As the United States entered it’s 13 years at war with Afghanistan (excluding the previous 10 years back in 1990), the armed forces have shown what one is willing to do for their belief in freedom. However, with several tours under one’s belt, the constant fatigue of battle, anxiety, and the demands of warfare, some soldiers are not only returning injured, but also with some type of psychological abnormality.  According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Fourth Edition (DSM-IV-RE), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is defined as a person that has “experienced, witness, or been confronted with an event or events that involved the threat of death, or serious injury” (DSM-IV, 2000). Although, this disorder could be traced back to World War I, millions of soldiers that had returned home could have suffered from PTSD. However, though it is in its infancy, MDMA, or the recreational drug ‘Ecstasy’ is being used to combat PTSD.

            The Central News Network (CNN) covered a story about Rachel Hope, a woman who has suffered from PSTD for years (4 years old). After being left with a once family friend who sexually assaulted her while Hope’s mother was on vacation, she had returned ‘different.’ However, this was not the only incident that contributed to her PTSD: at 9 years old, Hope was also struck by a delivery truck, and nearly died, leaving her partially paralyzed for months at a time. Even as a 33 year old woman, Hope still suffered from PTSD and with the assistance of a colleague, she found the help needed. While news networks are known to stretch the truth, and swayed by political affiliations, one is never really sure about what is exaggerated, or misinterpreted. However, there have been several Universities, and Psychologists who have conducted this experiment, but are in no way related to Ms. Hope.

            At the University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway, Dr. Johansen had written a hypothesis about treating Anxiety with MDMA, or Ecstasy as what it is known for. Dr. Johansen believes that with a combination of Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) which is commonly found in anti-depressants, along with MDMA could potentially help victims who suffer from chronic anxiety. Although, this is simply an experiment that has not been thoroughly tested either, one can hypothesize the outcome, which is what Dr. Johansen is trying to do.