Ecstasy is also known as the 'love drug' or 'thrill pill' but in reality it is a potentially lethal chemical compound that can create a drug addict. It is sold in powder, tablet or capsule form and can be inhaled, injected or swallowed. Unfortunately it is one of those drugs that teens tend to do most often.
It is also called 'E', 'X' and 'XTC'. Doctors and researchers refer to it as MDMA or N-methyl-3, 4-methylenedioxyamphet-amine. DMA itself is a member of a chemical family known as phenethylamines. It is chemically related to speed and the hallucinogen mescalin. The drug has actually been around since 1914 but it got its reputation as the 'love drug' in the seventies.
Ecstasy is said to boost insight, lower inhibitions and increase communications. On the other hand it is thought to deplete the brain of the neurotransmitter serotonin and damage the brain stem. It is the depletion of serotonin that creates the drug addict as she or he will do more and more 'E' to try and recapture a high they are no longer capable of feeling.
The drug starts acting within half an hour and the effects last up to six hours. Side effects are dilated pupils, dry mouth, and nervousness and muscle tension. However the most dangerous effect is disorientation and dissociation which can lead to taking other kinds of pills and drugs in order for the person to try and calm down.
Long term use has been shown to cause drug-addict related memory loss and learning problems. Attention deficit disorder, bi-polar mania and depression are also linked to XTC addiction.
If your teen does become addicted to this drug it is not the end of the world. Recovery from Ecstasy often requires a great deal of psychiatric or psychological counseling as it tends to only really be identified with the drug addict who is immature or toxic emotionally. The drug addict on ecstasy gets hooked because they are never able to find a way to feel good again thanks to the brain damage done by the drug. As a result, the drug addict that is unfortunate enough to be damaged by ecstasy often needs to be treated with several drug cocktails, including anti-depressants; it is best that this treatment take place in a rehab where the person can be observed as the recovering addict is more prone to suicidal depression in this case.