00:00 The jobs that you go to wear down on you slowly until it comes to a point where I all of a
00:08 sudden stop sleeping, became really anxious all the time, really hypervigilant.
00:14 During the day would have flashbacks on jobs that I'd been to years before and never really
00:18 thought about.
00:19 Emma White has post-traumatic stress disorder.
00:23 More than a decade on the front line has taken its toll.
00:26 Therapy and medication have helped, but she says progress has plateaued, prompting her
00:31 to seek alternative treatment.
00:36 Biotech company Emmeria has been expanding its MDMA-assisted therapy services at the
00:42 PACT Centre in Perth.
00:49 What happens in the actual dosing session is that the medicine allows there to be a
00:55 biological window that opens up.
00:59 And it gives the client the ability to actually go to those traumas that they haven't been
01:07 able to before because of some psychological defences.
01:12 A 12-16 week program including three 8-hour long dosing days with two therapists costs
01:19 up to $30,000.
01:22 Reach Wellness, a charity, has pledged to fund the clinical trial for up to 50 first
01:26 responders with the potential for more down the line.
01:30 It's a final bastion for some to help manage treatment-resistant PTSD.
01:36 Last year, Australia became the first country to approve MDMA as a medicine.
01:42 It can only be prescribed by authorised psychiatrists and used under strict conditions in psychotherapy.
01:49 But as companies look to expand usage beyond clinical trials, there are potential risks.
01:55 If they have a family history of psychosis or related disorders, if they have certain
02:02 personality structures, then this can make them more vulnerable during the treatment.
02:08 Companies like Emmeria are looking to prove psychedelics are effective and safe to major
02:13 health insurers to reduce the out-of-pocket cost for patients.
02:17 [BLANK_AUDIO]
Comments