MDMA Therapy for PTSD - How Can I Get There?

November 24, 2017 2:15 AM

I've been in this chasm of trauma since birth. I am dealing with so many issues that my life is on the line now. Health-wise it's bad. As bad as it could get. Emotionally, there's not much more I can do. Yet, there's that glimpse of light at the end of the horizon that maybe somewhere, someone, somehow would be able to offer me a life-line in the form of an excavation and healing of the psyche.

So, short of just dying and becoming a statistic, how can I make this happen - either in Israel or elsewhere. Safely, wisely and expeditiously?

posted by watercarrier to Health & Fitness (11 answers total)

Response by poster: Just to reiterate - this is for therapy - as in MDMA therapy.
posted by watercarrier at 3:51 AM on November 24, 2017 [4 favorites]

There is a clinical trial testing MDMA as a treatment for PTSD that is recruiting now, but all of the sites will be in the United States. If that is a possibility for you, I would peruse the eligibility requirements to confirm you meet them and contact the most convenient site for you as soon as it is listed as "Recruiting."

Clinicaltrials.gov is a good website to check back with in general for these kinds of requests -- although I didn't find any MDMA trials in Israel, there are a few trials being conducted in Israel for PTSD that might be worth your time as well.
posted by telegraph at 4:17 AM on November 24, 2017 [5 favorites]

Response by poster: Thank you telegraph, this is helpful.
posted by watercarrier at 4:38 AM on November 24, 2017

Underground MDMA therapy exists, but it may be difficult to find. You may be able to look for therapists in Israel who offer more alternative modalities and ask them if they happen to know someone who offers the service.
posted by woodvine at 5:14 AM on November 24, 2017

MDMA may be hard to get a hold of and without participating in a clinical trial I would be wary of the safety of taking anything labeled MDMA without really knowing the source.

Psilocybin may be easier to find and safer to ingest and has similar benefits, so may be a plan b to consider.
posted by lafemma at 5:57 AM on November 24, 2017

WHOA, please be really careful of people who are telling you to just take some MDMA or psilocybin on your own; these certainly might help but can also make things massively worse, please trust me on this one. It sounds like what you are looking for is a study, and that is good.
posted by ITheCosmos at 6:14 AM on November 24, 2017 [10 favorites]

I don't know about where you can safely find these drugs, but one thing I wanted to recommend is if you do try it, please make sure you have a therapist, if not present, then available to help you through the trip. Or, if you have a friend who is experienced in using these drugs for healing.

There is a 3-part radio special from CBC Radio on the show Ideas, that aired last year, which is about the use of psychedelics for therapeutic purposes. At one point he interviews people who have used mushrooms for healing from PTSD but the trips they went through were accompanied by a therapist. Listening to how it they navigated the hallucinations etc might help you with your own trip if you aren't able to do it with a therapist present.

Here's a link to part 1 the podcast: High Culture Part 1

I am not sure if CBC is available online in Israel, but if you scroll to the bottom of the page, there is a list of resources around this topic. You might consider getting in touch with one of the researchers listed there and seeing if you could do this the legit and safe way.
posted by winterportage at 6:48 AM on November 24, 2017 [3 favorites]

Hey there. This is clearly not your first time on the mental health merry-go-round, but in case you haven't come across it yet there is a Metafilter-specific compilation of resources on the wiki called There Is Help. Transformative healing is possible. Keep that flicker of light in sight.

I agree with posters above that a clinical trial would be the best controlled environment in which to seek psychadelic-enhanced treatment for PTSD. However, these are difficult to get into, particularly if you are not a resident of the country in which the trials are taking place. You say that you can travel elsewhere if necessary. Have you explored clinician-supervised ayahuasca retreats in Peru? There are locations which offer 24-hour support from multidisciplinary teams including nurses and doctors of various specialties as part of the retreat protocol. It's an expensive option, but if you have the resources it is likely one of the easiest to access. And your tags indicate that this is urgent.

In the meantime, while you research, please consider utilizing the mental health services available to you now as a safety net. Even if you already know they are insufficient to address your treatment-resistant illness, they can still be a lifeline while you look for more effective treatment options.

This is hard. It may even be unbearable. But help exists. Hold on.
posted by philotes at 6:54 AM on November 24, 2017 [8 favorites]

Also coming soon, supposedly, and supposedly a miracle cure, ketamine.
posted by Don Pepino at 11:21 AM on November 24, 2017 [1 favorite]

Have a look at MAPS, they're US-based but they're the ones who led the campaign for MDMA-assisted therapy. If anyone would would be able to point you in the right direction, it's them. Good luck.
posted by Pink Frost at 12:10 PM on November 24, 2017 [5 favorites]

Response by poster: I'm dealing with a life-threatening illness which I believe is a culmination of the traumatic incidents - if I can get through the trauma I might have a chance to heal the physical as well as the psychological. That's the plan, at least. Thank you everyone who posted replies. Much obliged to you all and will check out what is there.
posted by watercarrier at 1:22 AM on November 26, 2017