Ecstasy Addiction Intervention and Treatment in California
Ecstasy addiction intervention and treatment options in California include family intervention, drug detox, residential drug rehab, and outpatient drug rehab. Ecstasy drug abuse is a common problem among teens and young adults. When searching for drug rehab programs in California for ecstasy addiction, there are some options to consider. Initially, an addiction assessment is a good place to start, and this is usually done with a qualified healthcare professional. The purpose of an addiction assessment is to determine the extent and severity of drug addiction and what drug rehab options are available to help. Families should also consider accessing drug rehab through their private or state health insurance plans. Most health insurance covers some portion of drug rehab, but the extent of coverage is different for each health insurance plan. In addition, a family interventionist helps families locate suitable drug rehab options in California.
What is Ecstasy, and How is it Used?
MDMA or 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (ecstasy) is a synthetic drug that alters mood and perception. The drug is chemically similar to stimulants and hallucinogens and produces feelings of increased energy, pleasure, emotional warmth, and distorted sensory and time perception. Nothing about the drug is natural, and it is synthesized in a lab and became initially popular in the nightclub scene and at all-night dance parties. MDMA in the United States is primarily manufactured in and smuggled across U.S. borders from labs in Canada and the Netherlands. Ecstasy is mainly distributed in tablet form, and tablets are often sold with logos, creating brand names that drug users seek out. Using ecstasy mainly involves swallowing tablets, which are sometimes crushed and snorted, occasionally smoked, but rarely injected. The drug is also sold as a powder, and someone using ecstasy takes three or more tablets at once or by taking a series of tablets over a short period of time. Drug rehab centers in California treat additions where ecstasy is part of polysubstance abuse.
What are Common Street Names for Ecstasy
Some of the common street names for ecstasy include Adam, Beans, Clarity, Disco Biscuit, E, Eve, Go, Hug Drug, Lover’s Speed, Peace, STP, X, and XTC. Within the United States, ecstasy or MDMA is a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and no current accepted medical use. The drug is appealing to recreational drug users because it produces effects similar to amphetamine and mescaline, causing stimulation and hallucinations. However, ecstasy is connected to toxicity poisoning and overdose because it interferes with the body’s ability to regulate temperature. Using ecstasy can lead to a sharp increase in body temperature, resulting in liver, kidney, cardiovascular system failure, and death.
What Causes Ecstasy Addiction?
Ecstasy addiction occurs because of recreational drug use and polysubstance abuse. California drug rehab centers that treat ecstasy addiction are helping addicts overcome recreational drug use problems and drug addiction involving more than one substance. Ecstasy is an appealing drug to addicts because of the stimulating and hallucinating effects it creates. The drug increases activity with different brain chemicals, like dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. The drug user experiences increased motor activity, alertness, heart rate, and blood pressure. Ecstasy also causes changes in perception, including euphoria, and increases sensitivity to touch, energy, sensual and sexual arousal, need to be touched, and need for stimulation.
The effects of ecstasy last about three to six hours and many drug users take a second dose as the effects of the first dose begin to fade. The health effects of ecstasy include nausea, muscle cramping, involuntary teeth clenching, blurred vision, chills, and sweating. Moderate and regular use of ecstasy will lead to irritability, impulsiveness, and aggression, depression, sleep problems, anxiety, memory, and attention problems, decreased appetite and decreased interest in and pleasure from sex. Ecstasy is addictive, even with recreational drug use. Ecstasy users will also experience withdrawal symptoms that include fatigue, loss of appetite, depression, and trouble concentrating.
Ecstasy Addiction Treatment and Detox in California
Ecstasy addiction treatment and detox programs in California provide different options for all addiction types. No one form of drug rehab is right for every person, and it is critical to match treatment intervention and settings to the needs of the addict. Treating ecstasy addiction involves drug detox as the first step. The drug detox process manages withdrawal symptoms and craving to make it possible to transition to drug rehab. However, drug detox should not be considered the only approach to rehabilitation as it will not provide adequate counseling and therapy. Residential and outpatient drug rehab programs in California offer excellent treatment for ecstasy addiction. Some of the common therapy approaches include behavioral therapies. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, contingency management, motivational interviewing, and family therapy approaches.
Some drug rehab centers incorporate holistic drug rehab, non-traditional approaches, 12-step facilitation, or experiential therapy. The therapy process should meet the needs of the addict. Outpatient drug rehab in California provides much of the same approaches, but the patient is not living at the facility during rehabilitation. It is also critical to follow through with aftercare support, whether it involves 12-step meetings once a week or every day. Aftercare support involves peer support groups, sober living homes, and outpatient drug rehab centers. Aftercare provides a stable drug-free environment for the recovering addict.
Family Intervention for Ecstasy Addiction in California
Someone abusing ecstasy is likely misusing other drugs and may not admit they have an addiction problem. Family intervention in California for drug addiction is an excellent option to help someone refusing to accept drug rehab. The best way to organize and plan a family intervention is with the help of a professional interventionist. Family, friends, and an interventionist come together to confront the drug-addicted family member and offer them prearranged drug rehab. Family intervention is a carefully planned process and is effective for all severity of addiction. Unfortunately, ecstasy abuse and addiction impact many young people in California. According to the California Behavioral Health Barometer, between 2017 and 2019, the annual average prevalence of past-month illicit drug use in California among teens was 9.6%. Compared to the regional and national average, it was much higher.
Sources-
NIDA. “MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly) DrugFacts.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 15 Jun. 2020, https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/mdma-ecstasymolly
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Behavioral Health Barometer: California, Volume 6: Indicators as measured through the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services. HHS Publication No. SMA–20–Baro–19–CA. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2020. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt32821/California-BH-Barometer_Volume6.pdf
