Research has found that psychedelic treatments have potential to heal trauma in patients with PTSD. Research for MDMA, psilocybin and other psychedelics has been limited due to the questionable legal status of these compounds. However, there have been some studies proving that MDMA-assisted therapy can successfully treat PTSD.
The FDA granted "breakthrough therapy" status for MDMA to treat PTSD in 2018, and psilocybin to treat depression in 2019. This designation helps to expand mental health research for the two psychedelic compounds. According to the FDA, a breakthrough therapy designation indicates that a drug "treats a serious or life-threatening condition and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement on a clinically significant endpoint(s) over available therapies." Several studies have demonstrated that PTSD is associated with a 32-47% greater risk of mortality.
The Department of Veteran Affairs is examining the effectiveness of psychedelics, MDMA ("molly" or "ecstasy") and psilocybin (the hallucinogenic compound in magic mushrooms), in combination with therapy, to treat PTSD and depression in veterans. “Veterans and VA researchers have told us about the potential promise of psychedelics to treat mental health conditions for some time... Now is our chance to study this potential method of treating Veterans with PTSD and major depression across the country,” said Dr. Shereef Elnahal, the U.S. Veteran Affairs Under Secretary for Health.
Iraq war veteran, Jonathan Lubecky participated in MDMA-assisted therapy in 2017. Lubecky explains his experience of entering the MDMA-assisted therapy trials, "I had to go off my medications in order to participate in the trial. I've never gone back on them, and its been nine years...This will change mental health for humanity forever" Lubecky said, "Me going through that therapy and trial nine years ago is the sole reason my son has a father and not a folded flag." This powerful metaphor exemplifies the urgency for more research to help the 13 million Americans who suffer from PTSD.
Lubecky explains a common complaint among therapy patients. Often by the time a patient starts to get to the root of their stress or anxiety, the short 45 - 60 minute sessions come to an end. For many people in therapy, it's difficult to talk about their traumatic experiences. These short therapy sessions do not give the patient enough time to open up. MDMA-assisted therapy would give the patient an opportunity for longer sessions. The psychedelic compounds could help patients open up about their trauma and be more honest about their experiences.
Lubecky credits MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) for helping him heal from his trauma and suicidal tendencies. “MAPS saved my life. I wouldn’t be here, wouldn’t be talking to you right now, if it wasn’t for them and this treatment, said Lubecky, “five suicide attempts that should’ve ended my life, but didn’t...I don’t want anybody on this planet to ever feel that way.” MAPS' psychedelic research includes studies on MDMA, marijuana, LSD, Ibogaine, and ayahuasca. According to their website, MAPS is a "research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana." MAPS promotes the use of safe and legal marijuana and psychedelics for research.
MAPS has done extensive research on MDMA in treating PTSD and other disorders. In their MDMA study, 88% of participants with severe PTSD experienced a clinically significant reduction in PTSD diagnostic scores two months after their third session of MDMA-assisted therapy. 67% of participants in the MDMA group no longer met the criteria for PTSD two months after the session. These results could be life changing for people who do not respond to traditional therapy methods.
PTSD is not limited to veterans, this disorder can also can affect sexual assault victims and any person who has experienced a traumatic event. Symptoms of PTSD include "dissociative reactions, distressing dreams, avoidance of trauma-related stimuli, perpetual psychological distress, adverse changes in cognition and mood, and variation in arousal and reactivity." An estimated 1 in 11 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with PTSD at one point in their life.
Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with PTSD. This mental health condition affects about 10% of women and 4% of men. However, due to the stigma of getting help for mental health, these statistics might not represent the full picture. The actual number of people suffering from undiagnosed PTSD might be much higher. This theme of undiagnosed PTSD may be even more prevalent in men, as men are less likely than women to seek help for a mental health condition.
This type of breakthrough therapy has potential to expand and treat other mental health conditions as well. Currently 1 in 5 Americans suffer from a mental illness and 16.5% of adults in the U.S. reported taking prescription medication for mental health. These discoveries in the mental health research could help to reduce the need to take a daily pill and can allow people to avoid being exposed to the various side effects of prescription drugs. With the expansion of research, this discovery could be transformative to the mental wellness space.
Stay tuned for next week, as I explore the potential for psychedelic treatments to treat patients with depression.
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