Club drug ecstasy good for autism, post-traumatic stress patients
By ANISunday, January 2, 2011
NEW YORK - Ecstasy pills-a favourite among club goers-may help people who have trouble connecting to others, suggests a new study.
The drug, also known as MDMA, has been known to heighten feelings of happiness and playfulness in people despite its dangers.
“These ‘empathogenic’ effects suggest that MDMA might be useful to enhance the psychotherapy of people who struggle to feel connected to others, as may occur in association with autism, schizophrenia or antisocial personality disorder,” the New York Daily News quoted the journal’s authors as saying.
Previously, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that use of ecstasy could also help treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
However, the drug has severe life-threatening side effects it can impair a person’s risk-assessment and can quickly dehydrate users.
“Within the context of treatment, these effects may promote intimacy among people who have difficulty feeling close to others,” said John Krystal, editor of Biological Psychiatry.
“However, MDMA distorts one’s perception of others rather than producing true empathy. Thus, MDMA may cause problems if it leads people to misinterpret the emotional state and perhaps intentions of others,” he added.
The findings were published in the Biological Psychiatry Journal. (ANI)
