Ectasy

I was 19 or 20 (obviously some time ago!) when one of the Uni crowd was frequently (dependantly?) taking Ecstasy. He was convinced it had no ill effects at all, and was vociferious about this...... right up until the doctors and police arrived to the student digs and he was sectioned. As far as I know he is still 'detained' under the mental health act some 16 years later.
Seeing him was, up until that point of my (admittedly rather sheltered) life one of the scariest things I had experienced, and I recall it vividly.

Now it is possible that he had somekind of genetic predisposition to mental health disorders, or too many drugs fried his head.
Big ol'game of russian roulette.

Believe me when I say you don't want to be where it took him.


P-C

Blacksword wrote: Good post, Cert. Your point about Seratonin production and retention is key, and the fact that where there is a high, there is a corrosponding low. This really needs to be emphasised. Many anti depressants work on the principle of inhibiting Seratonin re-uptake in the brain. Prozac is one of a family (SSRi's) including Seoxat and Venlafaxine which have this effect, but gradualy over a period of time. Ironically many of the these medications can have the same side effects as Ecstasy; notably, insomnia, confusion, impotence and 'the shakes'

Oooh lummocks!

I've been taking SSRI's for 7 years...

PS - Snow Dog - point well made & taken (see edits...)

Edited by Jim Garten - May 14 2007 at 09:15

Good post, Cert.

Your point about Seratonin production and retention is key, and the fact that where there is a high, there is a corrosponding low. This really needs to be emphasised.

Many anti depressants work on the principle of inhibiting Seratonin re-uptake in the brain. Prozac is one of a family (SSRi's) including Seoxat and Venlafaxine which have this effect, but gradualy over a period of time. Ironically many of the these medications can have the same side effects as Ecstasy; notably, insomnia, confusion, impotence and 'the shakes'

Ecstasy (MDMA) is not addictive. It is a 'psychedelic amphetamine' and is generally not very good for you. Like anything else that gives you immediate highs, there can be horrendous lows asscoiated with it. There is some evidence that it causes brain damage (with repeated use) and has been linked to clinical depression and psychosis in folk predisposed to such conditions. In the UK there has been over 100 deaths from ecstasy, which when you consider over 1 million tablets were being consumed each week at the height of the 'rave scene' is not that terrible a statistic (except for those affected of course!), but there seems to be a element of Russian roulette asscociated with Ecstasy. Someone could take one tablet and end up in a coma. No one is likely to end up in that state after one pint of beer, or one reefer. It works with your mood, as any psychoactive drug will, and the extent to which it will give pleasure will depend on surroundings and company, but to the sane extent as LSD, and generally the sensations are more physiacl, in fact very sexual, accompanied with feelings of warmth and empathy for others.

Dont be fooled, though. It's basically poison, and with any illicit drug you never know if its been cut with Striccanine (sp?)or other dangerous substances like Ketamnine, which is far more unstable and toxic than Ecstacy, but sometimes used to enhance the 'coming up' sensation. Anything you put into your body has to be processed by your liver, and your liver - not to mention your brain - does not like things that intoxicate in any way.

I spent my early 20's surrounded by frequent users of this drug, and very few went on to be stable, settled and happy people in their 30's. When something takes you so high, it sometimes feels that every day life will never be as good, or will never suffice. 'Weak' people, prone to depression and an inability to form meaningful relationships are most at risk of developing a 'dependancy' which is not to be confused with 'addiction'

It's illegal partly because it's dangerous, partly for political reasons - the legalisation of any drug is not a vote winner among the middle class - and partly because it would be too expensive to regulate and control its supply and use. Cynics may be forgiven for thinking that the 'drug' problem is a useful politcal tool. Parties take turns in trying to appear to be tough on drugs.


Toxicology

Edited by Blacksword - May 14 2007 at 07:56

Isn't ecstacy a generic term for "designer" drugs, each with its own chemical makeup?

Watching closely...