Is MDMA Addictive?

Getting Help When Ecstasy Stops Working

I never imagined myself suffering from a severe substance use disorder to the point I ended up homeless, but it happened. My ecstasy addiction began in high school when I started partying and hanging out with shady people. My use of ecstasy escalated to the point where I was using it from the time I woke up to the time I crashed, however many days later it was.

Is MDMA addictive? For me, it sure was, and it led to a life I realized I didn’t want to lead any longer.

Ecstasy is a party drug that is often used to keep you going all night. A lot of younger people abuse ecstasy, especially in the electronic music scene. My ecstasy abuse went far enough to where I wasn’t using it to party. I was using it just to get through my day.

Keep reading if this sounds familiar in any way, and hear more about my story, and how I found a source of help at Icarus Behavioral Health in Nevada when it finally came time and I sought recovery!

Is MDMA Addictive and What are the Long Term Effects of Ecstasy Abuse?

The long term abuse of MDMA can wreak havoc on your brain and have negative consequences on your personal life as well. When I finally sought treatment through Icarus Behavioral Health in Las Vegas, I had to put up quite a fight to get my mind right and undo all of the damage that MDMA had done to me. It took a lot, but if you really want to get clean, I believe it’s possible for anyone.

No matter how intense or difficult your addiction may be, long-term recovery is possible. An ecstasy addiction may be difficult to deal with, but it’s a drug that isn’t impossible to get off of. How does one get addicted to MDMA or ecstasy? Read more to learn about the dangers of this common party drug.

The Beginning of an Ecstasy Addiction

When I started experimenting with drugs in my younger years, MDMA and ecstasy were some of the most fun experiences I had ever had. I would go to raves with friends and dance all night. I couldn’t have imagined going to any kind of musical event or festival without ecstasy pills in my pocket. It was all fun and games at first, but the symptoms of ecstasy addiction were all right there.

Ecstasy is a powerful stimulant that produces increased energy. It is one of those drugs where your body temperature rises and your brain overproduces dopamine and serotonin, which results in extreme euphoria and elevated mood.

Because of this, the comedown associated with ecstasy MDMA is brutal. You go from feeling on top of the world to feeling like you got hit by a bus.

Chronic Ecstasy Use and Mental Health

Because of the effects of ecstasy, you are living in a world of highs and lows when you are becoming addicted to ecstasy. Just like with any drug, your tolerance to ecstasy depends on how much of it you use. If you take ecstasy on a regular basis, it isn’t going to have the same effect. More of it is needed to produce the desired effect.

Because it is a stimulant, or an ‘upper’ as they say, you are playing a dangerous game with your body and vital functions. Uppers can cause increased heart rate and blood pressure, which can put you at risk for heart and blood vessel issues. Using the drug on a regular basis not only affects your physical health, but it does a number on your mental health as well.

Maintaining MDMA Abuse: No Matter What

My journey from casual ecstasy user to full-blown addict was short. I was living with people who were selling it, so I had an easy way to get it. The more I used it, the more I needed to feel the way I wanted to feel. I started to run out of money, and eventually, I began to steal it from my roommates. I would sit in my apartment, high as a kite on MDMA, without a care in the world.

My addiction to ecstasy MDMA led me to engage in all of the usual addict behavior. When my roommates noticed someone was skimming their supply, I lied and acted just as surprised as them. I even suggested we set up cameras in the house, knowing that they wouldn’t actually go through with that process. I knew if they actually did that, I would be caught.

I even took packages from their mail, and found so-called research chemicals like 2-CB that I took as well, even without knowing the effects or possible consequences.

A Worsening Ecstasy Dependence

I was finally caught red-handed and kicked out of my apartment. Even though it was obvious that I was the one stealing their drugs, I still tried to deny it. Classic addict behavior. Even when you are caught and have no excuse, you will still find a way to lie your way through it. MDMA addiction will make you say whatever you have to in order to keep the supply coming.

I was put in a tough position by losing my access to MDMA. This would have been a great time to seek help, but I didn’t want it. I wanted to continue my MDMA addiction because I did not care about my well-being. I tried to start selling it myself in order to keep up my use of ecstasy. When you are addicted to the drug you are trying to sell, it probably isn’t going to work out. This is exactly what happened to me.

