4 ms·

You can reinforce headspaces and practice those abilities like any other habit. The best way I've heard MDMA therapy being described is this - you have a large

You can reinforce headspaces and practice those abilities like any other habit. The best way I've heard MDMA therapy being described is this - you have a large group of extremely painful neurons/memories, and going there is shocking and horrific to the point that you begin to grow a big moat of fearful neurons/emotions next to anything that connects with them. The point of therapy in general is to 1. Break down that fear moat (which frequently grows to be more painful than the underlying issue), and 2. Start drawing those painful neurons and memories out, but in as positive and understanding an environment as possible. At that point the memories/neurons get re-stored, still painful but with the added context of the environment they were last accessed. MDMA takes step 2 and adds the most positive neurological/chemical setting possible for you to pull those painful neurons and memories out, and puts them in what can be described as a comforting blanket. It can absolutely quicken the process and help you eventually neutralize the traumatic and painful bundle of memories. Calling it a quick fix is such a misnomer - it is incredibly hard work to heal one's self from the inside, no matter the external helpers.

psergeant 8y ago
Propanalol, which is dramatically less illegal, is meant to help with this too, and there are studies showing it too; my understanding (from using it for anxiety) is it basically blocks you from being able to feel stress. This allows you to more easily process painful memories.
- taurath 8y ago
  It blocks the physical manifestations of stress - increased heartrate, sweating, etc that can form a feedback loop, and downregulates a bit of thyroid hormone production. How does one know they're stressed? The feeling of those symptoms. I imagine it could help, and probably be better than therapy alone, but lessoning of the negative feelings around painful memories can be treated with opiates too (which are far more addictive than MDMA, despite MDMA being far more euphoric). The problem is PTSD, anxiety disorders and personality disorders are incredibly intractable with the tools we have - if a therapeutic session could have 10x efficacy and safely get someone to a healthier state in 1 year rather than 10, it should absolutely be looked into.

psergeant 8y ago

Propanalol, which is dramatically less illegal, is meant to help with this too, and there are studies showing it too; my understanding (from using it for anxiety) is it basically blocks you from being able to feel stress. This allows you to more easily process painful memories.

taurath 8y ago
It blocks the physical manifestations of stress - increased heartrate, sweating, etc that can form a feedback loop, and downregulates a bit of thyroid hormone production. How does one know they're stressed? The feeling of those symptoms. I imagine it could help, and probably be better than therapy alone, but lessoning of the negative feelings around painful memories can be treated with opiates too (which are far more addictive than MDMA, despite MDMA being far more euphoric). The problem is PTSD, anxiety disorders and personality disorders are incredibly intractable with the tools we have - if a therapeutic session could have 10x efficacy and safely get someone to a healthier state in 1 year rather than 10, it should absolutely be looked into.