Curing alcoholism with molly? MDMA study shows promise

Once thought of as a mere party drug, a new study suggests that MDMA could help treat alcoholism

MDMA is known for its popularity in the rave and music festival scene, but doctors are testing whether or not the powerful empathy-inducing drug can treat alcohol addiction. As it stands, preliminary results of the first study of its kind show promising outcomes.

According to the Guardian, doctors in Bristol are testing whether a few doses of MDMA, colloquially known as Molly, partnered with psychotherapy could help people overcome an alcohol addiction more effectively than traditional treatments. Only one patient who has completed the trial for the study has relapsed, which is above average for alcoholism treatment. In England, an average of eight in 10 relapse within three years of traditional therapy.

“We’ve got one person who has completely relapsed, back to previous drinking levels, we have five people who are completely dry and we have four or five who have had one or two drinks but wouldn’t reach the diagnosis of alcohol use disorder,” Dr. Ben Sessa, addiction psychiatrist and senior research fellow at Imperial College London, who led the trial, told the Guardian. “With the very best that medical science can work with, 80% of people are drinking within three years post alcohol detox.”

Sessa said that could be in part due to MDMA’s ability to impair the fear response in a patient. This is helpful because it can allow a person to recall childhood trauma without being too scared of recalling it.

The next stage of the study will take the research further to prove MDMA coupled with psychotherapy can be a resource to treat alcoholism. Using a randomized control group, some patients will receive a placebo instead of MDMA.


Read more: https://www.salon.com/2019/08/21/curing-alcoholism-with-molly-mdma-study-shows-promise/