A Breaf Overview of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Schizophrenia

MDMA, or methylenedioxy-methylamphetamine, is a chemical that affects the release of serotonin in the brain and is a schedule I drug in the United states. Most commonly known as a part of the ecstasy pill or molly powder capsule, this crystalline drug is used at raves, parties, and clubs worldwide for a heightened sense of euphoria and a myriad of psychedelic effects. This substance is known as the love drug for it's ability to bring people closer together and lower normal social anxieties with its empatheogenic effects. In the last few years, more and more studies have been done on the valid psychiatric use for counseling and couples therapy. Here are some of the things found during the most recent of these studies.

Schizophrenia is characterized as a psychotic disease that dramatically affects one 's nervous system to a point of where every day basic functions can be inhibited. It is defined as the loss of contact with the external environment the person is in due to delusional thoughts and hallucinations. Perception and behavior of someone plagued with this disease is notably altered and their actions can become a concern of the people around them. Like many other diseases that affect the nervous system it is not curable at the current time but it can be treated to lessen the signs and symptoms of the disease.

Jyllian Kemsley Ph.D. is a chemical research scientist, and scientific research contributor to the CENtral Science’s Safety Zone blog that seeks to “cover science and technology, business and industry, government and policy, education, and employment aspects of the chemistry field”. Her article entitled “Psychedelic Compounds like Ecstasy May Be Good for More than Just a High", reports on the revolutionary research theory within the field of medicine that seeks to examine the prospective benefits of using psychoactive compounds in treating a number of mental conditions. The piece is well written, and presents a number of background studies that have evaluated the efficiency of these

(Salinger 173). Holden has molded his life around this fantasy and fails to realize that

developed several chemical compounds with aspirations to succeed in the pharmaceutical market. They ended up developing MDMA, but it was not used to treat anxiety until the 1970’s (Cromer, 2013). It did not come under harsh scrutiny by the FDA until the 1980’s due to the growing recreational usage in society (Sessa and Nutt, 2014). This obviously lead to a significant halt in researching this drug, but some clinical trials were able to succeed. However, they had inconclusive results and they still do today. Now that science has come such a long way, scientists are able to better study how the drug works and the long and short-term effects it can have on those taking the drug. Christian, Grey, and Sorg claim that the effects of MDMA set in approximately 20 minutes after ingestion and its effects can last from four to six hours (Christian, Grey, and Sorg, 2015). A psychologist or team of psychologists will administer the drug to the patient and listen to them as they talk about their problems. They will generally not direct the conversation, but allow the patient to direct it and focus on the point of trauma when they feel comfortable and ready. This drug causes an increase in the production of serotonin in the brain, a chemical that is responsible for making people feel content and extremely happy (Cromer, 2013). These feelings of happiness and bliss will then lead the patient to feel more comfortable with their

Thesis: There are many misconceptions about magic mushrooms, but I believe that they could be incredibly important for the future treatment of mental health.

Do the mentally ill commonly take psychiatric drugs because the drugs actually work, or do they take them because they believe that these drugs work? Robert Whitaker, the author of Anatomy of an Epidemic, suggests that psychiatric drugs may catalyze or possibly create mental and physical illnesses rather than improve mental health. However, psychedelic drugs, which are also psychoactive agents like psychiatric drugs, may be better alternatives. Aldous Huxley, the author of The Doors of Perception, proposes that psychedelic drugs can help people understand mental illness from a more personal perspective, and that they can also expand the mind. The recreational use of these drugs can uncover a hidden external reality, and in turn, enrich the spirit. But perhaps aside from recreational use, psychedelic drugs should be more widely used instead of psychiatric drugs to treat both the longtime and the newly mentally ill. Under moderated use, psychedelics not only profoundly enhance one’s creative vision but also provide therapeutic mental health benefits.

In his article “Psychedelic Psychotherapy: The Ethics of Medicine for the Soul,” Brian Anderson supports the use of psychedelics in transpersonal psychotherapy, a new field of mental illness treatment using psychology instead of medicine. More specifically, he recalls from scientific studies that psychedelics are capable of altering a person’s states of consciousness. According to Anderson,

MDMA has not always been viewed in a negative light. Its health benefits can be traced back to the mid-twentieth century. With the homecoming of World War II soldiers, MDMA use was found to be more prevalent in society. The correlation between the homecoming of the soldiers and the spike in MDMA usage led scientists to research the situation further. The scientists found that MDMA held psycho-related benefits which was most prominent in those who suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Those suffering with PTSD had a hard time coping with their emotions. They felt more detached from others and had sporadic behaviors that could lead to verbal or physical abuse. In the wake of World War II, the discovery that a drug could lessen

Throughout history a multitude of human populations have been using and abusing a number of psychoactive drugs. These drugs can include very common substances such as caffeine to the more deadly but arguably just as addictive heroine. Further on the list of psychoactive drugs include those of the psychedelic variety. These would include the chemicals such as d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), peyote and psilocybin among others. All of which have hallucinogenic properties that tend to blur the line between fantasy and reality. How dangerous are these chemicals, and what are the consequences of sustained long term use? Due to the controversial nature of the use of psychedelic drugs in a medical setting, the study of short and long term effects

In the late 2000s the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, MAPS, received permission from the FDA to run their own MDMA-assisted therapy trials. The results were so incredible that it became the most downloaded article in 2010. Even though patients and data support the use of MDMA-assisted therapy, there is still opposition. A previous MAPS attempt at trials is seen in the article “MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Using Low Doses in a Small Sample of Women with Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder” which specifically states “political pressures led to the closing of the study before it could be finished” (Buoso 1.) It was extremely devastating because nothing went wrong, and they had very promising data. It is hard to believe that people with power felt threatened enough by the research to force the trials to end. With a growing PTSD epidemic in America, I feel that MDMA-assisted therapy is extremely promising and the side effects are nowhere near as bad as the present medication used to treat disorder.

Methylenedioxymethamphetmine (MDMA) is an artificial created drug which is highly known for its capability to lower the edge on people. It increases the empathy of subjects and stimulates trust among people. MDMA creates an opportunity for a secure bond to take place and open up about certain traumatic events, something that lacks current anti-depressant medication. Whereas some medication prescribed to PSTD patients tend to hide their emotional state, MDMA creates a comfortable environment between the traumatic event that may be causing stress or anxiety, and suppress the escape feeling

“Hallucinations and voices that caused schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders have been stopped with the use of new medications”. (MHT, 2) “Just as aspirin can reduce a fever without curing the infection that causes it, psychotherapeutic medications act by controlling symptoms,” (MFMI, 4). “Another advantage of these medications is an increased understanding of the causes of mental illness. Scientists investigate the results of the medications, and through these results, they have learned a great deal about the working of the brain system.” (MFMI, 4) The use of new drugs has made it possible for mentally ill persons to live a normal life.

The person I chose came from a famous novel and has schizophrenia. According to Mayo Clinic “Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally. Schizophrenia may result in some combination of hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior. Contrary to popular belief, schizophrenia is not a split personality or multiple personality. The word "schizophrenia" does mean "split mind," but it refers to a disruption of the usual balance of emotions and thinking. Schizophrenia is a chronic condition, requiring lifelong treatment.”(Schizophrenia, August 2014). The individual would start showing signs of reduced pleasure in life, difficulty participating in activities, barely speaking,

Persons who suffer from untreated and/or undiagnosed mental illness are prone to turn to substance abuse in their attempts to self-medicate. Due to the mood-altering effects of substances, those who may experience anxiety, depression, and psychotic symptoms, tend to find temporary relief from such symptoms in their drug usage, however the adverse effects