Drug Ecstasy - the Scary Truth
The Agonising Side-Effects of Ecstasy
The popular drug Ecstasy (MDMA) hit Indian discotheques some years ago and is still very much a part of the ‘rave’ culture. A lot of people at these all night raves in Bangalore think Ecstasy is the thing to do. But do they know that it’s the stuff used to tranquilise horses and that it shuts down the nervous system?
Ecstasy as a Psychotherapeutic Tool
Alexander Shulgin known as the ‘Godfather of Ecstasy’ is totally unapologetic about having rescued the popular drug Ecstasy, a synthetic stimulant and hallucinogen, from obscurity. He sees the drug primarily as one of the very best psychotherapeutic tools.
Mescaline and MDMA as Doorways into the Psyche
For Shulgin it all began with mescaline in 1961 and he spoke of it as “…a communication with the part of me that had been inaccessible… The drug was a catalyst . So, then I thought, what other catalysts can there be that might work in a different way and bring different types of personal access and understanding?”
Interestingly in the sixties, LSD, like Ecstasy was commonly used as part of a course of psychotherapy before it became popular among hippies and party-goers.
Escapism or Self Realisation?
But Shulgin is aware that Ecstasy and other drugs today are not really used as tools for self realisation but for escapism, or as recreational tools for dancing the night away.
Says Arun E, a software professional who is an informed drug user and chemist: “Ecstasy makes you extremely touchy-feely and so you feel more sensuous and fun loving. Yet you still have a sense of right and wrong, but it doesn’t matter much. I’ve seen other people on it who’ve drooled like idiots and been unable to take care of themselves. Ecstasy leads to dehydration which can be fatal.”
Richard H. from Dallas says he has tried Ecstasy many times. He says all senses are incredibly heightened and when you listen to music you become the music itself. “I became quite attached to the rave culture in Dallas mostly for the dancing, but along with the warehouse parties came Ecstasy. But I won’t do it again unless it’s pure.”
Arthur K says:“There’s the well known sensation of `coming up’ when the drug begins to take effect which is felt as a rising sensation in the stomach and up the spine. There is a feeling of lightness and your face and scalp could tingle. You feel generally well-disposed to people and want them to be as happy as you are.”
Research Findings about Ecstasy
Ecstasy has been shown to cause brain damage in animals. It depletes a very important chemical in the brain – serotonin – which regulates mood, sleeping and eating habits, thinking processes, aggressive behaviour, sexual function and sensitivity to pain. The damage caused in humans can be permanent. Research indicates that once a serotonin pathway is damaged it can never repair itself.
And so with the depletion of serotonin come:
- Depression
- Paranoia
- Nausea
- Blurred vision
- Fainting
- Chills
- Sweating
- Increased heart rate
- Increased blood pressure
- Sleep problems
- Teeth clenching
- Rapid eye movements
- Hallucinations
Regular users of Ecstasy are clearly at risk of ruining their long term health and their body clocks. The energy boosts they feel while on the drug are gone when the high is over and this is replaced by a feeling of permanent jet lag. That’s the agony of Ecstasy.
Source:
- Licensed to Thrill - Interview with Alexander Shulgin in The Face , 1995
The Ecstasy Drug is a Horse Tranquiliser
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Health & Wellness
Latest Articles