Treatment provided at this luxury private addiction treatment centre is designed to address the addictive relationship to whatever substance is being consumed. However, since the primary focus on admission is restoring the patient’s health and ensuring their safety as soon as possible, the medical team will hone in specifically on the drug(s) of current intoxication; in this case ecstasy.
Our substance abuse treatment specialists will be mindful of ecstasy’s chemical properties and its short and long-term effects on brain and body. They will consider the risks associated with the person’s historic and current level of consumption, as well as in any potential withdrawal symptoms.
It is rare for ecstasy to be used exclusively. It often features in what is known as polydrug substance use disorder, where substances may be used simultaneously or taken to counter the effects of other drugs. The management of ecstasy withdrawal symptoms will include an assessment of the likely presence in the system of such drugs, including particularly alcohol. It will also consider the complication of what substances the drug may have been cut with to make it go further.
Ecstasy is a synthetic drug whose real name is the near-unpronounceable 3, 4-methylenedioxymethylamphetamine and it is something of a relief to be able to use the common abbreviation MDMA or some of its slang names like Molly, XTC, X or E. It is both a stimulant and a hallucinogenic and comes in liquid or powder form, increasing the risk of ecstasy use to drug abuse.
Its appeal is in its ability to produce an enhanced state of wellbeing, increased empathy, sexual arousal and more vivid sensory perception. Due to its positive effect on sociability, it is sometimes referred to as a “party” drug. It is often taken in venues like nightclubs or during concerts, raves and festivals. It frequently features in substance-enhanced sexual activity (“chemsex”) as it heightens feelings of intimacy and is one reason to assess for sexually transmitted infection.
There are a variety of physical downsides to ecstasy abuse, including rapid breathing, blurred vision, nausea, loss of appetite, heat exhaustion, sweating, increased heart rate and hypertension. Potential adverse mental effects include anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations. The treatment team will be aware of a possible sharp slump in mood brought on by stopping intake of the drug. Non-medical treatment options will be drawn upon to ease symptoms of depression and anxiety although psychotropic medication may prove necessary in some cases.
Longer term adverse effects of ecstasy abuse include insomnia and depression as well as confusion and impaired memory due to MDMA’s neurotoxic effects. Ecstasy overdose and severe health consequences can also occur. Improving sleep, nutrition and exercise will help to stabilise mood and improve baseline health. The impact of the common symptom of teeth grinding may require dental treatment. While the brain tries to re-set its functions, it will take a while after the last use to gauge whether there is any residual damage to functions like memory, attention span or problem-solving ability.
Clinic Les Alpes is located in the beautiful alps mountain providing luxury holistic treatment for ecstasy addiction. Recovery-oriented therapies, including the involvement of family and support groups, will look to gain insight into the attraction to the drug, identify ways of coping with thoughts, feelings and impulses leading to its use, as well as to find healthy ways of reaping emotional reward and benefit from social interaction without recourse to use of ecstasy.
