MDMA is one of our most popular recreational psychoactives,
most commonly sold as “ecstasy” (usually tablets) or “molly” (usually crystals).MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, mandy or molly, is a drug of the stimulant class but which also can have mild hallucinogenic properties.It is known for its empathogenic, euphoric, and stimulant effects, and has also been used in psychotherapy.
Currently MDMA is an illegal substance across the world – a class A drug in the UK and a schedule 1 substance in the US, meaning it is seen as having no therapeutic or medicinal value, but new and recent studies are challenging this notion.
Studies by David Nutt and Imperial College London have shown MDMA-assisted therapy to have significant potential in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcoholism. Various other studies seem to back-up MDMA’s potential for treating PTSD and also its positive use in psychiatry.
MDMA has also been shown to have vastly positive results in couples therapy, with some couples claiming partaking in MDMA-assisted therapy significantly helped them in their relationship and even as individuals.
The reasons for these benefits likely lie in MDMA’s empathy and euphoria effects. Due to the serotonin activation in the brain it seems difficult for users to feel anger, stress or negative emotions while on the drug. This seems to allow people to look at negative situations or past traumas with less anxiety or anger, and instead with empathy and understanding.
At present, MDMA cannot legally be used in psychotherapy but more and more studies are being done which test both MDMA’s positives and drawbacks. The drug itself is not the treatment but rather enables therapy to be more effective. Attempts to self-treat with MDMA could do more harm than good in the absence of a professional therapist trained in MDMA psychotherapy.