
          Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
          Drug: MDMA
          Drug: Niacin (placebo)
          Phase 1

          Detailed Descriptio

    • Ongoing MDMA use has compelling benefits?

      Considering a couple I know, who are regular users, are one of depressed, angry or violent in any given moment. Hard to see a benefit.

      Didnâ(TM)t use to be that way, but... MDMA is epic according to them. Ah well, the bf gets out of jail in the new year, and his gf just got out of hospital but might be committed.

      Like most drug regimens, the concept is therapeutic, not habitual. Physiological malady brought on by poor habits and diet have incentivized pharmaceutical enterprise to provide solutions for an indefinite duration. In fact, they're accused of deliberately seeking life-long prescriptions in lieu of addressing holistic health-- they're not incentivized to do so. A pill for anything is hardly their invention; Enterprise typically doesn't have to invent need.

      Brain/behavior disciplines have mapped far less te

    • MDMA is fine when used responsibly. "Regular use" does not sound responsible. If you are taking it more than even once every few months you are taking MDMA too much. How often did that couple dose: weekly, bi-weekly? Were they *very* dumb and dosed multiple times a week? Or dosing too high/redosing too much in their sessions? None of that will occur under licensed care. No doc is going to give their patient an absurd amount of MDMA that would fry them like abuse does. I personally would love the chanc

    • a couple I know, who are regular users, are one of depressed

      Regular use is known to fuck over your dopamine system.

    • Ongoing MDMA use has compelling benefits?

      What the study says is that clinical MDMA use has compelling benefits. Learn to read.

      Considering a couple I know, who are regular users, are one of depressed, angry or violent in any given moment. Hard to see a benefit.

      It's hard to see the value of your anecdote, which BTW is nothing. You haven't at all discussed correlation and causation, for example. How well did you know them before they started using MDMA? What are the chances that they were already like that, and you just didn't know about it? Are you certain they're not using other drugs? Etc.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by fermion ( 181285 )
      This was my thought. Most people I know suffer PTSD because of MDMA or meth or similar drug abuse. OTOH, I do notice some couples do stay together because they are always high.

  • So here's to hoping my wife and I can exchange some of our marital fighting for some good drugs :-).

    On a more serious note I see how it could be very helpful. My wife and I did e together on our wedding night and it's a great way to bond and express yourselves. But it only helps with some issues, eg, great for helping express insecurities and feelings you might have been unwilling to mention or to bring couples back together who have grown distant but if your issues are more about practical issues like di

  • OxyContin 2.0 (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Rakshasa Taisab ( 244699 )

    What could possibly go wrong and what group of people is pushing this new way of destroying western man.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by fazig ( 2909523 )
      What?

      Are you comparing a prescription depressant, that you get to take home and use in an uncontrolled environment at your own leisure, with a stimulant that is only administered by a trained professional in a controlled environment and under supervision?

  • That a drug that '' produces euphoria, enhances interpersonal communication and feelings of closeness with others'' and ''the psychological state induced by MDMA show some similarities with features of the post-orgasmic state.'' https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.go... [nih.gov] ..might be more effective than candy, liquor or flowers. Someone needs to prevent the usage of such substances.. think about the children.

    • It's like you've never heard *why* drugs are bad and not a solution... --.--

      More proof the world is going literally medically insane.

      Sorry, but short terms successes at the cost of long term worsening is not a solution. Even if it makes you look good while you hold up your hand for profit.
      Otherwise alcoholism would be a common medically approved cure.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by fazig ( 2909523 )
        Sorry, but short term effects are sometimes exactly what is needed.
        Take a moment and think about what you're saying there.

        This is about clinical uses of substances. You can see it as being analogous to the use of anesthesia in a clinical environment.
        Anesthetics can be misused and abused by people, sure. But imagine what things like surgery or a root canal at the dentist would be without it. All because some morons can't distinguish between uncontrolled recreational (ab)use and clinical use of a substanc

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by larwe ( 858929 )
        "Otherwise alcoholism would be a common medically approved cure." - I assume you're familiar with https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/cure [smbc-comics.com]
  • A cold clinical setting may be harmful to people who take it.

  • Didn't they give soldiers this back when PTSD was still called shell shock? And didn't is *cause* most of the problems?

    • Studies have shown that MDMA is also effective dealing with PTSD. But neither this use nor the PTSD use is "give someone MDMA, cured!". They're "give someone MDMA, have a psychologist work with them while high". The main issue with uptake is going to be finding the personnel to work with them.

  • Really, omitting "where one member is suffering from PTSD. New Atlas reports:" changes quite a lot. There's already a couple of different tests that shows therapy and MDMA treatment works really well against long time PTSD.

  • MDMA? ... oh you mean 'meth' like the drug (Score:3)

    by fygment ( 444210 ) on Thursday December 10, 2020 @08:28AM (#60815284)

    Honestly, how about some clarity in the titling?

    • MDMA? ... oh you mean 'meth' like the drug

      No, they mean 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, not N-methyl-1-phenylpropan-2-amine.

      I mean, srsly

  • Worst idea ever (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    This is the worst idea ever. With MDMA (and other meth derivatives), you always come down to a lower point than you started. That's one of the reasons these kinds of hard drugs are illegal - they cause way more problems than they cure.

    Look at ADHD meds, which are also derivatives of methamphetamine. Meth addition is running rampant in colleges across the nation. Students will say anything to get an Rx because they feel it makes them more competitive students, but what is really happening is that the pharma

    • You do come down but if whilst you are up you have some kind of eureka moment that potentially fixes your marriage then it's probably worth investigating? The whole point is that this is in addition to normal therapy - it helps break down barriers

    • With MDMA (and other meth derivatives),

      The prefix "meth" simply means that a methane molecule is attached somehow to a larger molecule [wikipedia.org]. There are probably millions of compounds in the human body with this configuration and they all do very different things.

      You might as well be afraid of table salt because it contains highly reactive sodium and poisonus chlorine. Watch out for that dihydrogen monoxide too.

  • I don't know who approved an uncontrolled study, but it's just a waste of resources. MDMA already has a stigma around it, and cutting corners on research of it is doing no good. In a psychological trial, studies need to be 100% double-blind controlled, with the exceptions only for potential injury. There might be some benefit here, but we'll never find out with this kind of half-assed research.

  • In Soviet Union, Party tell you whom to love. Here, take MDMA.

  • SIX couples ?!
    Until psychologists start properly doing and *reproducing* their "experiments', the entire subject is bunk.

  • Every time I read one of these science articles, I remember the glacial paces of science and the frustration of human cultures. It is slow going, with a lot of kissing up to humans that know way less than you do. That is why I am done with the sciences and have been so for years. My partner has finally come around to my way of thinking. No amount of prestige in the sciences can make up for the potential abuse dished out to the scientists.

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