• The world's leading experts on Ecstasy assess its therapeutic potential, social implications, and the dangers of unsupervised use.
• Includes chapters by Andrew Weil, Ralph Metzner, Douglas Rushkoff, Rabbi Zalman Schachter, Rick Doblin, and others.
• An ideal guide for parents and educators seeking a credible source of information.
Use of the drug Ecstasy, once confined to the teen rave scene and college campuses, is exploding across America, from high schools to upscale clubs. Described by users as the most intense euphoria they know and by detractors as a cause of brain damage and even death, Ecstasy has generated unprecedented levels of interest-and misinformation.
Written by the world's leading experts on MDMA, Ecstasy: The Complete Guide takes the first unbiased look at the risks and the benefits of this unique drug, including the science of how it works; its promise as a treatment for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, and other illnesses; and how to minimize the risk of illicit use. Whether you are a raver, a concerned parent, or a professional wanting the most recent reports on MDMA research, Ecstasy: The Complete Guide provides the answers you need.
Julie Holland, M.D., is a psychiatrist who specializes in psychopharmacology and a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine. An expert on street drugs and intoxication states, she was the attending psychiatrist in the Psych ER at Bellevue Hospital from 1996 to 2005 and regularly appears on the Today Show. The editor of The Pot Book: A Complete Guide to Cannabis and Ecstasy: The Complete Guide and the author of the bestselling Weekends at Bellevue, she lives in the Hudson Valley.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
About this Book
Introduction: Medicine for a New Millennium
Let X = MDMA 1. The History of MDMA 2. What Does MDMA Feel Like? 3. How MDMA Works in the Brain 4. The Chemistry of MDMA 5. MDMA Myths and Rumors Dispelled 6. The Godparents of MDMA
Risks of MDMA Use 7. Medical Risks Associated with MDMA Use 8. Mental Health Problems Associated with MDMA Use 9. Does MDMA Cause Brain Damage? 10. The Legal Status of MDMA Around the World 11. Minimizing Risk in the Dance Community MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy 12. Using MDMA in Healing, Psychotherapy, and Spiritual Practice 13. Experience with the Interpersonal Psychedelics 14. Clinical Experience with MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Potential Clinical Uses for MDMA 15. Using MDMA in the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 16. Using MDMA in the Treatment of Depression 17. Using MDMA in the Treatment of Schizophrenia 18. Using MDMA in Alternative Medicine
MDMA Research 19. Clinical Research with MDMA: A Worldwide Review 20. Giving MDMA to Human Volunteers in Switzerland 21. Giving MDMA to Human Volunteers in the United States
MDMA and Society 22. Ecstasy: Prescription for Cultural Renaissance 23. MDMA and Spirituality 24. MDMA's Promise as a Prescription Medicine
Appendices History Timeline - Julie Holland, M.D. Statistics Timeline - Julie Holland, M.D. Table I: Studies of Long-term Behavioral or Functional Changes After MDMA in Animals - Matthew Baggot and John Mendelson, M.D. Table II: Reported Neurofunctional Differences Between Ecstasy Users and Nonusers - Matthew Baggot and John Mendelson, M.D. Table III: Memory Studies of Ecstasy Users vs. Nonusers - Harry Sumnall
"Ecstasy: The Complete Guide offers a thoroughly engaging, multifaceted look at a very controversial substance. Well done.
Eris Weaver
". . . this volume makes a strong case for studying and legalizing MDMA for therapeutic purposes, without minimizing the potential dangers of abuse. An important contribution to the literature on illegal drugs.
T.D. DeLapp
"A comprehensive tome, this book offers something for nearly anyone interested in substance use and abuse, regardless of their perspective. Overall, a good addition to a comprehensive collection on psychoactive drugs that appear to have both therapeutic and abuse potentials.
Jon Hanna
"It's heartening to read such a thorough and balanced book.
