Behavior Changes of MDMA :: Illegal Drugs Medical Psychology Ecstasy Essays

Behavior Changes of MDMA The secondary effects on behavior are expressed in several ways that differ from one person to the next. These effects can range from memory impairment and anxiety, to depression and mood swings. They are a direct result of the chemical changes within the body that occur when someone uses ecstasy. I will discuss the range of effects in more detail, with explanations that get to the root causes for each. One of the major behavior changes, after the effects of the drug have worn off, is a symptom of the reduced levels of serotonin in the brain. As ecstasy infiltrates the brain tissues, its effects cause the brain to produce copious amounts of serotonin. Following such an extreme release of this neurotransmitter, the brain goes through of period of time in which it has a below normal level of serotonin. This reduced level creates elevated levels of anxiety in users, and can often result in panic attacks that persist for several months following the use of the drug. However, it is important to note that, according to a study from the European Journal of Pharmacology (Gurtman, et al, 2002); "whether such effects are a direct result of MDMA use†¦ is, at present, uncertain." This admission goes to show that correlation doesn't mean causation, and that until further research can be done we can only speculate about the relationship between the two. Another side effect, that is reported to be affected by the levels of serotonin in the brain, is that of memory functioning. Several different areas of memory are included in this assertion, including cognitive capacity, recall over time, and planning ability. It is suggested that heavy users, when compared to a control group, have a harder time with primary areas of brain functioning that relate to memory. In a study conducted at the University of Cologne, in Germany (Gouzoulis- Mayfrank, et. al, 2004), research indicates that, "findings of relatively low memory performance associated with heavy ecstasy use have been relatively consistent across different studies and user populations." This assertion is fairly recent in the literature, which would suggest that the findings have taken note of the broad range of studies that came before it. With that said, it's hard to ignore the idea that a drug that induces such euphoric effects on the mindset of an