Page 22 - Issue 1

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MDMA For Racial Trauma
MORE THAN 80 PERCENT OF PARTICIPANTS IN IN PSYCHEDELIC TRIALS GOING BACK TO 1993 HAVEBEENWHITE MONNICAWILLIAMSIS WORKING TO CHANGE THAT Michelle Janikian
It’s been well-established at at at at this point that MDMA is is is is is a a a a a a a promising treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder In August of 2017 the the Food and Drug Administration gave it it “breakthrough therapy” status thus fast-tracking it it to be approved for prescription in in in in in the the the U S In double-blind clinical trials MDMA has consistently healed the the the trauma of veterans when the the the the the gold standard treatments failed alleviating their their nightmares allowing them them to move through the the the the the the world without debilitating flashbacks and ultimately giving them them their their lives back back But will will it it it work too for all the the the the other people people in in in in our society who need healing? And if so so will will those people people have access to to it?
A A A 2014 study published in in in the the journal Medical Care found that 8 7 percent percent of of African Americans experience PTSD at at at some point in in in in their lives compared to to 7 4 percent percent of of non-Latino whites (They’re also 1 2 times more likely to to to develop PTSD than their white white counterparts ) And yet according to to a a a a a a a a a a a a a a review by race-based trauma expert and psychologist Monnica Williams more than 80 percent of participants in in psychedelic therapy trials going back to 1993 have been white The neglect isn’t a a a a a problem unique to to the the psychedelic community Williams tells DB that there’s currently no protocol for treating race- based trauma in in in the the the the U S and she doesn’t think the the the the federal government has any desire to to to grant researchers the the the funds to to to develop it it MDMA could play a a a a a a a a a a key role in in circumventing this problem as as it it can be a a a a a a a a a a tool for people to heal themselves Williams was leading the the first-ever trial of of its kind at at at at the the University of of Connecticut last year year It’s slated to get going again at at at at her her her her private clinic this year year and other researchers in in in in in the the the U S are following her her her her lead at at their own sites Williams talked to to DB about why she’s committed herself to to to diversifying the the the psychedelic field and the the the challenges that continue to to lie ahead