The Dangers of Ecstasy Use

The subjective effects felt by Ecstasy users include euphoria, heightened awareness of the senses, happiness, greater appreciation for music and movements, perception of mental clarity, decrease in anxiety, and increased self-awareness. Some users also say that they also enjoy physical contact with others with the use of Ecstasy, which can be attributed to enhancement of tactile sensations. Users also feel a high level of energy which can go on for several hours. This is one of the most dangerous effects of Ecstasy, and many users fail to realize how serious it actually is.

Through this sustained high energy levels that go on with hours of dancing during parties, the effects of Ecstasy tend to mask the body's perception of exhaustion and thirst. This leads to dehydration, increase in blood pressure and heart rate or hypertension, and hyperthermia. However, the number one cause of Ecstasy-related deaths is hyponatremia, a condition characterized by lowered sodium levels in the blood because of drinking excessive amounts of water. Such is the cause of death of two young school girls named Leah Betts and Anna Wood.

Furthermore, users also tend to engage in poly-drug use, or the use other drugs in conjunction with Ecstasy, in order to complement the pleasurable effects derived from Ecstasy. An example is the combination of Ecstasy and Viagra, since Ecstasy is a "love drug" but not a "sex drug" for many users. Poly-drug use poses a greater threat for users, since side effects are often increased.

Addiction from Ecstasy also occurs, so it is necessary to put a user under addiction treatment to prevent further drug use and damage to the health. It may also be possible for an Ecstasy user to experience addiction to substances used with Ecstasy due to poly-drug use, so drug intervention may also be necessary to aid in the treatment of addiction to Ecstasy and other substances used with it such as Ketamine.