Veteran Treated PTSD And Suicidal Thoughts With ‘Life-Altering’ MDMA Therapy

One veteran that attempted suicide five times finds that MDMA treatment is effective in treating his mental illnesses.

An Iraq veteran, Jonathan Lubecky, has called an MDMA treatment “life-altering” and a “miracle” after it helped him overcome severe depression and PTSD. After Jonathan returned to home life after time in Iraq in 2009, he suffered from depression. To treat his physical injuries and mental illness, the veteran used to swallow up to 40 pills, according to the Daily Beast. It would be five suicide attempts and five years later that he would sign up for a Phase 2 study for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy.

The therapy was conducted over three sessions with six to eight weeks in between sessions. Jonathan took a 125 mg dose of MDMA each time. He was guided by two therapists, and worked on processing all of his trauma.

Of the 107 people who participated in the Phase 2 study, 61 people reported that they did not have PTSD. Jonathan didn’t beat his PTSD completely, but the severity was lowered by half.

The Food and Drug Administration even called it a “breakthrough therapy.” This paves the way for the government to approve MDMA therapy for PTSD.

According to Dr. Yevgeniy “Zhenya” Gelfand, the MDMA is effective and patients have been known to “progress sometimes in leaps and bounds.” He added that, “Healing comes from within, and you just have to remove the barriers so that can happen.”

The next step, the Phase 3 Trials, are starting in September, 2018. Participants will take part in a 12-week treatment, one group receiving a placebo and the other group receiving MDMA. This trial is the final phase required for the FDA to approve MDMA as an acceptable PTSD treatment option, according to MAPS. The treatment encompasses MDMA use and psychotherapy. The organization hopes to get FDA approval by 2021, and so far has poured in $26.7 million toward the cause.

Interestingly enough, the patent for MDMA has expired. This means that pharmaceutical companies are free to manufacture MDMA, which could happen if the government gives the drug their seal of approval.

In past years, the general perception of what has long been labeled “drugs” has been shifting. The biggest change has been in the way people perceive marijuana. As more states legalize medical and recreational cannabis, the medicinal advantages are becoming more well-known.

On the other hand, MDMA has long been associated with the rave scene. However, its emphatic and euphoric properties apparently have the potential to heal people with emotional scars, which is something that traditional pharmaceuticals have yet to achieve.

Source: Read Full Article