MDMA-ASSISTED THERAPY FOR PTSD

Charlotte Jackson, MA, is a therapist and supervisor in the Multi-Disciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Phase III clinical trials researching MDMA assisted therapy for individuals with severe PTSD. Charlotte describes how PTSD impacts the brain and emotional life of afflicted individuals. Charlotte offers a brief overview of the early psychedelic research and how MAPS has built on this. She speaks to the known mechanisms of MDMA and also the known potency and purity of the MAPS medication vs. street drugs. She shares the exciting results of the MAPS study published in the journal Nature Medicine in May 2021, showing that MDMA-assisted therapy represents a potential breakthrough treatment for severe PTSD. Charlotte Jackson shares the characteristics of the study participants, average duration of PTSD, how the study defined remission and common experiences of the participants following experiential sessions. How does an experience with the study drug compare to an experience of social use? This study included people with serious comorbidity like substance use disorders, suicidality, depression, dissociation and childhood trauma. What were the findings with this very difficult-to-treat population? We discuss people's resistance surrounding the use of psychedelics to treat psychiatric conditions. Charlotte shares her experience with psilocybin-assisted therapy with terminally ill patients and her hopes to expand access to individuals with substance use disorders. Charlotte Jackson tells listeners how to contact MAPS if they are interested in participating in a study and outlines future areas of study for MDMA-assisted therapy.