What is Ecstasy and how does it function?

Oftentimes referred to as a “club” or “date rape” drug, Ecstasy is an MDMA that has grown extremely popular with recreational drug users in their teens and early 20’s that frequent the club and “rave” scene. It is a substance that the DEA is growing more and more concerned about because it is used to take advantage physically of the individual it is given to, hence being referred to as a date rape drug. It is also viewed as a serious public health threat as Ecstasy addiction, dependency, and overdose cases are growing in number.

Today, there are numerous addiction treatment and recovery centers that offer Ecstasy addiction rehab programs. Cases involving dependency and even dangerous overdoses of the drug are becoming more common all the time, especially in the club and rave scenes where they witness the most popularity for consuming the drug. As with other MDMA, Ecstasy functions by creating diminished feelings of anxiety, depression, and fear, empowerment while there is a heightened sense of sexual intimacy.

Interestingly enough, prior to Ecstasy’s classification as a controlled substance, most MDMA’s were being experimentally tried during marital or relationship therapy as well as other psychotherapeutic applications. It was being prescribed on a regular basis for anxiety disorders and depression at one time until its other side effects were discovered. Currently, there is a great deal of clinical research being conducted to see if it will treat anxieties that arise in terminal cancer patients as well as PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).

The physical and psychological side effects

Despite the fact that tolerance to Ecstasy builds up almost unnoticeably, the rewarding effects of the drug are severely offset by the physical effects that can develop after prolonged abuse of it. These include:

• blurry vision
• Bruxism (involuntary teeth clenching)
• chills and sweating
• dizziness and fainting
• elevated heart rate and high blood pressure
• muscle tension and twitching
• nausea, and vomiting

In addition to these physical side effects, the prolonged use of Ecstasy can result in several psychological side effects developing such as anxiety and panic attacks, confusion, depression, paranoia, and restlessness or sleep disorders.

Getting help for Ecstasy addiction

Our residential addiction treatment and recovery center now offers programs for the treatment of and recovery from Ecstasy addiction or dependency. These programs can be customized in order to focus strictly on the unique personal needs of every individual. If you would like more information on our facility as well as addiction treatment and recovery programs that we offer, we encourage you to contact the Freedom Center by calling the toll-free phone number listed above at the top of the page.