The Verge announces tomorrow’s premiere of their investigative report about the past, present, and future of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, including the story of one Vietnam veteran who found that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy helped him recover from PTSD.
Originally appearing here.
Long after his experience in the Vietnam War, Bob Walker, like many veterans, still experiences the harsh effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He had little luck in dulling the pain — until discovering MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy. Though it has a notorious reputation as a party drug, Walker and others are convinced that MDMA’s unique qualities have the potential to treat the debilitating symptoms of PTSD that other approaches can’t.
But Walker and other advocates are running into roadblocks: federal regulators have imposed ongoing challenges to getting trials off the ground, and medical experts caution that using this unproven remedy is reckless at best. Can MDMA supporters see their cause through? Or will regulations prevent them from doing the trials necessary to move MDMA into the mainstream? The Verge investigated the past, present, and future of MDMA therapy. We’ll be unveiling our findings tomorrow — check back to see what we discovered.