Psychedelics could revolutionize couples therapy

Plus more health news | Email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( [Health Matters]( [Some couples are taking MDMA to strengthen their relationships]( By Jamie Ducharme Health Correspondent A couple months ago, I interviewed a psychedelics expert about MDMA’s promise for treating PTSD. He mentioned in passing that MDMA’s ability to spark good moods, loving feelings, and honest communication could make it a good fit for another part of the mental-health world: couples therapy. I was intrigued, so I started talking with researchers, therapists, and couples who have tried using MDMA (also known as ecstasy) to strengthen their relationships. I learned that, as one researcher put it, there’s already a “subculture” of people using MDMA not as a club drug, but as a relationship aid—and for many of them, it seems to work. By fostering open, non-defensive communication, MDMA can help couples understand each other better and move on from old conflicts. Don’t get too excited, though. For one thing, recreational MDMA use is still illegal in the U.S. And, like any drug, MDMA isn’t risk-free—to your health or your relationship. Sometimes, therapists told me, the drug offers clarity that leads not to marital bliss, but to breakups or divorces. That's not necessarily a bad outcome, at least as far as therapists are concerned, but it might not be a couple's ideal scenario. [READ MORE]( Share the story What else to read [America Needs a COVID-19 Bipartisan Commission to Prepare for the Next Pandemic]( By Leslie Bienen and Margery Smelkinson Without a postmortem on America's COVID-19 response we won't know how to respond better next time. [Read More »]( [The Fight for Medically Assisted Suicide Across State Lines]( By Lisa Rathke/AP Ten states allow medically assisted suicide, but only one allows non-residents to do it. Legislation is trying to change that. [Read More »]( [Novo Nordisk Plans Price Cuts for Several Insulins]( By Associated Press The move follows a path set earlier this month by rival Eli Lilly. [Read More »]( [What True Justice Looks Like for Sexual Violence Survivors]( By Judith L. Herman For sexual violence survivors, money is rarely a way to make amends. [Read More »]( [Conflicts of Interest Could Undermine the Cleanup Efforts in East Palestine]( By David Michaels Norfolk Southern has hired the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health to test for toxins in East Palestine, creating conflicts of interest. [Read More »]( AN EXPERT VOICE "Microbes adapt to the niches they are in. But that doesn’t mean one bug will be found in the gut and never somewhere else." —Debby Bogaert, Scottish senior clinical fellow in pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Edinburgh, on the ever-changing human microbiome --------------------------------------------------------------- If you were forwarded this and want to sign up to receive it daily, [click here](. Today's newsletter was written by Jamie Ducharme and Haley Weiss, and edited by Angela Haupt. [Want more from TIME? Sign up for our other newsletters.]( [Subscribe to TIME]( TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Connect with TIME via [Facebook]( | [Twitter]( | [Newsletters]( [UNSUBSCRIBE]( [PRIVACY POLICY]( [YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS]( TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508 Questions? Contact health@time.com Copyright © 2023 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved.