Ecstasy-Harms-Memory-with-One-Year-of-Recreational-Use

Ecstasy Harms Memory with One Year of Recreational Use

There has been significant debate in policy circles about whether governments have over-reacted to ecstasy by issuing warnings against its use and making it illegal. In the UK, David Nutt said ecstasy was less dangerous than horseback riding, which led to him being fired as the government's chief drug advisor. Others have argued that ecstasy is dangerous if you use it a lot, but brief use is safe.

New research published online July 25 by the scientific journal Addiction, gives some of the first information available on the actual risk of using ecstasy. It shows that even in recreational amounts over a relatively short time period, ecstasy users risk specific memory impairments. Further, as the nature of the impairments may not be immediately obvious to the user, it is possible people wouldn't get the signs that they are being damaged by drug use until it is too late.

According to the study, new ecstasy users who took ten or more ecstasy pills over their first year of use showed decreased function of their immediate and short-term memory compared with their pre-ecstasy performance. These findings are associated with damage of the hippocampus, the area of the brain that oversees memory function and navigation. Interestingly, hippocampal damage is one of the first signs of Alzheimer's disease, resulting in memory loss and disorientation.

The study participants took an average of 32 pills each over the course of the year, or about two and a half pills per month. Some participants took as few as ten pills over the year and still showed signs of memory impairments.

Lead author Dr. Daniel Wagner says: "This study was designed to minimize the methodological limitations of earlier research, in which it was not possible to say whether cognitive impairments seen among ecstasy users were in place before drug use began. By measuring the cognitive function of people with no history of ecstasy use and, one year later, identifying those who had used ecstasy at least ten times and remeasuring their performance, we have been able to start isolating the precise cognitive effects of this drug."

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Quotes

"I began to steal things from my parents and cut classes so that I could get high. The good feelings I was getting from Ecstasy were making me act out in ways that were damaging to myself and the people that cared about me."

Michelle

"I don't miss the fact that now when my lips move it is more than likely I am actually telling the truth."

Jane S

"I don't miss the fear that arose when I'm driving my car every time a police car hovers into view."

Steven

"My lowest point was when I realised I was stealing money from my daughters Christmas presents to fund my habit."

P. Gomez

"That's what made me think of stopping my drug habits - My Blood pressure spiked at 200/110 last week during a Panic Attack."

Maria

"Anyone being faced with the reality that their addiction needs to be conquered and their life will change is going to be scared."

Fatima

"You need to realize that the little voice in your head telling you to use is your own."

Maya

"Find out why you use, find out your triggers, and take it day by day. Any day clean is better than any day you’ve been high."

Ivan

"My goal in life wasn't living...it was getting high. I was falling in a downward spiral towards a point of no return"

John

"I ended up homeless and on the streets, living and sleeping in a cardboard box, begging and struggling to find ways to get my next meal."

Ben

"Now I see how important it is for me to be in control of every part of me. Today my body is being controlled by me. I am in the driver’s seat, and I’m driving with happiness."

Nathan

"Little did I know that my mom was upstairs crying every night that I came home late, crying because she was scared for my survival."

Nick

"I have been having nightmares for several months after only having taken ecstasy one time in my life."

Anonymous

"I couldn't eat or sleep. In fact, I was afraid to sleep, knowing what was lurking in my dreams."

Amber

"Each time I dropped, the next days "come down" was more depressing."

Josh

"Yes, I have tried "E". I now suffer with depression."

Bob

"A week after the first time, I was admitted to the hospital for severe anxiety and panic attacks."

Quenby

"The worst thing about it is the gurn. You may feel great, but to everyone else you look like you’ve done 20 pills. Everything is far more uncontrollable."

Anonymous

"I was addicted to the free feeling of being a child again. The feeling of not caring about what anyone thinks. The intense euphoria after feeling dead for years. Til this day I still have the urge to do ecstasy, but I do my best to stay away."

Melanie

"My friends describe me as obsessed when they talk about me at this point. All I talked about was raves and ecstasy. I stopped hanging out with the only two friends I really had in the world. They couldn't stand to be around me because I only wanted to tal"

Anonymous

"At one point I was spending $300 a week on drugs. I used to steal money from my parents. I would sell anything I could get my hands on."

Meaghan

"It's so easy to just do it, and to just increase how many drugs you do. And it's just, you don't really notice it, and you kinda like deny because you don't want yourself to know that you have a problem."

Ashley

"I think the biggest misconception about ecstasy would be 'yeah, it's real'. How do you know? I could be cut with anything, ranging from Ajax to rat poisoning. You have no idea what's in this thing you're about to take."

Jim

"Rehab is more along the lines of finding out who you are, not the 'stoned' you."

James

"It didn't really matter where I was. Clubs, bars, apartments - anywhere, anytime became a good place and a good time to use. My weekends began on Thursday and ran until Sunday."

Lynn

"So I am telling anyone who hasn’t tried it yet. Don’t. It’s not worth it because it takes over your life."

Anonymous

"A substantial percentage of the ecstasy in Britain comes from laboratories controlled by the Dutch. The tablets are then sold on to traffickers"

Tony Saggers, SOCA drug trafficking expert

"According to the UN office on drugs and crime, the global ecstasy group market is worth $16b"

BBC

"After a couple of months, I was out five or six times a week, off my face on E… the rest of the time I was just asleep"

Jed

"I wasn't eating or sleeping - I just wanted more MD"

Harri

"More and more often, I'd be going from having a really good night to just spiralling out of control"

Jules

"My uni work wasn't getting done, and I didn't care, because I knew at the end of the day I'd be getting my pills"

Tom

"It all came to a head when I was rushed to hospital in the middle of the night. The pills had been filled out with some horrible stuff"

Ade

"Rehab teaches you how to be you and not worry about what other people think, about you and not try to fit in."

