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  • OUTLOOK

Hope that psychedelic drugs can erase trauma

Some researchers are finding clues that MDMA might be able to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. But the science has yet to catch up with the optimism.
  1. Lauren Gravitz

    1. Lauren Gravitz is a science journalist based in San Diego, California.

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A colourful figure runs as triangular colourful shards containing various memories dart towards their body

Credit: Scott Balmer for Nature Outlook

When Lori Tipton saw an advert on social media seeking subjects for a study on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), her curiosity was piqued. She had already tried antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications. She had been to therapists, social workers, psychiatrists and psychologists. When all that failed to quell her anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and suicidal thoughts, she sought help from other sources: a dietitian, an endocrinologist, a shamanistic healer and an ayurvedic doctor. She even pursued a yoga teaching certification to become more present and mindful. Nothing had helped.

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Nature 609, S83-S85 (2022)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-02870-x

This article is part of Nature Outlook: Psychedelic medicine, an editorially independent supplement produced with the financial support of third parties. About this content.

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