Dangers of MDMA in the Therapeutic Setting
The dangers to people using MDMA in the therapeutic setting are mostly contributed to the danger of the chemical MDMA, and not the addition of psychotherapy. Though there may be some danger in having such intense feelings as those induced by MDMA, reports of psychological disorders caused by infrequent MDMA use are rare.
If MDMA was
used for long periods of time, the dosages would
certainly have to be carefully measured to avoid damage, because chronic
users have shown that MDMA can have harmful effects. Morgan
reported that ecstasy users were "more psychologically disturbed and
impulsive than nondrug controls" and committed more errors on cognitive
function tests. In a 2000 review, he reported "There is growing evidence
that chronic, heavy, recreational use of ecstasy is associated with sleep
disorders, depressed mood, persistent elevation of anxiety, impulsiveness
and hostility, and selective impairment of episodic memory, working memory
and attention. There is tentative evidence that these cognitive deficits
persist for at least 6 months after abstinence, whereas anxiety and hostility
remit after a year of abstinence." The adverse effects of MDMA include
dizziness, vertigo, muscle tension, nausea chills, sweating, and faintness,
and the come down can be a crash which can include severe anxiety, paranoia,
sleep problems, and vivid nightmares. Even if there
were no harmful effects of the drugs during use, there is a high chance
of developing psychological dependance to attempt to never "come down".
The coming down is usually
unpleasant, and can turn into serious bouts of depression.