Using a MDMA- and LSD-Group Therapy Model in Clinical Practice in Switzerland and Highlighting the Treatment of Trauma-Related Disorders.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of LSD in a psychedelic-assisted group therapy model for patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD) and related conditions.
Results Summary
The majority of participants showed clinical improvement, with LSD used to deepen therapeutic effects after initial MDMA-assisted therapy. No serious adverse events were reported.
Population
Patients with chronic complex PTSD, dissociative disorders, and other post-traumatic conditions.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
psychedelic-assisted group therapy model utilizing MDMA and LSD | increase | clinical condition | patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders | - | majority of participants improved | #1 |
psychedelic-assisted group therapy model utilizing MDMA and LSD | no change | safety | patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders | - | no serious adverse events occurred | #2 |
MDMA | increase | motivation | patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders | - | enhance motivation to change | #3 |
MDMA | increase | therapeutic alliance | patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders | - | strengthen the therapeutic alliance | #4 |
MDMA | increase | therapeutic alliance resilience | patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders | - | allowing it to become more resilient | #5 |
MDMA | decrease | stress | patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders | - | stress-relieved | #6 |
MDMA | decrease | ambivalence | patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders | - | less ambivalent | #7 |
LSD | increase | therapeutic process | patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders | - | intensify and deepen the therapeutic process | #8 |
psychedelic experiences | increase | regulation of emotions and impulses | patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders | - | predominantly addressed | #9 |
psychedelic experiences | decrease | negative self-perception | patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders | - | predominantly addressed | #10 |
psychedelic experiences | increase | alterations in relationships to others | patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders | - | predominantly addressed | #11 |
psychedelic experiences | increase | meaning, recall, and processing of traumatic memories | patients with chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders | - | predominantly addressed | #12 |
The Swiss Federal Act on Narcotics allows for the restricted medical use of scheduled psychotropic drugs in cases of resistance to standard treatment, and preliminary evidence of efficacy of the scheduled drug for the particular condition. Since 2014, the authors have obtained 50 licenses on a case-by-case basis and developed a psychedelic-assisted group therapy model utilizing MDMA and LSD. The majority of the patients taking part in the psychedelic group therapy suffered from chronic complex post-traumatic stress disorder (c-PTSD), dissociative, and other post-traumatic disorders. Treatment modalities, typical developments and problems encountered during and after the psychedelic experiences are described. Recurrent depression poses a frequent problem, and requires special attention. Symptoms of c-PTSD predominantly addressed by the psychedelic experiences are the regulation of emotions and impulses, negative self-perception, alterations in relationships to others, as well as meaning, recall, and processing of traumatic memories. C-PTSD needs a larger number of psychedelic experiences in contrast to PTSD resulting from single trauma. In this model MDMA was most often used in the first phase to enhance motivation to change, strengthen the therapeutic alliance, allowing it to become more resilient, stress-relieved and less ambivalent. When emotional self-regulation, negative self-perception and structural dissociation had also begun to improve and trauma exposure was better tolerated, LSD was introduced to intensify and deepen the therapeutic process. The majority of participants improved by clinical judgement, and no serious adverse events occurred. A short case vignette describes a typical process. The experiences with this model can serve to further develop the method of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) and to give directions for future research.