MDMA-assisted therapy for autistic peopleSome additional information on MDMA-assisted therapy for autistic people and why research on MDMA-assisted therapy is useful.
A study from 2014 (published in 2016) looked into MDMA-assisted therapy as a potential treatment, and found that:
Pure MDMA used in approved clinical settings is far safer than recreational use of Ecstasy or Molly.
MDMA-assisted therapy could reduce social anxiety symptoms and increase social adaptability.
The need to develop effective treatments for social anxiety in autistic adults is presently unmet.
MDMA does not require ongoing administration to achieve lasting benefits.
A study from 2012—the same from which I just quoted—also indicated that MDMA:
Enhanced the accuracy of mental state decoding for positive stimuli (e.g., friendly) — i.e. friendly expressions and positive motivations are perceived more accurately.
Impaired mind reading for negative stimuli (e.g., hostile) — i.e. negative expressions and accompanying mental states are overlooked more.
Has no effect on mind-reading for neutral stimuli (e.g., reflective).
Did not affect psychomotor performance.
Increased circulating oxytocin and cortisol levels.
Produced subjective prosocial effects, including feelings of being more open, talkative, and closer to others.
MDMA also facilitates states of positive mood, and alleviates anxiety.
Furthermore, MDMA has been shown to enhance emotional empathy, and although research shows the emotional empathy of autistic people is intact or even elevated, they may still benefit from temporary emotional empathy enhancement to combat selective/fluctuating empathy as a result of issues with cognitive empathy (largely stemming from alexithymia).
Researchers and investigators have also noted MDMA’s capacity to help people talk openly and honestly about themselves and their relationships, without the use of defensive mechanisms.
MDMA catalyzes shifts toward openness and introspection that do not require ongoing administration to achieve lasting benefits. Professor of psychiatry Franz X. Vollenweider et al. reported that MDMA produced acute: Increased responsiveness to emotions, a heightened and openness, and a sense of closeness to other people.
When combined with psychotherapy that supports one or more of these effects, the use of MDMA can help people to confront and consider emotionally intense memories, thoughts, or feelings. Also, through changes in mood and perception, it can elicit empathy and compassion for others and one’s self. Note that I am not suggesting that autistic people lack empathy. Rather, MDMA generally elicits feelings of strong interconnectedness and unity, whether you are autistic or not. In my experience, this has been conducive to temporarily alleviating alexithymia, and making me feel connected with others in a way I do not ordinarily experience—whether due to my autism or my trauma history.
The use of MDMA has also proven to be helpful for PTSD, which a lot of autistic people have.
In other words, MDMA causes one to more accurately deduce social and emotional information and its mental states, which can be of great benefit to autistic people. Additionally, people become more relatable, more approachable, and social motivation is increased.
By administering oxytocin—a hormone that plays a role in social bonding—social behavior can be promoted.
In particular it can be useful to ASD, PTSD and social anxiety or generalized anxiety.
__
More research is needed, and this is why this act is being proposed and what it intends to do.
