--- title: MDMA: Autistic Adults Could Take Ecstasy To Reduce Anxiety description: Researchers are interested in seeing whether taking ecstasy could reduce social anxiety in autistic adults canonical: https://time.com/3899635/austism-adult-ecstasy-anxiety/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-28T13:27:19.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:05:13.172Z article:section: Health og:title: Autistic Adults Could Take Ecstasy To Reduce Anxiety og:description: Researchers are interested in seeing whether taking ecstasy could reduce social anxiety in autistic adults og:url: https://time.com/3899635/austism-adult-ecstasy-anxiety/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt41c472dd631b55cc/6988520206f2c11fd633a620/pills.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: pills og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Autistic Adults Could Take Ecstasy To Reduce Anxiety twitter:description: Researchers are interested in seeing whether taking ecstasy could reduce social anxiety in autistic adults twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt41c472dd631b55cc/6988520206f2c11fd633a620/pills.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Autistic Adults Could Take Ecstasy to Reduce Anxiety ## Video: Science Cop: How Anti-Vaxxers Put Everyone at Risk [Watch (HLS stream): Science Cop: How Anti-Vaxxers Put Everyone at Risk](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/ai82XWJ8.m3u8) (2:06)  _Published 2014-09-24. TIME's Science Cop Jeffrey Kulger takes on the misinformation coming from opponents of childhood vaccinations_  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson May 28, 2015 1:27 PM UTC  Tablets TabletsGetty Images  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson May 28, 2015 1:27 PM UTC Researchers are interested in seeing whether taking ecstasy could reduce social anxiety in autistic adults. A team laid out their [proposed study](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584615000603) in _Science Direct_, saying that MDMA, the medical name for Ecstasy, could increase social adaptability in autistic adults and that clinical use of the drug would be far safer than street use of Ecstasy or Molly. The abstract talks about “MDMA’s capacity to help people talk openly and honestly about themselves and their relationships, without defensive conditioning intervening,” as well as its ability to decrease fear and anxiety in people on the drug. It is a popular party or rave drug because it is known to increase energy and euphoria in the user. The study would examine whether MDMA could be used to reduce anxiety in autistic adults, not used as a treatment for autism itself. The drug is also studied as a treatment for other anxiety disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder. 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