Heavy use of MDMA (ecstasy) may lead to long-term changes in your brain’s serotonin system — but there’s a lot we still don’t know.
MDMA, also known as ecstasy or Molly, is a synthetic psychoactive drug that acts as both a stimulant and a hallucinogen, changing mood and perception.
By boosting levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, MDMA produces feelings of euphoria, increased sociability, and heightened senses.
However, prolonged or heavy use of MDMA can have short- and long-term effects on your brain, which may lead to emotional and cognitive issues.
MDMA primarily increases the release of serotonin and norepinephrine. Serotonin is crucial for regulating mood, sleep, pain, appetite, and other functions, and the increased release of serotonin contributes to MDMA’s mood-elevating effects.
However, the excessive serotonin release results in significant short-term depletion of serotonin in your brain. This can contribute to negative psychological aftereffects such as depression, anxiety, and fatigue, which you
MDMA affects the norepinephrine system as well. This contributes to the emotional excitement, euphoric feelings, and cognitive impairment you may often experience with MDMA use.
Short-term effects of heavy MDMA use
Research in rodents indicates that binge-dosing with MDMA (taking multiple moderate to high doses in 1 day) can have notable effects on the serotonin system, which may have implications for people who use the drug.
In rats, these effects include reduced expression of the serotonin transporter responsible for recycling serotonin and changes in genes that regulate serotonin production. Similar effects on the serotonin system in humans could potentially disrupt serotonin levels, leading to changes in mood and cognition (ability to think).
However, further research is necessary to fully understand the specific effects of these changes on people who use MDMA.
Prolonged or heavy MDMA use can result in persistent changes in your brain’s serotonin system. Regular overuse of MDMA use has been linked to confusion, depression, anxiety, paranoia, and difficulties with memory and attention.
Specifically,
- It affects neurotransmitter systems, including serotonin, dopamine, and GABA.
- It causes excessive release of glutamate and serotonin, which damages neurons.
- It disrupts hippocampal function, which affects memory and learning.
- It causes changes in dopaminergic and NMDA receptors, which contribute to MDMA’s effects on memory and learning.
These changes can last for some time. Findings from primate studies show reduced numbers of serotonergic neurons 7 years after MDMA exposure.
What’s the difference between recreational use and MDMA-assisted therapy?
Recreational MDMA use is nonmedical, recreational use of the drug for its euphoric and mind-altering effects. People typically use MDMA in social settings, at parties, or at music festivals to enhance mood and increase sociability and sensation. People also often use it alongside alcohol or other drugs, which may enhance the negative effects.
MDMA-assisted therapy is a therapeutic approach that uses MDMA as a tool within a controlled and supervised therapeutic setting. It involves using lower doses of MDMA in conjunction with multihour psychotherapy sessions to address mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety.
This therapy aims to facilitate emotional healing, enhance self-reflection, and promote a therapeutic process that can lead to long lasting positive outcomes.
Researchers’ understanding of MDMA toxicity has evolved over time. While the drug was initially thought to cause immediate dependence and pose a high risk to public health, current studies no longer indicate for sure that MDMA can cause addiction.
Some of the effects of MDMA, such as its control over serotonin and influence on learning pathways in the brain, are exactly what makes it so promising as a tool for therapeutic use.
Cognitive behavioral therapy and other forms of talk therapy can be highly effective for many people, but people with PTSD or other mental health conditions may also find that traditional treatments do not bring them relief.
According to a
These “rapid effect models” using psychedelics have been shown to have lasting effects on participants.
In one smaller study in Sweden, researchers followed 50 people with severe mental health conditions for 5 years as they participated in psychedelic-assisted therapy. They found that most participants experienced improvements in their mood, emotional control, memory, and relationships.
Throughout the long study, no serious adverse effects were recorded.
MDMA-assisted therapy shows promise in treating conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. However, it’s essential to seek professional medical guidance rather than attempting to self-medicate.
Self-medicating with MDMA poses significant potential dangers, including physical and psychological harm. MDMA misuse can deplete serotonin levels, leading to negative effects on mood, memory, and thinking ability.
The risk of severe health complications, such as hyperthermia, cardiovascular issues, and even death, increases with overdosing or consuming impure substances.
You can read more about ongoing MDMA-assisted research on the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies website or at ClinicalTrials.gov.
Getting support
If you’d like to change your relationship to MDMA, know that you don’t have to do it alone. Here are some well-known nonprofit addiction recovery support groups that you can check out when you’re ready:
- Narcotics Anonymous (NA): NA is a 12-step program that focuses on recovery from substance abuse.
- SMART Recovery: SMART Recovery is a science-based program that offers tools and techniques to help people overcome addictive behaviors.
- Dual Recovery Anonymous (DRA): DRA is a support group specifically designed for people with dual diagnoses, including addiction and mental health conditions. This may be relevant for some ecstasy users.
Due to its impact on the serotonin system, recreational use of MDMA can have significant and lasting effects on your brain, resulting in emotional and cognitive challenges that extend beyond the immediate experience.
However, the latest research also suggests that MDMA can be highly effective as part of a treatment plan for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other severe mental health conditions.
If you’re living with an MDMA addiction and want to regain control, consider seeking professional help by consulting a healthcare professional or an addiction specialist.
