Ecstasy use has increased in recent years and is considered a fairly new street drug; however, the consequences of ecstasy abuse are very severe. Deaths from ecstasy can occur due to overdose, as well as from either electrolyte imbalances or impairment while driving. Hyponatremial is the term used to describe a condition where an individual who has taken ecstasy consumes a sometimes fatal large amount of water without having enough salts in the body; this is also known as water poisoning. This commonly happens to ecstasy abusers, and some have died because they felt overheated and drank excessive amounts of water with no food. Addiction to ecstasy is driven by the withdrawal symptoms of the drug, such as depression, severe fatigue, loss of appetite, trouble concentrating, anxiety and an inability to feel pleasure. Addicted individuals become dependent on the good feelings they get while taking ecstasy, and when they stop using they often think their life seems dull and not worth living. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that 43% of young adult and adolescent ecstasy users met the accepted diagnostic criteria for dependence; they continued using ecstasy despite knowing that it could cause physical or psychological harm. An additional 34% of those ecstasy users met the criteria for drug abuse which in turn could lead to an ecstasy addiction. At Passages Malibu, we treat ecstasy dependence on a regular basis, and provide a safe, comfortable, and medically supervised detox.
Ecstasy Addiction
