Ecstasy and Teens

I was watching TV last night and I saw a PSA (public service announcement) about a 21 year old girl who died the third time that she used ecstasy. Usually I just ignore the majority of public service announcements because I’m pretty much aware of the information that they are telling me. This one was different though because I didn’t know that you could die from using ecstasy. I know that it wasn’t good for you, but I didn’t know that it could kill you. Then I thought, well since I didn’t know this, a lot of other people probably don’t know that about ecstasy either. And now here we are.

So if you have read this blog, you know how I feel about teen drug use (it’s a bad idea). Ecstasy is no exception. What makes teen ecstasy abuse such an serious issue is that it is pretty easily accessible, and as a result, is easily abused. Because ecstasy is known to produce feelings of happiness and love, a lot of teens use ecstasy at parties and raves as a way to have a good time. And while ecstasy can be a good time, it also results in some really scary and dangerous consequences.

First I want to talk about the physical consequences of teen ecstasy abuse. Then I’ll get to the psychological consequences (which are also pretty bad). Some of the physical consequences of ecstasy abuse include:

• muscle tension
• nausea
• blurred visions
• fainting
• increased blood pressure and heart rate
• overdose and death

When you take ecstasy, your heart rate increases and your body can overheat, causing dehydration, seizures, liver failure, cardiovascular problems, and death.

Along with these physical consequences of ecstasy use, there are also psychological consequences that effect teens who use ecstasy. These psychological effects include:

• anxiety
• confusion
• depression
• intense fear
• memory loss

These psychological factors can last even after you have stopped using ecstasy and can cause sever disruptions in your life and your normal daily functioning.

Like other drugs, ecstasy can be harmful and can result in death. A lot of teens also put themselves in danger when they decide that they want to take multiple doses of ecstasy in order to prolong their high. This is another reason why ecstasy is so dangerous—this increase in dosage can cause your heart rate to increase and can result in dehydration, which can result in death.

Ecstasy is not something to be taken lightly, and just because it makes you feel good doesn’t mean that it is harmless. Ecstasy can have serious and long-lasting consequences on your mind and body. Parents and friends should know the signs of teen ecstasy abuse so that if someone you love is abusing ecstasy, you can get them help before they do permanent damage to their minds and bodies.

Labels: teen-addiction, teen-depression, teen-drug-abuse, teen-drug-help, teen-drug-rehab, teen-ecstasy-abuse, teen-rehab, teen-substance-abuse

posted by beth @ 3:53 PM 

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