Of the many drug related cases that teen addiction rehabs get, one of the most common ones include Ecstasy addiction. Also referred to as ‘X' and ‘XTC', Hug, ‘Love Drug, Lover's Speed and Beans; this recreational drug which is used mostly in club parties and raves is increasingly abused by people in their teens and early 20s. The scientific name for Ecstasy is MDMA or methylenedioxymethamphetamine and is known to have properties that can mimic the effects of that of hallucinogens and stimulants.
Various rave parties that have been busted in US and many other places in the world have shown that the youth revels in taking these drugs. It is actually a banned substance because it has been used largely for date rapes. There have been many cases of boys trying to spike drinks of girls with ecstasy in order to make her sexually promiscuous with them.
The drug has the potency to reach the brain in less than 18 minutes and the pleasurable feelings of mirth and ‘ecstasy' lasts for nearly 6 hours. Funny sensations, increased sensitivity, manipulated perceptions of people and time are some of the symptoms that are identifiable with ecstasy. This is the reason why some people with ulterior motives, usually lust, tend to take advantage of gullible people by using this drug. The other symptoms that have been reported include chills, dizziness and sweatiness.
The trauma of having indulged in sexual relations against her wish can harangue the girl no end and along with the feeling of guilt comes the deep seated depression and self-hatred. There have been cases of girls' uteruses being damaged due to an overdose in certain cases. In other cases, girls and boys get hooked to the drug big-time because their mind begins to attach pleasurable feelings to the drug. These drugs are not just abused at rave parties but even at close-knit parties at home. Teens are blissfully ignorant that Ecstasy can cause a variety of health problems including liver damage, kidney problems, blood pressure and even cardiac arrest, leading to death.
Teenage treatment facilities have pointed out that 3 percent of teens have actually used this drug by the time they complete the eighth grade. This number can go up to 9 percent when the student finishes the tenth grade. Compared to people in their late teens, Ecstasy is abused more among people in their early teens and mid-teens.
Very less people know that Ecstasy is a manufactured drug and the proportions of chemicals used in the mixture can differ. Since most companies that manufacture them are of spurious nature, there is a high chance that these will contains a deadly mixture of poison and carcinogenic (cancer-causing) substances. The drugs are marketed and sold in a packing with funky or cute appeal to attract gullible teens.
As parents and responsible adults, you have to make sure that teens do not fall pretty to these temptations. You may do well discouraging children from going to such parties and nightclub; in case too much self-indulgence during teenage at places like night clubs is not advisable. Some of the signs that are visible in people who are using Ecstasy include slurred speech, inability to focus or concentrate, grinding teeth, clenching jaw movements and of course, dropping academic grades. When the teen is too much into this addiction, it is better to take him or her to a adolescent treatment center .
