Published MDMA/Ecstasy Experiences of Adults on Autism Spectrum

Aylish

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My name is Alicia Danforth, and I am a PhD student in clinical psychology at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, California. I currently am collecting confidential survey data and conducting anonymous interviews for my dissertation on the MDMA/Ecstasy experiences of adults on the autism spectrum, including but not limited to Asperger's Syndrome.

If you are an adult on the spectrum (age 21 or older) who either has OR has never tried MDMA/Ecstasy, I invite you to consider participating in this research.

There is general consensus that autism results in challenges with social interaction and communication. MDMA has been shown to promote prosocial feelings, aspects of empathy, and increased self-insight for some individuals. However, no studies which assess the therapeutic potential of MDMA for autism spectrum social skills limitations have been published. The purpose of this exploratory mixed-methods study is to address the gap in research by documenting the range and qualities of subjective MDMA/Ecstasy experiences in autistic adults.

More information on the study and details about how to enroll are available at:

www.facebook.com/DanforthResearch

or

http://www.danforthresearch.com

Contact information for me and for my Committee Chair is available on the Web site if you have any questions.
 
This is an exciting study indeed. :)

Just wondering; is this for clinically diagnosed Asperger's/autism or is it open to those who have Asperger's type symptoms, but it has not been severe enough to have gone through the clinical system for treatment?
 
This is an exciting study indeed. :)

Just wondering; is this for clinically diagnosed Asperger's/autism or is it open to those who have Asperger's type symptoms, but it has not been severe enough to have gone through the clinical system for treatment?


Participants are asked in the research survey to confirm if they have received a diagnosis from a licensed health care professional. Individuals who do not have an official diagnosis but believe they are on the spectrum can still participate. However, their data will be analyzed as a subgroup. In light of the current debate over diagnostic criteria, I want to be as inclusive as possible. I hope I've answered your question.
 
Participants are asked in the research survey to confirm if they have received a diagnosis from a licensed health care professional. Individuals who do not have an official diagnosis but believe they are on the spectrum can still participate. However, their data will be analyzed as a subgroup. In light of the current debate over diagnostic criteria, I want to be as inclusive as possible. I hope I've answered your question.

thanks for clearing that up. i saw someone link to the survey on facebook and i wondered if someone needed an official diagnosis.
 
This is almost bound to show a positive correlation I feel. Ive got extremely aspergic symptoms. Never diagnosed, but I've never asked or referred myself with suspecting it.
 
I am on the spectrum, I have a diagnosis for Aspergers syndrome, am high functioning, but do display most of the symptoms of Aspergers Syndrome. I frequently use MDMA and find it a very beneficial and worthwhile compound. I'll fill in the survey now, and I would be very interested in the results of this study.

EDIT: Just completed it. Some good questions in the survey, I enjoyed taking it.
 
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This is an exciting study indeed. :)

Just wondering; is this for clinically diagnosed Asperger's/autism or is it open to those who have Asperger's type symptoms, but it has not been severe enough to have gone through the clinical system for treatment?

def would be interested in the results of this.. are u talking about pdd cuz a friend of mine is diagnosed pdd-nos one branch under Aspergers?
 
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i have asperger's syndrome (diagnosed by 3 different psychologists at the age of 10), and i have tried MDMA about 3 times in the past. i'm happy to assist you with your dissertation. just waiting for the password email

edit: there is an error question #34 in the FQ section. the question "How would you prefer to keep in touch with friends? " does not relate to the options
 
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ok, just finished the questionaire :< as someone who has asperger's syndrome, i found some of the questions to be unnecessarily complicated, almost like trick questions. i dont know if that was your intention or not, but i think most autistic people would get confused with them.

(un)luckily i have "high functioning" autism, so i understood them, but i have autistic friends who would be reeeallly confused by negative questions like that (don't you agree? =D) ... i would suggest you make the questions as basic as possible, i.e: "I find it hard to make new friends" instead of "I certainly don't find it easy to make new friends" .etc

but yeh, it will be interesting to know what the results are. would it be possible to post a summary of the results somewhere, or perhaps through the email address we provided to register?
 
def would be interested in the results of this.. are u talking about pdd cuz a friend of mine is diagnosed pdd-nos one branch under Aspergers?

Considering that the diagnostic criteria for the autism spectrum are currently under revision and the current "branch" categories may become obsolete in the near future, I want to be as inclusive as possible. Your friend could participate. He or she will need to have a minimum threshold score on the AQ assessment in order for their data to be included in the main analysis. Thanks for the inquiry.
 
I'm very interested in the results of this!

I'll post a summary of key findings in this forum. . . eventually. I have to work through the monunmental tasks of data collection and analysis and writing first.
 
ok, just finished the questionaire :< as someone who has asperger's syndrome, i found some of the questions to be unnecessarily complicated, almost like trick questions. i dont know if that was your intention or not, but i think most autistic people would get confused with them.

(un)luckily i have "high functioning" autism, so i understood them, but i have autistic friends who would be reeeallly confused by negative questions like that (don't you agree? =D) ... i would suggest you make the questions as basic as possible, i.e: "I find it hard to make new friends" instead of "I certainly don't find it easy to make new friends" .etc

but yeh, it will be interesting to know what the results are. would it be possible to post a summary of the results somewhere, or perhaps through the email address we provided to register?

Thanks for the feedback. I aways appreciate it. I share your frustration with some of the assessments. I did not create the AQ, EQ, IRI, or FQ. They have all been used in other research settings and have been published in scholarly articles. I faced a big challenge finding instruments that have been validated for use with autistic adults. Your observations reflect the growing need for the next generation of assesssments. As autistic self-advocacy increases and autistic individuals contribute more directly to the creation of research tools, I am optimistic that measures that are more user-friendly will emerge over time.

For participants, there's an option to request a summary report of the key findings at the end of the surveys. I will send the report to the e-mail they used to enroll if they indicate that they want to receive it, and I will post a brief summary in this forum as well.
 
def would be interested in the results of this.. are u talking about pdd cuz a friend of mine is diagnosed pdd-nos one branch under Aspergers?

I had to look up what PPD-NOS was. It's not quite what I was alluring too; sometimes I exhibit mild 'Sheldon Cooper' type symptoms of not picking up on sarcasm when it's too thinly veiled. Not making new friends easily, socially anxious, but very productive and creative when left alone to play and tinker with things.
I find MDMA to completely ameliorate all signs of feeling socially judged, and my mind (psychedelically, trip-like) opens up to 'brain movies' of previous, meaningful social interaction, but I now understand what the person was trying to convey due do empathy (feeling their shoes). This usually happens when I use MDMA by myself or when I I'm at a get-together and I scuttle off for some solo psychedelic thinking/brain movie watching. If I'm at a get-together on MDMA I find it not much more than a social lubricant (like a stimulant). Only in small groups, all on a psychedelic themselves or simply feeling reflective does it actually act in a similar way as when I use it alone.
 
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Reminder/Incentive

Everyone who completes the surveys will have the option to recieve a summary report of key findings. (I will also post a findings summary in this forum.)

I always welcome suggestions for effective and appropriate ways to reach potential participants. I am posting in multiple Asperger's, Autism, Neurodiversity, and drug interest Web sites, listservs, and other forums. Please feel free to send me a message if you know of any resources I might have overlooked.
 
my friend has Asperger's Syndrome and he rolls once in a while. He does say that he likes it because it gives him a feeling of community and belonging that he dosent normally feel in social situations.
 
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