Even though ecstasy includes addictive ingredients, there is very little research to prove that you can get addicted to the drug. Research shows drugs such as cocaine are more likely to cause addiction than ecstasy. High doses of ecstasy can cause a spike in your body temperature. It’s important to know that the effects of ecstasy will be different from person to person. Your health, weight, the amount you’ve taken, and other drugs used with ecstasy can all play a role. These differences can cause a person to react differently to the effects of ecstasy when on the drug and coming down from it.
(MDMA) Ecstasy Addiction Understanding Abused Stimulant
Misusing this drug can lead to serious side effects, including dehydration, overheating, and even life-threatening complications. It is crucial to avoid using Ecstasy and to seek help if someone you know is struggling with its use. Additionally, the depression and paranoia which accompany Ecstasy withdrawal are so crippling that users find themselves scrambling to pop more pills the moment the previous dose wears off.
Our Ecstasy/MDMA Addiction Treatment Centers
In the United Kingdom, MDMA was made illegal in 1977 by a modification order to the existing Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Penalties include a maximum of seven years and/or unlimited fine for possession; life and/or unlimited fine for production or trafficking. The chemical is called 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine, or MDMA.
It is a derivative of the amphetamine family and a relative of the stimulant methamphetamine. Ecstasy, which is taken in pill or powder form, also has a chemical relationship to the psychedelic drug mescaline. Another significant danger is the fact that people taking ecstasy don’t know what they are actually ingesting. In one study, researchers found that only 60% of samples contained any MDMA at all and many were mixed with so-called “fake cocaine,” a substance typically made with synthetic cathinone.
- Using MDMA as therapy, also known as MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, involves the supervised and controlled use of the drug in therapeutic settings.
- Even though ecstasy includes addictive ingredients, there is very little research to prove that you can get addicted to the drug.
- Shulgin went on to develop a range of new compounds, including MDMA and PMMA (paramethoxymethamphetamine), many of which ended up as versions of street ecstasy.
- In addition to the high you get from ecstasy, the drug also causes many unpleasant and potentially dangerous side effects that affect your mind and your body.
- In 2023, more than 1.5 million adults in this age group used ecstasy compared with about 520,000 adults aged 18 to 25.
This production was eventually outlawed but re-emerged as a problem around the year 2000 with the popularity of homemade crystal meth. MDMA is legally controlled in most of the world under the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances and other international agreements, although exceptions exist for research and limited medical use. In general, the unlicensed use, sale or manufacture of MDMA are all criminal offences. If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts while using ecstasy, call or text 988 (the national suicide hotline) or visit , which provides support via online chats. You may worry about getting in trouble with the police for using ecstasy. In some places, the police do not arrest bystanders or those who overdose; in other areas, they might.
If you or a loved one is struggling with Ecstasy or any other substance use disorder, don’t suffer in silence. Reach out to Avenues Recovery to find out how we can help you, and begin your journey home today. Alongside the initial euphoria, energy and heightened emotion that it produces, MDMA has some immediate psychological effects. Users may experience impaired judgement, confusion, anxiety and hallucinations after their first dose. Avenues Recovery, experts in addiction treatment, presents a comprehensive ecstasy guide. For a few years, in an attempt to circumvent the law, different versions of ecstasy were synthesized.
Boosted Dopamine
- The symptoms may even persist for up to a week or more, especially if MDMA is mixed with other drugs such as marijuana.
- It increases levels of energy, happiness, and empathetic feelings toward others but also causes negative effects, from muscle cramps to depression to heart failure.
- Reaching out for help from friends and family can be a great way to gain support.
- This involves taking several doses of ecstasy spread out over a short time.
- Many users – especially those at nightclubs and similar social venues – enhance the effects of Ecstasy with alcohol.
However, to be diagnosed with a substance use disorder, a person must meet specific diagnostic criteria for continued substance use despite negative consequences. Ecstasy should not be taken with other substances such as alcohol, cocaine, or marijuana, as doing so increases health risks. Using MDMA as therapy, also known as MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, involves the supervised and controlled use of the drug in therapeutic settings.
Taking ecstasy can cause you to grind your teeth and clench your jaw, a side effect sometimes referred to as Molly jaw. This can cause lockjaw, a painful condition in which you can’t fully open your mouth. Some people who take ecstasy suck on lollipops or pacifiers to prevent this. It typically takes minutes before the effects of ecstasy are felt. Concerns are especially high for those who are still in middle or high school as their brains are not fully developed.
Addiction and Dependence
This is made more likely by overexerting yourself physically while on ecstasy, for example, by dancing all night at a rave or in other hot environments. This spike in body temperature can lead to the failure of multiple organs, including the kidney and liver, as well as the failure of your cardiovascular system and muscle breakdown. Adding alcohol or other drugs to the mix adds to the dangers of overdose. As with other illegal drugs, sellers sometimes misrepresent the product. A powdered form of Ecstasy, “Molly” (so called because it was a pure “molecular” state of MDMA), emerged in the early 21st century.
However, similarly with Ecstasy in its pill form, Molly is often adulterated with methylone. Taking an adulterated drug can lead to unexpected and unwelcome side effects and may increase its potential health risks. Over the past decade, illegally made opioids like fentanyl have been increasingly found in the drug supply, and have contributed to a dramatic rise in drug overdose deaths in the United States. The drug’s effects on serotonin and dopamine can enhance emotional openness and empathy, facilitating more profound therapeutic breakthroughs. However, it is essential to note that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy is currently an experimental treatment and is not yet widely available or approved by regulatory authorities for general use.
They are so fearful of landing in their self -created prison of fear and pain that sobriety becomes unbearable; they must be under the influence just to feel “normal”. Unfortunately, one can progress from simple experimentation to severe dependence in a very, very short amount of time. Ecstasy was one of several drugs tested in a military context decades after. It was then re-synthesized, first by Gordon Alles and then by Alexander Shulgin, who tested it on himself, his wife, and his friends. Shulgin went on to develop a range of new compounds, including MDMA and PMMA (paramethoxymethamphetamine), many of which ended up as versions of street ecstasy.
If you choose to take ecstasy, use it with as much precaution as possible. Educate yourself and your friends about the safety tips for ecstasy use to reduce unwanted health problems. At best, have at least one ecstasy mdma effects person who is going to be ecstasy-free during the session. Ecstasy has several effects during the hours it’s active in your system. This involves taking ecstasy along with the hallucinogenic drug LSD.
It is primarily used to treat certain mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this approach, a trained therapist administers MDMA to the patient in carefully controlled sessions to help them explore and process difficult emotions and experiences. Although ecstasy affects many neurotransmitters in the brain impacted by other addictive drugs, the National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that research has not determined whether MDMA is addictive.
MDMA Addiction, Overdose, and Withdrawal
Among individuals aged 12 or older, approximately 0.8% (equivalent to around 2.2 million people) reported using MDMA within the past 12 months. This data, sourced from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), sheds light on the scope of MDMA consumption and underscores the importance of understanding and addressing this widespread issue. Avenues Recovery is a community-based drug and alcohol rehabilitation center with locations across the United States.
This can help prevent bruxism, the medical term for the type of teeth clenching that ecstasy can cause. When you begin to feel the effects of ecstasy like changes to the way you see the world around you, a familiar environment can provide you with a sense of security to know where you are. Before and during your time on ecstasy, drink one 16-ounce bottle of water for every hour that passes while on the drug. This will stop you from getting dehydrated and possibly fainting or feeling lightheaded.
