Illegal drug shows promise in treating trauma symptoms

Published online 13 November 2008 in Naturenews, here.MDMA may boost the benefits of psychotherapy, trial suggests.Arran FroodThe controversial drug MDMA - known to recreational users as 'ecstasy' - can help ease the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to the first phase-II clinical trial into the potential therapeutic benefits of using the drug as an adjunct to psychotherapy.Most patients in the trial who were given psychotherapy treatment along with doses of MDMA (3, 4-methylenedioxy-N-methyl amphetamine) experienced statistically significant reductions in the severity of their condition after two months, compared with a control group who received psychotherapy and a placebo.