Happy Nice Mall

“No matter what happened in my life, I never really felt happy,” she says. “I’ve always felt restless, I’ve always felt this underlying weight. Things just didn’t work out in my head. It was like someone had taken a cable and unplugged it and I was trying to plug it back in.”

Eventually, Nathan became aware of a study testing the use of MDMA to treat severe PTSD and managed to enter a phase 3 clinical trial, the last hurdle before US regulators considered whether to approve the treatment.

MDMA It is a synthetic psychoactive that has a reputation as a popular party drug among clubbers – you may know it as ecstasy, E, or molly. It causes the brain to release a large amount of the chemical serotonin, which causes a euphoric effect, but has also been found to reduce activity in the limbic system of the brain, which controls our emotional responses. This seems to help people with PTSD reconsider their traumatic experiences in therapy without getting caught up in strong emotions like fear, shame, or sadness.

To test this theory, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic StudiesNathan, a California-based nonprofit, initiated a randomized, double-blind trial. Participants attended three eight-hour sessions, given either a placebo or two doses of MDMA, before discussing their problems and taking it. counseling from two qualified therapists.

In May 2021, the case The results were published in Nature Medicine.. They were breathtaking. Of the 90 participating patients, those who received MDMA reported significantly better results than the others. Two months after treatment, 67% of participants in the MDMA group no longer had PTSD compared to 32% in the placebo group.

I see life not as something to be endured, but as something to be explored and appreciated.

Nathan McGee

Ben SessaA UK-based researcher involved in the opening of the country’s first psychedelic therapy clinic in Bristol says the US Food and Drug Administration may approve MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD by the end of 2023.

There are other ongoing trials in the US, UK and beyond to test whether compounds such as the following. psilocybin and ketamine can similarly be used to help treat mental illness. Early symptoms are positive, and if confirmed, they could shake up the world of mental health treatment.

I spoke with Nathan about what his experience with MDMA-assisted therapy was like. Our conversation has been shortened and edited for clarity.

Q: How have your mental health struggles manifested?

A: Things were not going well for me before I attended the trial. Everything I tried went horribly. Nothing worked. I tried many different therapists and different techniques. I lost my job in January 2018. It was depressing and I had lost my job before but this time it was different. I’ve decided if this is due to my mental health, I’m going to fix that. I will do whatever it takes. If my therapist had told me I had to strip naked and walk through a crowded mall, and that would have helped me, I would.

Q: How did you arrive at this study?

A: I was in the internet rabbit hole late at night. I had been researching PTSD for a few hours and came across this study. I thought I could apply too. I didn’t think anything. Actually, I forgot later. I didn’t even tell my wife. Then, two months later, I got a call from them asking if they could interview me.

Q: Guide me through the experience of what the sessions are like.

A: When you get there, it really looks like an office building. From the outside, you would never know that there is a group of people taking MDMA inside. But you pass and you are taken to the treatment room where there is a sofa, bedding, blanket and a pillow. Music plays and that is quite an integral part of the whole experience. It’s very calming. It almost feels like a spa. Lots of sunlight gets in and you can see trees and a canal from the window. It’s so peaceful. Then two therapists walk in. Monitor your vitals, temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, etc. they check. They have a little chat with you about what you hope to gain from today’s experience. Then they do this little ceremony or ritual, where they light a candle to indicate that something has begun. It almost feels like a bit of a religious or spiritual experience. So they light the candle and then one of the therapists leaves and comes back with a small plate of pills. They give you a glass of water, you drink the water, swallow the pill, and then you sit and wait. You chat while you wait.

At one point, I said, “I don’t think this is MDMA.” I’ve never had anything like this before and to be honest I was a little nervous. They don’t tell you if you have MDMA, but the head therapist told me that pretty much everyone knows. He stepped in almost as soon as I said I didn’t think I had it. So, I knew.