 What is Ecstasy?
Ecstasy has become known as a "designer drug," often consumed at large parties and dance clubs, where its euphoric and stimulant properties allow the revelers to party longer than would be possible without it. Its chemical name is methylenedioxymethamphetamine, commonly abbreviated as MDMA. Despite its relatively recent spike in popularity, it was patented in 1912 by the Merck Pharmaceutical Company. Its "street form" is not manufactured to pharmacological standards, so it is legendarily impure-often containing unknown chemical components.
 What effect does Ecstasy have on the user?
A unique property of Ecstasy is its empathogenic function, meaning it imparts a psychological sensation of empathy toward others in those who use it. It softens the ego, induces increased communication, and fosters feelings of belonging and comfort in the presence of others. Users report an increased awareness of their individual senses, and even claim to have had life-changing spiritual experiences under MDMA's influence.
Before becoming popular as a recreational drug, psychotherapists considered using MDMA in clinical settings, to allow patients to be less guarded and gain access to deeper levels of the subconscious. In the 1960s, it was rumored that the US military used MDMA as a tool to coerce captured spies to divulge secret information.
 What are the symptoms of someone under the influence of Ecstasy?
MDMA had its first wave of popularity among the Hippies of the 1960s, who called it the "love drug," because it evoked such deep feelings of unity, harmony and attachment to others.
Ecstasy users may appear unusually open (often saying things they regret when the drug has worn off), highly emotional and unfocused. They may be nauseous, experiencing headaches, dizziness and vertigo. They often exhibit signs of muscle tension, evidenced by jay clenching and teeth grinding. They may also appear jittery, like someone who has had too much caffeine.
 What are the potential dangers of using Ecstasy?
It would be wonderful if the positive effects of Ecstasy were long lasting, without any negative side effects. Unfortunately, Ecstasy isn't that kind of drug and, in fact, no drug is free of potentially negative side effects.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) funded a study that showed direct evidence of brain damage connected to chronic Ecstasy use. Scientists using brain imaging found that MDMA causes irreversible harm to neurons that release serotonin (a brain chemical connected to learning, sleep, memory and control of mood). Dr. Joseph Francella, of NIDA's Treatment Research and Development Division, says, "MDMA does change the brain, and it looks like there are functional consequences to these changes." |
