Ecstasy Addiction
Ecstasy is one of the most commonly abused of all addictive substances. Also known as molly, it is a street name drug for MDMA. This drug is classified as an amphetamine that causes hallucinogenic and stimulant properties.
It is also a popular party drug among the young. Although using this drug can cause pleasurable effects, it can also lead to some side effects that could end up being serious and long lasting. Read on to find out more:
About Ecstasy
Ecstasy is a street name for MDMA - or 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. This drug is classified as an illicit and synthetic substance that belongs to the class of stimulant substances. It also provides hallucinogenic properties.
Ecstasy is the designer version of MDMA in tablet or pill form. Molly, on the other hand, appears in the form of a crystal-like or powder substance that also contains the MDMA chemical.
In many cases, it is impossible to know what is in ecstasy. This is because it is sometimes cut using other ingredients. These include but are not limited to amphetamine, caffeine, cocaine, heroin, LSD, and rat poison.
That said, ecstasy comes with mixed effects. It is for this reason that research studies often describe it as a dissociative hallucinogenic substance. The effects of this substance will largely depend on the dose that you took. This means that you may derive hallucinogenic effects as well as amphetamine or stimulant type effects.
When the drug first came on the market, it was primarily used to treat certain psychological disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder. This was due to the calming effects that it had on the social behaviors of users.
However, medics soon realized that the drug also came with many other potential and actual side effects. For this reason, its use was discontinued although studies are still underway to determine whether it has any medical uses. By the 1980s, the drug became popular as a club or rave substance.
According to the DEA - the Drug Enforcement Administration - ecstasy is now classified as a schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act passed by the federal government. This effectively means that it is not a legal drug - except with special governmental permission, it comes with a high risk of substance abuse and addiction, and could cause you to become physically dependent on its effects.
Other Names for Ecstasy
Since it is an illegal and synthetic substance, ecstasy is often available in capsule, tablet, or pill form. It is also unique among other substances of abuse because it produces both hallucinogenic and stimulant effects.
This means that when you take it, you will experience a boost in your alertness and energy while its hallucinogenic effects will cause you to experience a distortion in your sense of reality.
Due to its status, people often use various street names to refer to it so that they can avoid detection by law enforcement officials and other authorities. These street names include:
- Adam
- Beans
- Clarity
- E
- Eve
- Lover's Speed
- Molly
- Peace
- X
- XTC
Although people use different names to refer to this drug, you can be sure that the effects will be the same. This is due to the MDMA - or the chemical 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine - component that it contains.
Signs and Symptoms of Ecstasy Addiction
If you suspect that you have - or someone you love has - been abusing ecstasy, you may be interested to find out if addiction is already present. In such a situation, it is essential to look out for some of the common signs and symptoms of ecstasy abuse and addiction. These include but are not limited to:
- A reduced sense of pain sensations
- An unnatural compulsion to abuse ecstasy irrespective of the negative effects that you suffer as a result
- Changes in your sleeping habits
- Changes in your social circles
- Cold or hot flashes
- Confusion.
- Continuing to abuse ecstasy even after noticing that it has been causing problems in your life
- Depression
- Desire to be touched or to touch others
- Developing tolerance after taking ecstasy for a while
- Dilated pupils
- Diminishing inhibitions
- Dry mouth
- Engaging in secretive behavior
- Enhanced energy
- Euphoria
- Excessive sweating
- Experiencing an euphoric state after taking ecstasy
- Experiencing strong cravings when you go for some time without taking this drug
- Fast heart rate
- Feeling faint
- Feeling that you in love with people you are with although you may not have any personal history with them
- Financial difficulties
- Getting to a point where you no longer feel normal or have fun unless you take ecstasy
- Giving up important interests and activities so that you can abuse this drug
- Heighten sexual arousal and sexuality
- Heightened emotions
- Heightened sensory perception
- Improved mood
- Impulsivity
- Inability to feel pain
- Increased alertness
- Increased blood pressure
- Increased capacity for social empathy
- Increased desire for ecstasy
- Increased pleasure from any physical touch you experience
- Increased positive sensations
- Insomnia
- Issues with your continued ecstasy use
- Legal problems
- Losing track of time
- Lying
- Mild confusion
- Mood swings
- Muscle tension
- Neglecting important professional and personal responsibility due to your ongoing substance abuse
- Organ complications as a result of high body temperature.
