U.S. Soldiers Will Get Ecstasy For Combat Stress
The FDA has given the green light for soldiers suffering combat stress after serving in Iraq and Afganistan to receive Ecstasy. [link via Majikthise and Daou Report.]
Scientists behind the trial in South Carolina think the feelings of emotional closeness reported by those taking the drug could help the soldiers talk about their experiences to therapists. Several victims of rape and sexual abuse with post-traumatic stress disorder, for whom existing treatments are ineffective, have been given MDMA since the research began last year.
Michael Mithoefer, the psychiatrist leading the trial, said: "It's looking very promising. It's too early to draw any conclusions but in these treatment-resistant people so far the results are encouraging. "People are able to connect more deeply on an emotional level with the fact they are safe now."
We written before about the possible beneficial effects of ecstasy for dying cancer patients, those suffering from PTSD. And on the retraction of a study's claim that one night's use of ecstasy could cause permanent damage. (the animals in the study had been given a different drug.) That false claim is relevant because it was relied on by proponents, including Joe Biden, of the ill-advised Rave Act.
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