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Ecstasy Abuse Fact Sheet

Ecstasy, the common name for methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA, is a drug that has become popular in recent years for its euphoric properties. Some of the street names that it goes by include X, Adam, Eve, clarity and M and M. Ecstasy gained a lot of popularity during the 1980s, and since then has become a staple in clubs and underground parties.

At The Canyon, we can help you fight your drug addiction by giving you the tools that you need to successfully break your addiction and get back to a drug-free, healthy life. With our help, you can achieve true abstinence and make your dream of living without addiction a reality.

Ecstasy Abuse: The Basics

Ecstasy is usually sold in capsule or tablet form. It is most commonly taken orally, but it can also be crushed and then dissolved in water and injected, snorted or smoked like cocaine. Many ecstasy tablets are sold with logos or pictures on the tablets, and these pictures can be things like car logos, company logos or letters of the alphabet.

Ecstasy Abuse: How it Works

Because of the euphoric and stimulating properties of ecstasy, it is an extremely popular drug that is taken at clubs, raves and other gatherings. Ecstasy acts on the body by reducing blood flow, increasing heart rate, inducing heavy sweating and causing pupil dilation. Effects can start as early as 15 minutes after the drug is taken and can last for several hours, allowing users to feel energized for long periods of time.

Ecstasy Abuse: The Physical Effects

Physically, ecstasy affects the body by introducing and raising levels of a chemical called catecholamine. By raising the levels of this chemical, heart rates increase, blood pressure and flow drops, and body temperature rises. This can lead to severe effects, such as heart attacks, comas, spasms, kidney failures and even death. There have been reports of deaths caused by ecstasy abuse, as well as deaths caused by common side effects associated with ecstasy use, such as dehydration.

Ecstasy Abuse: The Mental Effects

In addition to causing physical effects in its users, ecstasy also causes mental effects whenever it is taken. It can cause hallucinations, loss of appetite and an increase in temperature, as well as brain damage and heart damage. One of the common side effects of ecstasy is involuntarily grinding one's teeth, so people who take ecstasy in a club setting will often chew on pacifiers to counteract this effect. Prolonged or chronic use of ecstasy can not only lead to brain damage, but to numerous other behavioral problems, like mood swings, developmental issues and psychosis.

Drug Rehab at The Canyon

Here at The Canyon, not only can we help you break your club drug addiction, but we will also provide you with the tools you need to stay off of ecstasy and other drugs or addictive substances. We provide drug and alcohol rehab and treatment, dual diagnosis treatment for co-occurring disorders and aftercare services that are second to none. Our expert staff of physicians and therapists are highly trained and certified professionals. At The Canyon, we care about your prolonged success, and we will do everything possible to help you break free from your ecstasy addiction so that you return home prepared to fight off temptation and stay clean and sober. Contact us at The Canyon today at for more information.

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