Former British Army Chief Calls for Easing Regulations on MDMA to Treat Veterans with PTSD
The former head of Britain's military has made a call for change in a bid to help veterans who are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sir Nick Carter, the chief of the defence staff until 2021, argues that current regulations make it unaffordable for clinical trials on MDMA-assisted therapy, which have shown promising results in treating the condition.
Currently, the cost of testing medical-grade MDMA is around £10,000 per gram, compared to just £40 for an illicit purchase. Carter believes this discrepancy makes it difficult to recruit participants for studies and limits the potential benefits of this treatment for veterans who are often struggling with debilitating symptoms such as hyper-vigilance, hyper-arousal, and flashbacks.
The former general also points out that existing treatments for PTSD have had limited success in addressing these specific issues. Carter is now calling on the government to reduce the restrictions on MDMA, which could pave the way for more trials on this treatment.
This move has the potential to go beyond veterans, with experts suggesting it could help police officers and workers in emergency services who may also be affected by PTSD. A charity backed by Carter is currently raising funds for a further trial of MDMA-assisted therapy at the University of Cambridge.
One person hoping to benefit from this new treatment is Martin Wade, a former lawyer with the British army who was deployed to Afghanistan and struggled with PTSD after his deployment. He believes that the trials "really offer some hope to veterans" and has spoken about how he was able to find some relief through art therapy. However, Wade also highlighted the need for more help for those struggling with PTSD.
The issue of PTSD is a growing concern in the UK, particularly among military veterans who have seen action in Iraq and Afghanistan. The government's willingness to explore new treatments such as MDMA-assisted therapy could be a major step forward in addressing this complex condition.
The former head of Britain's military has made a call for change in a bid to help veterans who are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sir Nick Carter, the chief of the defence staff until 2021, argues that current regulations make it unaffordable for clinical trials on MDMA-assisted therapy, which have shown promising results in treating the condition.
Currently, the cost of testing medical-grade MDMA is around £10,000 per gram, compared to just £40 for an illicit purchase. Carter believes this discrepancy makes it difficult to recruit participants for studies and limits the potential benefits of this treatment for veterans who are often struggling with debilitating symptoms such as hyper-vigilance, hyper-arousal, and flashbacks.
The former general also points out that existing treatments for PTSD have had limited success in addressing these specific issues. Carter is now calling on the government to reduce the restrictions on MDMA, which could pave the way for more trials on this treatment.
This move has the potential to go beyond veterans, with experts suggesting it could help police officers and workers in emergency services who may also be affected by PTSD. A charity backed by Carter is currently raising funds for a further trial of MDMA-assisted therapy at the University of Cambridge.
One person hoping to benefit from this new treatment is Martin Wade, a former lawyer with the British army who was deployed to Afghanistan and struggled with PTSD after his deployment. He believes that the trials "really offer some hope to veterans" and has spoken about how he was able to find some relief through art therapy. However, Wade also highlighted the need for more help for those struggling with PTSD.
The issue of PTSD is a growing concern in the UK, particularly among military veterans who have seen action in Iraq and Afghanistan. The government's willingness to explore new treatments such as MDMA-assisted therapy could be a major step forward in addressing this complex condition.
Just read that Sir Nick Carter is pushing for more relaxed regulations on MDMA for vets with PTSD. According to the UK, clinical trials can cost up to £10k per gram of medical-grade MDMA 
compared to just £40 for recreational use. This huge price difference makes it super hard to get people to participate in studies. Current treatments for PTSD are pretty meh too 
. With the potential for MDMA-assisted therapy to provide real relief, it's crazy that we're not exploring this further. UK's GDP is around £2.6 trillion 
- can't we afford a little more experimentation on treatments like this? 
. With the right regulations, we could be looking at game-changing treatment options for veterans & first responders. The fact that Carter's charity is raising funds for further research at Cambridge Uni is a huge plus 
. Like, if we can just make MDMA more accessible for these trials, it could be a game-changer for vets struggling with PTSD. I get why the gov's being cautious, but £10k per gram is straight-up crazy 
. The fact that Carter's got some real-world experience under his belt is a big plus too 
. Now, if we can just get more funding for these trials and see some actual results, I'd be all about it 
.
. Like the former British Army Chief is totally on point with his call for easing regulations on MDMA 
. It makes total sense that current restrictions are like, super unaffordable for clinical trials and it's holding back some promising treatments 
. Veterans struggling with PTSD deserve all the help they can get 
, especially those who have seen action in Iraq and Afghanistan, they're dealing with some serious trauma 
. I mean, existing treatments just aren't cutting it for everyone 
. If we can make MDMA-assisted therapy more accessible, maybe we can start to see real progress 
. Like, let's get behind this charity that's raising funds for a trial at the University of Cambridge 
. And if more people like Martin Wade can find relief from PTSD through art therapy or other methods, that's just awesome 
. We need to keep pushing for change and supporting those who are fighting to make it through 
. #MDMAforPTSD #VeteransMatter #HealingIsKey
This is insane! 
And what really gets me is that the government is just sitting on their hands, waiting for someone else to make a change. I mean, come on! If Sir Nick Carter is calling out the system and saying we need to do better, can't our politicians at least have the decency to listen? 
It's not like this is some wild conspiracy theory or something – it's plain old common sense! 
The former head of the British army has a valid point - current treatments just aren't cutting it for vets who are struggling with debilitating PTSD symptoms. This could be a game-changer not just for military veterans but also for first responders and others who put their lives on the line every day. We need more research and funding to make this treatment accessible and affordable #PTSDawareness #MDMAforVets #MentalHealthMatters 
.
like whats the diff b/w that & stuff u can buy on dark web? 
also if it can help vets with PTSD, thats amazing news 
my cousin's friend was in army & came back like a zombie 
. I mean, we're already seeing how out of control it can get with people getting high and forgetting what's real life 
. And now you want to make it more accessible for vets who are struggling? That just sounds like a recipe for disaster 
. Whats next, are we gonna start prescribing party favors to treat depression too? 
I know vets need help, but do we really wanna put them on some sketchy substance that can mess with their heads even more? 
I feel for Martin Wade and all the other veterans who are struggling with PTSD, art therapy has helped him but not everyone will be as lucky 
. It's no wonder clinical trials are struggling to find participants. I mean, who wouldn't want to help with a treatment that could potentially change their life? 
. It's all about finding what works, right? 
.
if we wanna help our veterans with PTSD, we gotta be willing to take some risks and invest in their health. 
maybe one day we'll have a treatment that can actually tackle those debilitating symptoms they're so struggling with. 
. and honestly, its so unfair that we have to pay more for med-grade mdma than the ppl on the street can afford