MDMA-assisted psychotherapy
Routledge eBooks June 14, 2018 DOI: 10.4324/9781315642765-12 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | MDMA Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key points | Argues that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy requires critical psychobiological evaluation: acute MDMA is followed by a neurochemical recovery period in which many psychobiological indices of wellbeing are impaired. Proposes oxytocin as a potentially more focused co-drug for PTSD therapy and contends future trials should use active control conditions with drugs of known PTSD efficacy. Also contends the public misunderstands core notions of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, mistakenly believing MDMA is safe and can resolve clinical distress. |
Abstract
This chapter aims to critically evaluate methamphetamine derivative (MDMA) proposal from a psychobiological perspective. It overviews the early years of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy up to 1986, when MDMA was scheduled as a Class A drug. The chapter also reviews the psychobiology of MDMA, focusing on its diverse mood effects, while also covering other psychobiological functions. It presents a detailed psychobiological analysis of the processes thought to underlie MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Psychotherapists label MDMA an &s;entactogen&s; which allows the person to get in contact with their &s;true self&s;. Acute MDMA is followed by a period of neurochemical recovery, when many different psychobiological indices of wellbeing are impaired. Oxytocin might provide a more focused co-drug for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) therapy. Future trials of MDMA-assisted therapy should include active control conditions, using drugs with known efficacy for PTSD. The public misunderstands the core notions of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy; people may mistakenly believe that MDMA is safe to take and can resolve clinical distress.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on MDMA and psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The potential use of N-methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDMA) assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of eating disorders comorbid with PTSD. | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD in adolescents: rationale, potential, risks, and considerations. Adolescents with PTSD | 2024 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Couple Therapy With MDMA-Proposed Pathways of Action. | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Informed Consent in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy. | 2024 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The “Third” Eye: Ethics of Video Recording in the Context of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy | 2023 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |