Ecstasy (MDMA) Addiction Drug Rehabilitation  

What Is Ecstasy/MDMA?

Ecstasy is the street name of a modified methamphetamine — 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or MDMA. This illegal synthetic drug is a powerful stimulant with hallucinogenic properties commonly found at raves, clubs, music festivals and similar events.

The drug is used to heighten the party experience, enhancing a user’s senses of sight, sound and touch. It’s also thought to promote feelings of happiness and friendliness. Taking MDMA can have serious and potentially fatal consequences. The drug produces many adverse side effects — and some pills sold as ecstasy contain either little or no MDMA at all. Users never know what fillers have been used or what side effects they may produce.

Other names for MDMA include:

• Ecstasy
• E
• M&M
• Caps
• Eckies
• Molly

Ecstasy has been given a Schedule I drug classification by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), meaning it has a high risk of misuse and has no accepted medical uses. 

Signs and Symptoms of Ecstasy Addiction

Ecstasy is known as a party drug and is associated with places like clubs, raves and concerts. While it’s popular with individuals who enjoy that lifestyle, any person can misuse ecstasy. The characteristics of the substance and the side effects people experience make MDMA an addictive drug. Any individual can start developing psychological or physical dependencies on ecstasy.

Typically, an individual can identify a negative health behavior and stop, but substance use disorder is a chronic condition that is challenging for any person who tries to stop on their own. Substance use disorder can range in severity and take over a person’s ability to control their decisions. With continual use of ecstasy, the brain’s reward system will want to repeat the euphoric sensation and begin craving it. The individual will then start doing whatever it takes to obtain the high.

Individuals struggling with substance use will show various signs that they need help halting ecstasy use. The signs and symptoms can vary depending on what other substance a person uses along with ecstasy or if they take the drug on its own.

First Signs to Look For
 

If someone believes they have a family member who’s misusing ecstasy, noticing the signs of substance use disorder or dependence is possible when you know what to look out for. Noticing the signs of ecstasy addiction early means you or a loved one can get help early on in the ecstasy addiction process.

You may not notice the signs at first because it’s the beginning of a person’s substance use problems. It’s helpful to consider the person’s background and other factors that may contribute to their risk of developing an addiction. The first things a person can look out for includes:

• Experimenting with substances like ecstasy
• Showing new interests in activities or places where ecstasy is accessible
• Knowing the individual has a family history of addiction
• Going through ecstasy binges without feeling negative about the substance use
• Showing special attention to a certain substance like ecstasy

Certain substance use can be seen as a social behavior rather than an addiction, especially with a club drug like ecstasy. Depending on the situations where this person uses the substances, it’s important to pay attention to their behaviors surrounding the ecstasy use. 

One of the professionals at an MDMA drug rehab treatment center can also screen you, your friend or family member for addiction. They can then create a care strategy that will help you or a loved one recover. 

Signs of Ecstasy Use

Here are a few signs and symptoms that stand out for ecstasy use:

• Clenching teeth
• Completing compulsive acts
• Intense thirst
• Dilated pupils
• Extreme energy levels
• Overwhelming feelings of love
• Lowered symptoms of depression and anxiety
• Higher capacity for empathy
• Enjoying heightened senses of touch and sight
• Having chills or sweats
• Cramping muscles
• Exhibiting poor judgment
• Experiencing memory loss
• Increased heart rate or blood pressure
• Involuntary shakes
• Balancing or coordination problems
• Intense social gestures

Personality Changes

There are other common signs of substance use disorder that people can look out for if they or a loved one is potentially struggling with ecstasy use:

• Feeling like the person has to use the substance regularly to function
• Spending a majority of their money on ecstasy
• Being unsuccessful when attempting to quit ecstasy use
• Having trouble blocking out thoughts about ecstasy
• Participating in risky activities while on ecstasy, like driving or swimming
• Stealing money or other valuables to pay for more ecstasy
• Missing important work or school obligations
• Making sure they have a stocked supply of ecstasy
• Spending a significant amount of time and money on using ecstasy
• Lying or being secretive
• Distancing from friends and family members
• Experiencing legal or financial troubles
• Having feelings of paranoia
• Losing interest in hobbies or activities

Health Changes

Physical wellness is another aspect people should look out for with any type of substance use. Ecstasy use can gradually cause a decline in a person’s health,

The health signs that can point to a substance use issue include:

• Needing to increase the dose of the substance to feel the symptoms
• Experiencing intense cravings for ecstasy
• Continuing ecstasy use despite knowing its negative effects
• Experiencing symptoms of withdrawal when lowering the dose of ecstasy or halting use
• Feeling sick often
• Changing appetite or weight
• Having poor grooming habits or declining health for teeth, hair and skin

Short- and Long-Term Effects of Ecstasy Addiction 

All substances can impact your overall health and potentially cause lasting effects. People may brush off the effects at first and only consider the feelings they get from ecstasy. As time goes on, the effects will gradually become worse and start leaving permanent damage on the body. It’s essential to learn about all of the physical, mental and emotional effects that ecstasy will put on the body. With that knowledge, it’s easy to understand why treatment is necessary.

If you or your loved one is misusing ecstasy, consider the short-term and long-term effects of the substance to understand how overall health can slowly decrease over time with substance use.

Short-Term Effects

Even after the initial use of ecstasy, people may experience the short-term effects of the drug. These short-term issues may seem small or irrelevant at the time, but they can cause damage to your health and overall wellness, especially with prolonged use.

The short-term effects will last anywhere from a few hours to less than a day. The potential health effects a person may experience includes:

• Feelings of euphoria
• Hallucinations or visual changes
• Profound emotions
• Lower appetite
• Dehydration
• Heightened sense of affection
• Strong cravings for the substance
• Muscle cramps or tension
• Feelings of confusion or anxiousness
• Insomnia or other sleep issues
• Vomiting or nausea
• Sudden burst of energy
• Sweating or chills
• Distorted perception of time
• Twitching eyes
• Blurry vision
• Feelings of depression the next day
• No control of jaw clenching
• Strong sense of mental clarity
• Tremors
• Fainting
• Increased anxiety or depression

Long-Term Effects

If an individual’s substance use disorder continues and becomes increasingly more severe, long-term health effects may start to set in. The long-term effects of ecstasy can potentially cause permanent damage to a person’s body. 

Regular ecstasy use makes it difficult for a person to quit. The negative impacts on a person’s health can be a wake-up call for many to start looking for treatment options. Routine ecstasy use is not a sustainable lifestyle, so noting the harmful effects can save someone from a damaging lifestyle or possible death.

The long-term effects that can occur from regular ecstasy use include:

1. Brain Problems

Ecstasy is a stimulant and hallucinogen, which both impact various parts of the brain. The feelings of positivity and visual effects that people experience can tempt people to start using the substance in the first place. Since this drug causes numerous symptoms and side effects to the mind, continual use may cause long-lasting damage to the brain.

Some essential aspects that ecstasy or MDMA can impact are memory and learning. MDMA and ecstasy can alter the hippocampal function of the brain, as the substance use disrupts the normal operations of this part of the brain.

Alterations in memory and learning can change a person’s everyday life. The more a person uses this substance, the more damage they can inflict on the neuronal cells in the brain.

2. Heart Problems

Cardiovascular damage is a concern for individuals who are using ecstasy and MDMA. There are three main effects that are harmful to a person’s health and can lead to other health problems:

• Hypertension: High blood pressure or hypertension is a condition that can damage a person’s body without their knowledge. High blood pressure can potentially lead to a heart attack, stroke or poor quality of life because of disability. 
• High core temperature: A high internal temperature, also known as hyperthermia, is one of the reasons why people die from ecstasy use. Overheating is dangerous, especially in party scenes where people are also dehydrated.
• Increased heart rate: Having a high heart rate or tachycardia is dangerous because a person may not receive the blood they need throughout their body. This can limit the oxygen that organs receive and lead to other severe heart issues.

3. Liver and Kidney Problems

Other long-term effects like high internal temperature and lack of thirst can lead to liver and kidney damage. Liver damage can cause symptoms like chronic fatigue and other signs of liver disease. Kidney damage can cause poor sleep, swollen ankles and other symptoms of kidney damage. 

4. Damage From Poly Drug Use

People may mix other substances with their ecstasy use to increase their effects. Since ecstasy use is seen among people who attend clubs, parties, concerts and raves, it’s common for individuals to consume alcohol or other drugs along with ecstasy. The other substances can cause long-lasting damage to other parts of the body or heighten the damage that ecstasy will produce. 

5. Other Damages

Other long-term effects from ecstasy use include:

• Death
• Seizure
• Aggressive behavior
• Increase in impulsive decisions
• Depletion of serotonin
• Hemorrhaging
• Convulsions

Types of Treatment for Ecstasy Addiction

If you think you have an addiction to ecstasy, an MDMA drug addiction rehabilitation center can provide treatment. Treatment for MDMA addiction tends to focus on cognitive behavioral therapy, which is where the patient works on their thoughts and feelings related to the drug. Many people who use MDMA also use other drugs, so they may need treatment for multiple substance use disorders.

A person with a hallucinogen use disorder may receive treatment services like:

• Medical support: A clinic may prescribe medication for you that can help you manage withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
• Specialized and group therapy: Addiction treatment centers can offer a wide range of therapy programs, including group counseling.
• Social support and care plan coordination: Some providers have treatment plan coordination and referrals to social services.

Every patient has a unique experience with MDMA addiction treatment that depends on their symptoms and provider.

What Does Ecstasy Do to Your Mind and Body?

Ecstasy is a popular party drug because of the intense symptoms and side effects it produces on the body. From the inability to fall asleep to strong waves of serotonin flooding the brain, it’s no wonder why the characteristics of this substance can cause addiction.

When a person first takes ecstasy, they’ll experience changes to their nervous system that can cause them to feel an overwhelming sense of well-being. It will heighten physical and mental feelings that can slowly start to cause harm to the body over prolonged use. Consider the impact ecstasy can have on the mind and body of an individual who uses the substance.

Effects on the Mind

Nearly every substance has an impact on the brain. The side effects on the brain are partially the reason why people will take ecstasy in the first place. The substance alters the person’s mind and produces certain feelings or moods that are associated with the “high” or euphoric feeling of ecstasy.

Ecstasy will alter the brain during the high, but it will also gradually change the essential parts of the brain necessary for everyday functions. These functions include memory and learning.

This substance will interact with neurotransmitters and provide people with extreme changes in their mood. With regular use of this substance, chemicals in the brain can begin to dwindle down and bring up unwanted changes in your mind.

The three chemicals that communicate with the brain to produce certain feelings are serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. Ecstasy can trigger an increase in these chemicals and lead to potentially harmful changes to the mind.

These chemicals send messages to the brain like:

• Serotonin: This chemical works to regulate a person’s emotional function. Serotonin also helps regulate sleep cycles, digestion, pain management and others.
• Norepinephrine: This chemical helps stabilize sleep, anxiety, mood, focus and energy. Norepinephrine is involved in a person’s fight or flight response. 
• Dopamine: This chemical will regulate a person’s focus, mood and other central nervous systems operations.

Serotonin is the main chemical that ecstasy impacts. Ecstasy will cause the body to release large amounts of serotonin, which is the reason people will experience such an intense high. After the high ends, it depletes the serotonin in a person’s system. This depletion can contribute to unwanted effects like unpleasant emotions, low focus, irregular sleep patterns and other negative feelings.

Effects on the Body

People will misuse substances like ecstasy for the mental effects, but they can also impact various parts of the body and physical health. The effects can range from mild to severe depending on duration of misuse and dose.

The main effects on the body from ecstasy include:

• Pupils: A person using ecstasy will have large dilated pupils. The pupils dilate because ecstasy impacts the central nervous system that also controls autonomic bodily functions.
• Heart: A person’s heart rate and blood pressure will increase with ecstasy use.
• Body temperature: Ecstasy can trigger the body to raise its core temperature.

These effects from ecstasy can be dangerous to the body. With higher core body temperature and increased heart rate, people can be at risk for overheating or dehydration.