| | CNN: Ecstasy successfully used to treat PTSD
 Dr. Michael Mithoefer is at the forefront of a controversial field of study. He is leading a pilot study into using MDMA -- the pure form of the illegal drug ecstasy -- to treat depression and post traumatic stress disorder.
In a Thursday segment, CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta reported on Gail Westerfield, a Georgia woman who took part in Dr. Mithoefer's trial, ingesting MDMA as a treatment for her PTSD stemming from a childhood assault and being raped in college.
"Some doctors say it's the well known effects of ecstasy: Open alertness, euphoria, calmness, that could prove useful when it comes to therapy," said Gupta.
"It can remove some of the obstacles in therapy and act as a catalyst to the therapeutic process," said Dr. Mithoefer to Nature News.
Among the 21 patients in the study, those who received MDMA saw their mental well being improve more significantly than those on a placebo. No major side effects were recorded in the study.
"Did it work?" asked Gupta of Westerfield.
"Oh, absolutely," she said. "I had recurrent dreams since I was a little kid. It's like, I would be walking through a house and all the lights would turn out, and then this force would overwhelm me. After the MDMA, I fought it once and it never happened again."
In the four years since her last MDMA session, Westerfield has not experienced another nightmare, reported Gupta.
This video is from CNN.com, broadcast Nov. 13, 2008.
Download video via RawReplay.com
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