Bangin'! Retired Army General Pushes Drug Ecstasy as Cure for 'Shellshock'

Trials of MDMA, the psychedelic drug known to nightclub-goers as ecstasy, for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder are already ongoing in the US, and will soon begin at King's College in London.
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A retired British Army general has publicised research into giving soldiers the party drug ecstasy as treatment for shellshock.
General Sir Nick Carter was guest editor on Thursday's edition of BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
It reported on trials of the drug, formally known as MDMA, would begin at King's College London in the New Year for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychological condition suffered by many combat veterans or others who have suffered life-threatening experiences.
"PTSD can be a life altering and extremely debilitating illness," said consultant psychiatrist Dr James Rucker from King's. "We are close to signing a contract to host a trial that is committed to finding an effective treatment for PTSD via MDMA-assisted therapy. We anticipate it will be signed in the very near future."
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Listeners heard how the drug has already been given experimentally to patients in the US — in conjunction with psychotherapy sessions — and could be approved for prescription as soon as 2023. Vietnam War veteran John Reisenweber said he had benefitted from the drug.
"I was in Vietnam in 1968-69 and suffered for more than 50 years before joining this research," the former soldier said. "I was suffering from a lot of anger but I could finally release it. MDMA and the therapy calmed me down and I gained a tool kit for fixing negativity."
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