Ecstasy (Yes, the Club Drug) as a Treatment for Autism?
Ecstasy (Yes, the Club Drug) as a Treatment for Autism? – A new study in the journal Biological Psychiatry suggests that MDMA—that’s the club drug, ecstasy—may be used to ‘enhance the psychotherapy of people who struggle to feel connected to others.’ For this reason, it’s suggested that the drug might be used with those who have autism, schizophrenia, or antisocial personality disorder. Researchers do note that ‘these effects have been difficult to measure objectively, and there has been limited research in humans.’ And it’s pretty hard not to look at this latest idea about treating autism with several grains of salt. The new study, Is Ecstasy an “Empathogen”?, was undertaken by University of Chicago researchers and funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. According to the lead author, Dr. Gillinder Bedi: “We found that MDMA produced friendliness, playfulness, and loving feelings, even when it was administered to people in a laboratory with little social contact. We also found that MDMA reduced volunteers’ capacity to recognize facial expressions of fear in other people, an effect that may be involved in the increased sociability said to be produced by MDMA.” The study found that the use of MDMA can make others ‘seem more attractive and friendly.’ However, MDMA can also make others seem ‘less threatening, which could increase users’ social risk-taking’—and which could, and would, one might think, pose potentially significant problems for those with psychiatric disorders or individuals on the autism spectrum, who may …
Historic Hill County ranch serving as new substance abuse treatment facility
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A residential treatment center for people addicted to drugs and alcohol has opened on historic ranch property in Aquilla, just over the McLennan County line in Hill County. The facility, called The Ranch at Clear Springs, is built around a vision …
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Michael Goforth: AIDS continues to be a problem in St. Lucie County
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New drug therapies have been both a blessing and a curse, said Palumbo, who is currently serving as chair of the board of the AIDS Research and Treatment Center of the Treasure Coast. While lives have been extended, she said, the fear of the disease …
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'Macho Time' lives on in Spanish Harlem
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RHONA WISE/AFP/Getty Images Hector "Macho" Camacho left behind a lasting impression on his New York neighborhood of El Barrio. As the wind swirled around Lexington Avenue in Spanish Harlem, blowing away the fall leaves around Hector "Macho" …
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