See also: Family Guy S02E14 Let’s Go to the Hop

Psychological flexibility is a multifaceted construct composed of:

(1) openness to experience (experiential acceptance);

(2) behavioral awareness (i.e., mindful attention to the present moment); and

(3) values-driven action

Lykos’ application is for talk therapy combined with MDMA, commonly called ecstasy, as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

The FDA granted the application priority review, meaning the agency will review it over six months instead of the standard 10-month timeline. The agency set a target date of Aug. 11 to decide whether to approve the application.

The August target date isn’t the end of the line. Should the FDA approve Lykos’ application, the Drug Enforcement Administration must reschedule MDMA before doctors can prescribe it.

TL;DR:

• A single dose of DMT produced a fast antidepressant response in 55% of patients the day after dosing.

• A durable antidepressant effect was also shown, with 55% of patients in remission from depression at day 29 and 45% in remission at day 85.

• DMT demonstrated a short treatment duration, with acute effects resolving and patients deemed dischargeable within an average time of less than 2 hours.

• DMT was generally well-tolerated with no serious adverse events reported.

The Republican governor of Utah has allowed a bill to become law without his signature that authorizes a pilot program for hospitals to administer psilocybin and MDMA as an alternative treatment option.

Initially focusing on ketamine-assisted therapy, this coverage is designed to include psilocybin and MDMA once they are legalized for therapy in Canada.

Abstract:

Current research suggests that ketamine-assisted psychotherapy has benefit for the treatment of mental disorders. We report on the results of ketamine-assisted intensive outpatient psychotherapeutic treatment of a client with treatment-resistant, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of experiences of racism and childhood sexual abuse.

The client’s presenting symptoms included hypervigilance, social avoidance, feelings of hopelessness, and intense recollections. These symptoms impacted all areas of daily functioning.

Psychoeducation was provided on how untreated intergenerational trauma, compounded by additional traumatic experiences, potentiated the client’s experience of PTSD and subsequent maladaptive coping mechanisms.

Ketamine was administered four times over a 13-day span as an off-label, adjunct to psychotherapy. Therapeutic interventions and orientations utilized were mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP).

New skills were obtained in helping the client respond effectively to negative self-talk, catastrophic thinking, and feelings of helplessness. Treatment led to a significant reduction in symptoms after completion of the program, with gains maintained 4 months post-treatment.

This case study demonstrates the effective use of ketamine as an adjunct to psychotherapy in treatment-resistant PTSD.