- Over sleeping when you are not using the drug
- Paranoia
- Poor memory
- Promiscuity
- Reduced anxiety
- Reduced depression
- Reluctance to attend family or social events where you know you won't be able to access ecstasy
- Spending a great deal of your time, money, energy, and other resources trying to acquire, abuse, and recover from using ecstasy
- Staying awake for several days at a time
- Strengthened feelings of unity and connectedness with others
- Sudden difficulties meeting your daily responsibilities
- Suffering significant functional impairment or distress due to abusing this drug
- Teeth clenching
- Thirst
- Tightness in the jaw and mouth
- Unnatural and long-lasting energy
- Unwillingness or inability to stop abusing this drug even after it has been causing problems in your life
- Using the drug in higher doses or for longer periods than you originally intended
- Using the drug on a regular basis
- Wanting to cut down or stop using ecstasy but finding that you are no longer able to do so
- Worry
According to the DSM - the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - the extent of your ecstasy addiction will vary from the mild to the severe based on how many of these signs you display, as well as their severity.
Short and Long-Term Effects of Ecstasy Abuse
When you first take ecstasy, you will experience a feeling of friendliness, happiness, and well-being. The drug can also enhance your senses of touch, smell, sound, and sight. Other effects of ecstasy abuse include:
a) Short Term Side Effects
In the short term, you may experience the following side effects when you are still under the influence of it, or soon after coming down from its influence:
- Aggression
- An inability to continue deriving pleasure from sexual activity
- Anxiety
- Blurred vision
- Calmness
- Chills
- Confusion
- Decreased appetite
- Decreased thirst
- Depression
- Elevated anxiety
- Empathy for others
- Euphoria
- Fainting
- Hallucinations
- Heightened emotions
- Heightened sense of mental clarity
- Heightened senses
- Hyperthermia
- Impaired judgment
- Impulsive behavior
- Involuntary teeth clenching
- Lack of interest in any sexual activity
- Long-lasting energy
- Lowered inhibitions
- Memory problems
- Muscle tension
- Nausea
- Paranoia
- Raised blood pressure
- Relaxation
- Seizures
- Sleep problems
- Suppressed appetite
- Sweating
- Teeth grinding
- Tremors
- Trouble sleeping
b) Long-term Side Effects
Abusing ecstasy in the long term could give rise to compulsive behaviors. Further, you may find yourself increasingly neglecting and altogether abandoning your responsibilities. Other effects include:
- Aggressive behavior
- Anxiety
- Cardiovascular collapse
- Confusion
- Convulsions
- Death
- Depression
- Difficulties with executive processing
- Hemorrhaging
- Impaired ability to continue paying attention as you used to
- Increased impulsiveness
- Issues feeling any kind of pleasure
- Issues with emotional intelligence
- Kidney failure
- Long term brain damage
- Lowered interest in any sexual activity
- Memory loss
- Nerve degeneration
- Overall mental dysfunction
- Problems with logical reasoning
- Problem-solving issues
- Psychosis
- Significant cognitive issues
- Suicidal thoughts and behaviors
- Trouble regulating your emotions
Ecstasy Overdose
If you overdose on ecstasy, you may display the following signs and symptoms:
- A high rise in body temperature
- Aggravation of any underlying heart condition
- Cardiovascular failure
- Death
- Faintness
- Fever
- Foaming at the mouth
- Heatstroke
- Kidney problems
- Liver damage
- Panic attacks
- Seizures
Ecstasy Withdrawal Symptoms
On the other hand, withdrawal from ecstasy will give rise to the following effects that require a medically managed detox process:
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Hallucinations
- Insomnia
- Loss of appetite
- Problems concentrating
The Best Options for Ecstasy Addiction Treatment
To overcome your ecstasy abuse and addiction, it is imperative that you check into an inpatient or an outpatient addiction treatment and rehabilitation program. This way, you will be able to access the recovery services - including detox, therapy, counseling, and aftercare programming - you need to achieve a state of full sobriety and recovery from this substance of abuse.
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