On April 16, 2014, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy study participant and veteran Tony Macie participated in an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session hosted on reddit. The public interview became the top-rated post on the home page of reddit, generating over 2,000 questions and more than 250 responses about Tony’s experience in the military, developing PTSD, and how MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in a clinical setting helped him overcome PTSD.
Originally appearing here.
I’m a veteran who overcame treatment-resistant PTSD after participating in a clinical study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. My name is Tony Macie— Ask me anything!
My name is Tony Macie, and I am a retired Sergeant of the U.S. Army. I spent 15 long months in Iraq during the surge in 2006 and 2007. When I returned home from the war, I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) resulting from a lot of issues ranging from what I experienced during combat and some of the disconnect with my brothers in arms when I transitioned out of the military.
My symptoms of PTSD became “treatment-resistant” after the medication and psychotherapy that the Veterans Affairs provided was ineffective. I began to search for alternative treatment methods, and that’s when I heard about the trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy to treat PTSD. After being accepted as a participant and receiving the treatment, I am proud to say that I am no longer on medications, I am able to more fully live my life, and my relationship with PTSD has changed completely.
I truly want anyone who is lost as a result from trauma to be able to have this tool at their disposal. MDMA-assisted psychotherapy opened the doors for me to compassion, love, and moving on. Instead of trying to forget experiences, I focus on learning from them. It also taught me to see the strength of trauma, but yet not forgetting my fellow veterans.
I am only one example of how this treatment can help people overcome PTSD. Studies around the world are gathering evidence suggesting that this treatment method can help people overcome treatment-resistant PTSD.
I’m doing this AMA to answer questions about my experiences, to bring attention to the need for more effective treatment methods for PTSD, and to spread awareness about how MDMA-assisted psychotherapy can help people heal trauma.
I am fully open to discussing all of these things now and seeking to talk to other vets about this. I want all combat veterans to take their tours of duty with pride and not have to feel any disconnect when we come home.
Now I seek to fight a different war and will stand up for all my brothers and sisters who are lost—that is what motivates me.
Learn more about MDMA-assisted psychotherapy and other psychedelic research: http://maps.org and http://mdmaptsd.org
