The dangers of MDMA are both psychological and physiological. MDMA is a synthetic drug that’s often referred to by one of its street or slang names, ‘Molly.’ MDMA enhances the senses of a user, alters his or her perceptions and can make the person feel hyperactive.
MDMA is known as a ‘club drug’ because it’s sometimes taken by young people at rock concerts or raves. The lights, sounds and activities at a rave are magnified for a person under the influence of MDMA. In addition, the user feels able to dance for hours at a time without stopping. This drug can have detrimental effects on a person’s mind and body. The following takes a closer look at this dangerous drug that hides behind a benign name.
A Brief Look at MDMA or “Molly”
MDMA is a shortened version of the drug’s scientific name which is methylenedioxymethamphetamine. While ‘Molly’ is the slang name for this drug, it’s also known as Ecstasy. In short, this drug has been around for years, but has recently adopted a new name. MDMA is a man-made drug found in tablet or pill form.
One of the biggest dangers of MDMA is its distribution. Someone making the drug can cut (mix) different substances into it and sell it as pure MDMA. A person who is taking the drug may be ingesting MDMA cut with heroin, cocaine or even rat poison. While it’s dangerous to take pure MDMA, it’s even more dangerous to take the drug mixed with unknown substances. Like many other illegal drugs, a person taking MDMA can never be 100% sure of what is in the pill.
The Appearance of MDMA and How It Is Taken
Another one of the dangers of MDMA is its appearance. A person using MDMA swallows it in pill, tablet or capsule form. Oftentimes, the pills come in shades of pink, yellow, green or blue. Some of the pills may have the faces of familiar cartoon characters stamped on them.
Other tablets feature non-threatening shapes such as clovers, birds or flowers. Its friendly nickname paired with a colorful appearance gives some individuals a false impression about MDMA. This appearance can lure young people into trying this drug because they think it’s harmless. However, this is far from the truth.
The Risks of MDMA
MDMA has both psychological and a physiological effects on a user. Some of the psychological side effects include depression, memory loss, paranoia and anxiety. These effects can continue long after the drug has worn off. Many users experience physical effects including increased heart rate and blood pressure along with sweating and chills. Sometimes a user will feel dizzy or nauseous and experience blurred vision.
These effects can also be made worse by drinking alcohol or taking other drugs along with MDMA. One of the most common physical effects of MDMA is jaw pain. A user involuntarily clenches his or her teeth causing soreness or pain in the jaw area. At a rave, it’s not uncommon to see teenagers and other concert-goers sucking on lollipops or infant pacifiers. These things are used in an effort to relieve jaw pain.
Once again, this effect can last long after the drug has left a person’s system. One of the biggest risks of taking MDMA is that a person doesn’t know how he or she will react to it. For instance, if someone has an undiagnosed heart condition, the stress put on the body by the drug may cause the person to have a heart attack or stroke. Furthermore, some people feel elated on the drug while others become sick and edgy. Everyone reacts to MDMA in a different way.
MDMA and Addiction
There is the potential for addiction with MDMA or ‘Molly.’ Some people become addicted to the effects of the drug. They like having a heightened sense of touch, taste, smell, etc. Also, many people experience a feeling of tremendous empathy for everyone around them. While under the influence of MDMA, a user may feel invulnerable and take risks that he or she wouldn’t normally take. This can put the person in great physical danger. People who take MDMA deal with long-term damage to their cognitive skills and cope with memory loss. It is unknown whether the brain has the ability to recover after this serious damage has been done.
Overcoming the Dangers of MDMA
Don’t let the dangers of MDMA claim the life of someone you love. Reach out to Morningside Recovery today to learn about our drug addiction treatment program, or more specifically, our ecstasy addiction treatment program. Don’t let addiction control your loved one’s life for another day and call us now at 855-631-2135.
