One use of Ecstasy (MDMA) is in psychotherapy. In fact it was widely used by therapists in the seventies before it became known as a street drug, and licensed psychiatrists have been using it in Switzerland up till this year. Even now there are a few therapists in California, Germany and Denmark who feel the benefits are worth risking their licence for. There have been 'miracle cures' such as serious stutterers suddenly speaking fluently, and people crippled by back pain finding themselves able to walk normally, but most therapeutic use is less dramatic. Probably its best use is with people who have suffered traumatic experiences (such as women who have been raped) as, with support from a therapist, it allows them to relive the experience in a calm way and let go of the horror.
Last year I visited a military hospital in Nicaragua where they tried Ecstasy on soldiers suffering from war trauma. The doctor simply called in 20 'incurable' patients and gave then E, then sat back and watched. When they came up on the drug and it started to have its effect, they formed a huddle, lamenting the killings and expressing love, even for the enemy - but not all: one was paranoid, thinking it was all a trick, and the other four became very upset, which the doctor was unprepared to handle.
Some 'cures' have their down-side. I interviewed a Californian who had made himself a fortune out of shrewd and tough dealing in the commodity market. But he was not happy and was unable to have warm relationships, so he had (illegal) MDMA sessions. This made him feel much better - but he lost his business skills and started losing money!
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