Post-traumatic stress disorder (or PTSD) is a disorder that affects over 50,000 Norwegians. It is triggered by one or more traumatic events that one has either experienced or witnessed, and causes symptoms such as sleep deprivation, nightmares, aggression and panic attacks. It has long been a disorder that has been difficult to treat with talk therapy and traditional medications (antidepressants), but in recent years some alternatives have emerged.
MDMA for PTSD
Flere terapeuter har lenge ment at MDMA har god effekt mot PTSD og det ble satt i gang studier på dette for første gang på midten av 2000-tallet. MDMA, også kalt ecstasy eller Molly på folkemunne, reduserer fryktrespons i hjernen og øker følelser av empati og eufori. Etter flere år med fase 1 og 2, ble fase 3 (siste fase før godkjenning som legemiddel) satt i gang i 2018. Etter resultatene fra seks ulike fase 2-studier i USA ble publisert, valgte FDA (Food and Drug Administration, tilsvarende det norske Legemiddelverket) i USA å gi fase 3-studiet såkalt “breakthrough therapy status”, som betyr at de mener at resultatene fra de første fasene er så lovende at de vil sikre at prosessen går gjennom. I praksis vil det si at de forhåndsgodkjenner de ulike protokollene før arbeidet settes i gang, noe som gjør at man unngår forsinkelser på grunn av feil på veien. I enmetaanalyse fra 2016ble det konkludert med at behandling av PTSD med MDMA ga betydelig bedre resultater enn eksponeringsterapi, som er mest vanlig behandlingsform i dag. DokumentarenTrip of Compassionomhandler første fase av et av de kliniske forsøkene i Israel og gir et innblikk i prosessen.
Why does it work and what does the risk picture look like?
MDMA is a rather special compound that makes it particularly well-suited for trauma therapy. When brain scans are done on people suffering from PTSD, they see increased activity in the fear center (amygdala) of the brain, and reduced activity in the part of the brain that rationalizes and processes memories (medial prefrontal cortex). There are many substances that reduce activity in the fear center (e.g. alcohol, opiates), but the stimulant part of the MDMA molecule also stimulates the prefrontal cortex. This makes the patients alert and motivated to process, while at the same time making them feel relaxed and brave.
When you hear words like ecstasy and party drugs, many people become skeptical. The image most of us have of MDMA comes from the media or outdated drug campaigns, while research shows that MDMA is generally a fairly safe substance . And especially if you take some extra precautions that are natural in therapeutic processes. More about these precautions here . The Norwegian Drug Information Service has good risk overviews for many drugs, including MDMA here .
A study has been initiated in Norway with MDMA for PTSD at Østfold Hospital. Read more about the status and what alternatives for psychedelic therapy exist today here.
I can guide you through the therapeutic process and can handle everything except the medication itself. Read more about the process here .