MDMA is now in the final stages of clinical trials before it becomes an approved drug. The clinical trials are aimed at PTSD, largely because there are few effective treatments and it affects many people severely. Before MDMA became illegal, many psychologists and patients also believed it was very effective in couples therapy and for trauma in general. So does this mean that you can take MDMA, go out on the town and be cured of PTSD? Unlikely. So what exactly is the difference between MDMA at a party and in combination with psychotherapy?
Importance of environment and state of mind
Psychedelics (as MDMA is sometimes classified) are very dependent on “set and setting”, or state of mind and environment in Norwegian. If your intention is to take MDMA and have fun with friends, that is often what you want to achieve. You may then be most concerned with enjoying the feeling in your body, enjoying the music, the light and the atmosphere, and it does not feel right to delve into bad things. You may be concerned with not ruining the mood for others and you may not feel safe enough to start crying or acting out in other ways. You are neither in the right state of mind nor environment to work on yourself. Many people still find that MDMA at a party can also have a therapeutic effect, but far from the results you get in a therapeutic setting.
With a therapeutic purpose, the results are different. Here, you often lie on a couch with a sober therapist next to you, or together as a couple in a quiet environment where the therapy is the only purpose. You have prepared in advance, you avoid distractions and feel safe, and you work on integrating the experience afterwards. It is very difficult to imagine how different the experience of MDMA is in a social setting compared to a therapeutic setting. It is also not uncommon for therapeutic processes with MDMA to be quite emotionally demanding, and most people who try this for the first time in a therapeutic setting have difficulty understanding that it is also used as a party drug. I have clients who have taken MDMA in social settings over 50 times who are surprised by how much they still get out of MDMA in a therapeutic setting.
Contact me at the bottom of the page to arrange a free consultation with me. For more information about MDMA, I would recommend the Norwegian Drug Information Service website or rollsafe.org .