Meaghan

"There is no miracle for anyone who was addict to be able to stop. It is lifetime struggle. But it is possible."

Albert

"MDMA ruined what we could have been. We were absolutely happy, until MDMA bumped into our lifes."

Jane

"I was skinny. My skin was the color of paper. My teeth were rotting out. I would steal anything I could get my hands on. I stole valuables from my dad. I didn't see anything wrong with the way I was acting."

Daniel

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Reach out for support
Don’t try to go it alone. Whatever treatment approach you choose, having a solid support system is essential. The more positive influ...
Don’t try to go it alone. Whatever treatment approach you choose, having a solid support system is essential. The more positive influences you have in your life, the better your chances for recovery. Recovering from drug addiction isn’t easy, but with people you can turn to for encouragement, guidance, and a listening ear, it’s a little easier.
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Learn healthy ways to cope with problems
Even once you’ve recovered from drug addiction, you’ll still have to face the issues that led to your drug problems in the first pl...
Even once you’ve recovered from drug addiction, you’ll still have to face the issues that led to your drug problems in the first place. Did you start using drugs to numb painful emotions, calm yourself down after an argument, unwind after a bad day, or forget about your problems? After you become sober, the negative feelings that you used to dampen with drugs will resurface. For treatment to be successful, and to remain sober in the long term, you’ll need to resolve these underlying issues as well.
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Look for help
There are many groups and organizations available to help you overcome your addiction. Once you have set your mind to beating your addi...
There are many groups and organizations available to help you overcome your addiction. Once you have set your mind to beating your addiction you can seek help from one of the groups to help you accomplish your goal. Groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, or Debtors Anonymous are trained to work with you to successfully beat your addiction. They are a mentor, a crutch, and a friend in a time of need.
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Seek support from your family
Your family needs to be involved in your journey to fight your addiction. Only you can accomplish this important task, but you need to ...
Your family needs to be involved in your journey to fight your addiction. Only you can accomplish this important task, but you need to ask for the support and help of your family. You may think you are the first family member with an addiction, especially substance abuse, but if you carefully examine your family history you may find a similar addiction in past generations.
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Regain Power
Many addictions are undermined because we believe we are powerless to change the situation. This is not true! You do have the power to ...
Many addictions are undermined because we believe we are powerless to change the situation. This is not true! You do have the power to make change. It may be slow and painful. It may result in times where you fall backwards but you have the power to pick yourself up, wipe yourself off, and go forward again. Use your power to take one minute at a time, one hour at a time, and one day at a time. As you move forward use your power to look one week into the future, one month into the future.
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Know in your heart that it can be better

Get a positive attitude and hang onto it like a lifeline. A key to successful detox from ecstasy is a positive angle. Remember, it is a...

Keep an eye on your goal

Identify it. Explain it. Make the images in your consciousness as detailed and categorical as you feel you can. Be driven by this goal ...

Be accountable

You should be holding yourself responsible for your actions, both past and present. This does not imply you don't make mistakes. Everyb...

Don't mix pills

Avoid mixing pills in the same session to reduce the chance of impurity interactions, or being flattened by two pills with radically di...

Know you are not alone

Many others before you have succeeded in ending their relationship with ecstasy. You can easily find help and hope from friends, family...

Try Cognitive Behavior Modification Therapies

Much of the addiction and failure to overcome ecstasy is a result of behaviors and mental conditioning. By participating in cognitive ...

Know what you are facing

Ecstasy kills more 16-24 year olds than other stimulats like speed and crystal meth....

Keep track of your use

Keep track of your ecstasy use, including when and how much you use. This will give you a better sense of the role the addiction is pla...

Talk about your problem

Talk it over with someone you trust. Ask the person how he or she feels about your drug use....

Go little by little

Set specific, measurable goals, such as a quit date or limits on your ecstasy use....

Learn from your past experiences

Think about your past attempts at quitting, if any. What worked? What didn’t?...

Emergencies

Never be afraid to call an ambulance if you’re concerned for your friend’s health while using ecstasy. Paramedics aren’t policeme...

Mixing Drugs

Generally, just don’t. Particularly amphetamines and cocaine – the latter has been implicated in several deaths – but alcohol, an...

Test kit

If you plan to take ecstasy, at least be safe and buy a test kit. There is so much fake MDMA floating around that you could well end up...

Leave the scene

If you want to kick your ecstasy habit, stop hanging around and going with the people you do MDMA with. This doesn’t need to be a lon...

Exercise

Go for a run, or play some football, or hit the gym. Take your mind off the drugs and get your heart beating – you’ll feel better a...

Be accountable

Stay committed to holding yourself accountable for your actions, both past and present. This doesn’t mean you don’t make mistakes. ...

Take Vitamin C

It's an antioxidant and will prevent MDMA neurotoxicity. Take large amounts of it (500-2000mg) before, during and after. Avoid Vitamin ...

Avoid "Diet" Drinks

In fact, any drink containing artificial sweeteners (such as aspartame). They contain phenylaline, a substance which increases the neur...

Drink Fruit Juices

They are more efficient in replacing lost nutrients. Avoid fizzy drinks as they can cause nausea....

Herbal Alternatives

Certain health food stores attempt to market pills that are supposed to mimic the effects of Ecstasy, but are legal to sell. Ephedrine,...

Do anything that helps produce pleasure chemicals

Both TV and books do this. Exercise also works. Actually, anything that you used to like can release this kind of chemicals....

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