The medicinal use of 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has recently become a hot topic, with people debating whether the FDA will approve it as a legitimate drug. This drug, also known as Molly, has a direct effect on neurotransmitters in the brain. It then binds to presynaptic serotonin transporters and causes its effects.
Which effects are long-term and which are short-term? However, use of the substance has been shown to improve general well-being, facilitate conversation, boost self-confidence, and reduce user anxiety, to name a few advantages. As beneficial as it is, it has a negative impact when the user is not properly managed; it causes dehydration, sleeplessness, overheating, a rise in blood pressure, and so on. When used by a pregnant woman, it has an effect on the fetus. However, the majority of medical research on psychedelics has concentrated on two drugs:
MDMA, also known as ecstasy or Molly, and psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms. LSD, mescaline, DMT, and other psychedelics are being researched as well. Furthermore, if users adhere to proper usage and do not abuse it, the medicinal effect of this medicine outweighs the advertising effect. Microdosing has been shown to be the most effective method of maximizing the therapeutic use of psychedelic substances while minimizing their negative effects. Would the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approve this drug solely for medical reasons, ignoring the advertising effect? Because of its euphoric effect on users, molly is commonly referred to as a party drug.
Let’s see how well MDMA therapy works. What exactly is MDMA Therapy? MDMA-assisted psychotherapy is a type of experimental psychotherapy. A trained professional administers pharmaceutical-grade MDMA to a patient in a therapy setting, guiding the patient by asking questions about their experience and assisting the patient in asking questions of themselves. The psychoactive substance, according to Sisley, acts as a conduit, allowing “the patient’s inner healer to take hold.” “MDMA allows some patients to go further than they could in traditional cognitive behavioral therapy,” Sisley says. Some may liken it to getting 20 years of traditional talk therapy in four months. […] According to research, it “allows [patients] to thoroughly explore traumas in a safe, trustworthy setting developed within the traditional therapeutic process.”
A 2021 study published in Nature Medicine looked at 91 people who had severe, chronic PTSD. Half of them were given MDMA-assisted therapy, while the other half were given a placebo. Almost 90% of those who received MDMA experienced a “clinically significant” reduction in symptoms, and 67% no longer experienced PTSD. In comparison to traditional talk therapy, 30% of people discontinue treatment, and only about 40% recover sufficiently to no longer have PTSD. In comparison, other FDA-approved PTSD medications only help reduce symptoms about 25% of the time. A Long and Strange Journey: Psychedelics Meet Conventional Medicine The term “psychedelic” literally means “mind-revealing,” which is one way to describe psychedelic drugs’ potent effects.
