You probably know it by the name of ecstasy. But it's real name is methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA. It has a stigma of being a party drug, and rightfully so. But, that might be changing as the the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has decided to move forward with the drug to treat post-traumatic stress.

The FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to MDMA for the treatment of PTSD, according to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. According to an article from Forbes:

According to MAPS, the non-profit organization has reached an agreement with the FDA under the Special Protocol Assessment Process for the design of two Phase 3 trials for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for patients with severe PTSD in the near future.

This is a major breakthrough for not only MDMA and other psychedelics in regards to being used for treatment, but it's also a major breakthrough for those suffering from PTSD. From that same Forbes article, here's what happened when the drug was tested in Phase 2:

In Phase 2 trials completed by MAPS, 61% of the 107 participants no longer qualified for PTSD two months after they underwent three sessions of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, according to the group. After a year, that number grew to 68%, and among participants who had all suffered from chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD, on average for 17.8 years.

Will there be people reluctant to accept ecstasy as a viable drug to treat a serious condition? Of course. It's the way we've been conditioned to think since we were kids. Street drugs = bad, no matter what positive effect it might have. Prescription drugs = good, no matter what negative effect it might have.

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