After receiving ethical approval, MDMA will soon be used in treatment trials for alcoholism. The groundbreaking trials will be led by London scientist at the Imperial College.
The trials will consist of 20 patients who are all heavy drinkers and relapsed alcoholics. All patients will consume specific doses of 99.9% pure MDMA and participate in meditation and therapist visits.
Ben Sessa, the clinical psychiatrist working the trial believes the drug can be used to treat serious alcoholics just like he was once treated patients suffering from trauma. Here’s what he had to say,
“We know that MDMA works really well in helping people who have suffered trauma and it helps to build empathy. Many of my patients who are alcoholics have suffered some sort of trauma in their past and this plays a role in their addiction.”
“After 100 years of modern psychiatry our treatments are really poor. The chances of relapse for these patients are really high – 90 per cent at three years. No one has ever given MDMA to treat alcoholism before.”
There are hopes to have MDMA-assisted psychotherapy by 2021 in the United States. Major soap company, Dr Bonners, has already donated $5 million towards the drug possible medical benefits.
