MDMA enhances empathy-like behaviors in mice via 5-HT release
science.org
science.org
Can you abuse MDMA? You sure can. But there are people who overindulge in a lot of things that cause harm, and some of them aren't even drugs (Gambling springs to mind).
I think the fact that we're doing this research is progress longoverdue.
I had the same reaction reading the title :)
(Although from what I gather, people have been taking supplements of 5-HTP to deal with the "post-MDMA depression" for ages, so...)
True, but it also has this very perplexing statement:
> The assertion that it does function as a robust “empathogen” is largely based on anecdotal clinical reports, which conflict with several human subject studies that have commonly failed to reveal robust empathogenic effects. For example, MDMA appears to only mildly potentiate empathy (5, 6) in the multifaceted empathy test, in which subjects are asked to self-report levels of arousal after exposure to emotionally charged images
Such assertion is largely based on million of actual users. The scientists' observation is completely disconnected from reality, to the point of being false; given this, I question very radically the validity of the referenced research.
Histeria, electo shock, ice pick lobotomies, qualudes (addictive), benzodiazepines (addictive, nasty withdrawal), MAOI's (dont eat leftover or you will die), SSRI's (research is now showing that, these have no better outcome than placebo, and have nasty side effects and withdrawal), And more Benzodiaspines.
> The scientists' observation is completely disconnected from reality, to the point of being false; given this, I question very radically the validity of the referenced research.
And the research for Psychology and Psychiatry? Well that's at the heart of the reproducibility crisis. Not only in terms of replication, but outright fraud.
There are people out there with disorders who can benefit from therapy and modern pharmacology. The fact that a large part of the industry is, for lack of a better word, rotten should shock no one.
Clearly the scientists carrying out these studies need to change their working hours.
Visiting any European dance music venue on any given weekend in the last 30 years would have provided adequate demonstration of the effects.
MDMA content in the pills is often overstated, but still high (even too high, referring to the health organization guidelines); this is IMO the most damaging effect of lack of regulation - it's impossible to know how much MDMA one is going to ingest.
I agree 100% that MDMA legalization is a benefit. As first step though, drug checking centers are a huge (and realistic) step forward.
MDMA’s psychotherapeutic value may lie in its ability to strengthen the patient-therapist relationship, thereby facilitating talk therapy sessions
That sounds like a recipe for transference (patients projecting feelings onto therapists, including romantic attractions). The mouse study seems well designed and all, just don't think this Skinner box approach to psychotherapy is the right approach.