Scientists believe the illegal drug MDMA, also known as ecstasy, has an untapped potential to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But they say plans to test the drug on war veterans in Australia are being stifled by “academic conservatism”.
Current treatments for PTSD sufferers can involve a person being exposed to their trauma for weeks on end. Stephen Bright, from Edith Cowan University, said it did not have to be that way, and the key might be MDMA.