Ecstasy (MDMA)
Medical Use
Although MDMA (Ecstasy) is an analogue of the stimulant methamphetamine, it also has some of the effects of a 'psychedelic drug'. MDMA was first synthesized in the early part of the 20th century.
It was not until the late 1970s that it started to be used for its psychopharmacological properties when some psychiatrists and psychologists began experimenting with it as a therapeutic tool.
Therapists who champion its use claim that for those using MDMA in a therapeutic setting, communication is enhanced and anxiety and defenses are eliminated. Initially the therapeutic community tried to keep the knowledge of this drug under wraps.
However knowledge slowly seeped out onto the college campuses, gay bars and discos. The effect of this was twofold. First of all, when taken outside a therapeutic setting, sometimes the effects of the drug were less than benign and secondly, once the drug was out on the street it attracted the attention of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, (FDA) which immediately announced that it meant to make it a classified drug.
Despite protests by some members of the psychoanalytic community, it was classified controlled as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, U.S. in 1985, although this did nothing to stem its rising tide of popularity.
Outside a therapeutic setting, MDMA is frequently used as much for its amphetamine like properties as it is for its 'mind expanding' effects. It is frequently used, especially in Great Britain where the drug has been closely linked to the 'rave' scene, to facilitate all night dancing.
According to the ISDD, Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence, Ecstasy should be especially avoided by people who have any sort of heart trouble, high blood pressure, liver trouble, asthma or diabetes.
Copyright © ARF Library, 1995
Books Ecstasy:
The Complete Guide:
A Comprehensive Look at the Risks and Benefits of MDMA
Written by an attending psychiatrist at New York's Bellevue Hospital and an authority on street drugs. The book provides reliable information to recreational users and the public.
After looking at MDMA's history, pharmacology, and legal status, the text discusses its potential clinical uses in the treatment of such psychiatric conditions as depression, schizophrenia, and post traumatic stress syndrome.
Other chapters look at MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, current international research, political issues, risks of recreational use and ways to minimize them are discussed.
Ecstasy: The Complete Guide... The Secret Chief:
Conversations With a Pioneer
of the Underground Psychedelic Therapy Movement
Early in his career, after being trained as a Jungian analyst, Jacob discovered the enormous potential that psychedelics had for psychotherapy.
Because of the abundant psychological benefits and the incredible spiritual transformations that he witnessed in his clients, Jacob chose to utilize substances like LSD and MDMA in his practice despite their illegality.
The book covers the process that Jacob developed for selecting and preparing candidates, information about the psychoactive substances and their proper dosages, along with guiding principles for running both individual and group sessions.
The Secret Chief
More Ecstasy Books Ecstasy books from Amazon
Ecstasy Related More Ecstasy Articles Various Ecstasy Links