Class A drugs used in treatment

[Dollit]

We've mentioned this on a thread somewhere and I've just found this in my local paper http://www.thisisBristol.co.uk/disp...tentPK=19699563&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144922.

I'm uneasy about the whole thing I must admit - any one else got an opinion?

 

[Rorschach]

Having taken both the mentioned drugs I can see what they're getting at. MDMA (ecstasy) was used in Psychotherapy years ago, so it would just been the completion of a circle. Getting all the psychological conflicts out in the open and confronted would give the psychotherapists tons of material to work through. Personally I think it could be an invaluable tool, so long as it was carried out in a safe clinical (but not feeling/looking too clinical!!!!) environment with perhaps the added tool of multimedia capture devices to record the event for later analysis and revisiting by patient and practitioner alike.

 

[Dollit]

I love your new signature Rorschach!

 

[Rorschach]

It was due to a chat Daffy, a new member and I had last night; I thought it was quite amusing too

 

[midnight]

I'm flabbergasted that class A's have been proposed 'just' to help people open up with psychotherapy. Sorry don't agree with that, been there done that not going back thanks

 

[Dollit]

No, Midnight I agree with you, it gives me the feeling of being a very big lab rat. A lot of my problems were compounded by cannabis use (and it was a lot of it) and occasional forays into cocaine and speed - neither of which is exactly sensible for someone with bipolar - and I hated the feelings that resulted from that use. No matter how small the quantities or how controlled the circumstances the practitioner can't control the effect the drug has or what goes on inside the head of someone with the drug in their system. Someone once spiked a drink with LSD because I'd argued with him and whilst I didn't have a bad trip I had a really bad time, it was really disorientating and I wouldn't go through that again for anybody - not even in the furtherance of medical science!

 

[Roxy]

Class A Drugs used in treatment

Obviously it's wise to treat research like this with caution, however, there may be many people like myself who due to PTSD have never found prescribed medication to be of any benefit. I've also had many sessions with counsellors and a psychologist and although I open up honestly there are many repressed emotions that are not being released, therefore it's difficult to feel any kind of relief. While I understand this type of treatment may not be for everyone it should not be totally discounted without more investigations.

Roxy

 

[Dollit]

It's just all too reminiscent of abreaction (which I had in the early 90s) and which was probably the worst experience of my life. I'm not saying we should supress memories and feelings in order to deal with them but neither is the exact opposite true either.

 

[Roxy]

Sorry Dollilt, I don't know what abreacation is so can't comment on it. I suppose from my perspective I'm not getting relief from any source just now and am possibly clutching at straws in the hope that someone at last has found the 'cure' we've all been waiting for. Also, am I wrong in thinking that psychiatrists etc. are on our side and therefore doing research to help us on the road to recovery, or am I being too simplistic!

 

[Dollit]

Abreaction isn't practised very often and, as a victim of it, I don't think it should ever have been given any credibility. Basically, with or without the aid of some sort of drug, the therapist helps you to conjure up the feelings that are disturbing you. It is largely discredited because it is claimed that all it does is bring forth false memories. I was married to an alcoholic and got angry a lot so I would spend hour after hour being goaded into anger under the influence of some heavy duty medication and never got any better. I think that there are probably a lot more effective ways of dealing with supressed feelings but they are also probably a lot more expensive therefore a lot less attractive to the politicians.