The Symptoms of Ecstasy Addiction in My Life

The symptoms of MDMA addiction are not that different than any other substance use disorder. Ecstasy users experience the irritability, fatigue, and anxiety that many addicts experience when they go without their drug of choice. An addiction to MDMA is more mental than physical, however many addicts have reported a physical dependence.

MDMA can have extremely negative effects on your mental health, especially if you have existing mental health problems. Drug abuse and mental issues are typically co-occurring disorders that require professional help. These psychological symptoms can be some of the toughest to work through when you finally do seek help.

Disrupted Sleep Patterns

Because it is a stimulant, prolonged ecstasy abuse leads to an increase in sleep issues. This can lead to dramatic changes in your perception of reality. Taking MDMA leads to a lack of sleep, which leads to a disruption in sleep patterns. If you go a day or two without sleep, the lines between reality and dreamworld start to blur.

This might sound fun to a casual drug user, but when you are in it, it can be terrifying. The level of anxiety you feel is off the charts. I’ve gone days without sleep and it led me to terrifying hallucinations, sort of like meth psychosis, which makes sense given the chemical similarities between the two stimulants. These negative effects are kind of the side effects that you can’t imagine until you are actually experiencing them.

What Does MDMA Addiction Treatment Offer?

Because MDMA addiction is still a relatively new form of drug addiction, there aren’t as many studies or research dedicated to it compared to other drugs. Oftentimes, ecstasy addiction treatment requires behavioral and mental health treatment approaches as well as the usual substance use disorder treatment. Detox is sometimes required for those dealing with intense withdrawal symptoms.

When I first arrived for detox at Icarus Behavioral Health in Nevada, my ecstasy use was an hour-by-hour addiction situation. I was dealing with all of the usual side effects, including sleep disruption, chills, teeth clenching, insomnia, nausea, and muscle cramps. The emotional effects were intense as well. Luckily for me, the people at Icarus were compassionate and professional and helped me through the worst of it.

Strong Cravings in Everyday Life

When I got out of treatment, the most difficult part for me was the boredom and the mental game. I heard something very poignant from one of my peers in group therapy… he said “You can take the drugs out of your body but you can’t take them out of your thoughts as easily”. This stuck with me, especially during my first few months of sobriety.

When you abuse drugs and then get sober, it doesn’t matter sometimes when the drugs are out of your system. You remember all the fun stuff and conveniently forget about all of the negative stuff.

I still remember the time I took ten or eleven pressed pills and nearly had an ecstasy overdose. My brain simply had no dopamine left to give. I felt none of the positive effects and began to lose feeling in my arms and legs. I ended up going to the Emergency Room when I felt pain in my chest as well, and they kept me for observation for several days due to severe depression and thoughts of self-harm.

I try very hard to keep things in perspective and remember how bad it got for me. This is what keeps me from going back to my old ways.

Moving On from Ecstasy MDMA Addiction

When you get sober from any drug, you need something else to fill that void. Finding a positive outlet is key to moving on from ecstasy addiction. I had to separate myself from the electronic music scene for a long time in order to not feel triggered.

I engage in a lot of outdoor activities including rafting and mountain biking. The adrenaline rush I get from these activities helps fill that void. I have no use in my life at this point for using ecstasy and all of the negative feelings associated with MDMA abuse.

Reach Out for MDMA Recovery at Icarus in Nevada

I have slowly started reinserting myself into the electronic music scene, and so far I have been able to do so without feeling the urge to relapse. I see other people using drugs, and watching the way they act is enough to keep me from using. You can still enjoy electronic music without being on ecstasy or any drugs at all, as hard as it may be for some people to believe that.

I see people going down the same road that I did, and I know for a fact that I will go right back to my old ways if I engage in that behavior. I’ve made sobriety the most important thing in my life, and Icarus in Nevada helped get me there.

If the party life isn’t quite what it used to be for you, and you’d like help overcoming a reliance on MDMA or ecstasy in any form, reach out to get options for support at Icarus. I know it was a life-changing call for me, and it can be for you and your loved ones too!