My friend and I are going to a fest. He has had PTSD for many years and having heard about MDMA being used to treat PTSD, wants to give it a try. He's very experienced with classic psyches like lsd, but never MDMA. It's been a long time since either of us have been to a fest - except Rainbow Gathering last year (kind of a downer) and Coalessence (good). So really, we're new to the current scene. Can anyone on this forum give us any guidance on how to find a good campsite near people of like minds, finding the medicine, etc. Our understanding is that $10-15/dose is about right. Thanks very much for any guidance you can give - details are good.
First few times i had pure MDMA were the truly the best nights of my life, that's all i can say. Those times were the best just because i didn't even have to think about it, whether or not i was really high or not (I was!). I tried LSD for the first time recently which was was better but experienced it on my own, so maybe was not as good as those first MDMA times. Then again i really enjoyed having the time/space to take it all in on my own. Hope you all have fun anyway!
Guerillabedlam, neither of us is thinking this will be THE magic bullet, but contrast it with what's happening medically. I was at the MAPS conference ~a month ago, and there were several people reporting good results with MDMA for PTSD (following rape, war, etc.). The following is what I wrote to my friend re the idea of this medicine for PTSD: Yeah, the PTSD thing is pretty amazing and pretty obvious (sorry to simplify). If the medicine is an empathogen (on which there is wide agreement), then it would be perfect for one who’s lost connection and a degree of empathy. This from an article: “Studies have shown that a type of psychological treatment called exposure therapy — where the patient repeatedly recalls the traumatic experience or is repeatedly exposed to situations that are safe but still trigger their traumatic feelings — can be effective in relieving stress responses in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other anxious conditions.” What the fuck! I’m doing this FOR YOUR OWN GOOD! Or, another option being a medicine that promotes emotional engagement and decreases emotional avoidance. It’s not a magic bullet, but it looks like a fucking no-brainer to me. So it’s exciting to me on several levels. Hahaha - I didn't realize I'd used "magic bullet" in another place. Anyway, any guidance appreciated. Nameste.
Yes but that's when it's being used in a controlled clinical setting not at an outdoor music festival blasting music all day and night. He's probably just going to end up getting lost in the music and rambling to a bunch of strangers but he will have a blast doing it.
MDMA can be the most beautiful thing to ever happen in your life but set and setting must be accounted for. A music festival will not be conducive to maximum healing In my opinion and experience MDMA is most psychologically beneficial when either done in solitude or with only the closest friends, preferably on it as well. Shit gets real on MDMA. The disolvement of background anxiety and tension leads to a frothing roar of emotions and releases from the depths of your soul . . . I wish I could be there to see your friend do it properly, I can't imagine how wonderful it will be for him, suffering as he is. At the festival it will probably just be a damn good time, but you never know, he may have "the" epiphany right there in the music and masses.
You and Guerillabedlam are surely on-target. At the same time though, it's not like we're gonna be dancing (for more than ~10 minutes) - we're too old for too much of that. We'll see. the fest is in the Rockies foothills, so there's more than one setting available. RE "background anxiety and tension" - Last night he said the worst part of it is that he's "always ready" - I saw that in Hoi An in 2005 when the power went off in our guesthouse and my friend was out of bed and into the hallway, knife in hand, prowling, ready for whatever was going to happen next. I always appreciate your thoughts and insights, MrWriter. You're one who's been helpful to me in this part of the journey. Thank you.
Be careful PTSD and MDMA can be kind of intense. A friend of mine has similar issues and her first time it was pure Molly, and 30 min later she just started laughing her ass off for no reason and had a good hour or so but during the peak, she began to deal with some issues and she broke down in tears and had to spend some time away from the party to calm down. She got through it and had a good night, but be aware that it may not be all good times, some real issues may come up.
This is just advice but from personal experience and being in the rave/ecstasy/MDMA scene for a bit if he really wants to work on that PTSD I would do it with a few close friends in a calm enviornment and support. I certainly don't think you need to be on the therapist couch to look into interpersonal issues but MDMA is kind of weird in how It works and for many people the first experience is something different than any subsequent MDMA experiences. But if you party on it who cares if you are old you will feel the music and just vibe how you do it, its beautiful really. You don't even need to be dancing though to zone out on the music on MDMA, many just kind of take it all in. Give hugs!
OK, a non-trip report: my friend bought a gram of marginally active something. Each took 1/10th and waited and waited and ... Still, we (like babes in the woods) learned a lot from the experience. It's not easy to ease back into the scene. Shout out for RCs! The 2C-E was good. Fest was Sonic Bloom.
Haha no way that would be insane. One of my best friends just had a 2 day MDMA therapy session and is a new person now this stuff really works. just be prepared for the first timer to be unable to stop saying 'i love you' XD
what you hatin on maann? I had one of the greatest healing experiences of my life at a fest. I was cryin my eyes out
I have had profound experiences on MDMA at raves/music events as well. But To work on something like PTSD I think it's way better to be in an intimate environment not surrounded by a bunch of people. MDMA is a completely different experience in my opinion when the goal is to work through interpersonal or personal mental blocks in a relaxed environment opposed to the loud raucous environment of a rave or festival. It's not necessarily as 'fun' and blissful but it is truly effective medicine and I find it sticks with you better then trying to accomplish the same thing in an unfamiliar environment. I certainly had my most psychedelic moment at a rave on E though. I remember the room was very dark and I just felt floored from the music and all of a sudden every single person including myself 'disappeared' into this frequency of energy that vibrated to the pulse of the music and this lasted for an entire song before I saw anyone again, I didn't see any heads or bodies just waves of energies moving throughout the room.
