Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities
Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities has 50 remote-ready activities, which work for either your classroom or remote teaching.
Narrative is determined not by a desire to narrate but by a desire to exchange. (Roland Barthes, S/Z)
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A Random Walk
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The human element
Reviewing the comments posted so far, a few people have pointed out the potential shortfalls of the widespread use of MDMA as a therapeutic tool. Stephanie raises the important point about “suicide Tuesdays,” while Jenna alludes to the possible harm that “bad trips” may create. As with other psychotropic drugs, it would appear that MDMA’s history, as well as its current form, are still relatively undeveloped. Even drugs that have been thoroughly researched and refined (such as antidepressants, which have evolved several times from tricyclics to SSRIs to a new generation of SNRIs) impact the brain in many ways and lead to a variety of side effects (like those listed in Rx commercials you may have seen). With further research, clinicians may be able to hone in on the correct dosage or chemical synthesis to alter MDMA enough to reduce these unwanted side effects.
As Natsu points out, however, the fine-tuning of these hallucinogenic drugs is at the expense of clinical populations who may be receiving a placebo or a (potentially) more dangerous iteration of the medication. While some data indicates that these drugs do not cause brain damage, I feel that both the mechanism (i.e., biological pathway) of the drug and longitudinal data must first be collected and interpreted before the drug is used in a therapeutic capacity. The percentage of bad trips reported in the trials we discussed last week are not insignificant. Furthermore, as Emila A. points out, it is difficult to screen for potential psychological factors that could lead to a bad drug reaction. These drugs may in some cases exacerbate suicidal tendencies or anxiety, even if there is little evidence for organic brain damage.
Finally, Elliot raises an interesting point by questioning whether alternative therapeutic practices could lead to similar results in PTSD cases. Hypnotherapy and meditation are often disregarded as effective forms of therapy by mainstream psychologists, yet they achieve the same goal as MDMA: Disinhibition of the patient in order to facilitate self-reflection and a new point of view in order to break the “vicious circle” of anxiety or depression, including pernicious anxiety disorders like PTSD. While these types of therapy may not work for everyone, they may be effective alternatives to a drug-based therapy. And while MDMA may ultimately prove to be an easy way to achieve the same alternate state-of-mind, these alternatives appear to be more attractive in the meantime, both for clinical populations as well as for groups who are looking for an alternative viewpoint in life.~Alex Tuttle
Haverford '08