Interesting articles from The Independent

[kettunainen]

How to have a sensual, drug-free birth

Tobacco and alcohol 'are more dangerous than LSD'

It's a newspaper after my own heart. *swoon*
(I think these two articles are pretty much my only experience with The Independent, so it's not like I have a huge sample from which to properly assess whether I totally dig them or not, but so far, so good.)

Comments

[alexisyael]

Actually, I take some umbrage with that second article -- while I agree about alcohol and tabacco being more dangerous than they are ranked, and pot certainly not being as dangerous as either, ecstacy is imo, not one of the least harmful drugs! Far from it... in terms of longterm mental health, X is just about the worst thing you can do for your seratonin levels.

(For the record, my mom did X in the early 80s and has been clincally depressed ever since. Now, she started out with depressive tendencies from her teens, but I believe that the X she did played a major role in her adult depression, as does she. And given the research, I think it's true. Now maybe X today isn't as pure as the stuff my mom did -- I mean, she was getting it direct from the university lab source. But still... it is not a drug I'd ever ever take. Ever. And I was a teenager in the ravealicious 90s. Most of my friends did X.)

But, as the child of hippies, I've pretty much stayed away from all of that myself. I learnt their lessons. (My sister did not, but that's another story.)

[misslynx]

But, as the child of hippies, I've pretty much stayed away from all of that myself.

I'm with you on that one. Nothing takes the appeal out of doing drugs like hearing drug stories from your parents. :-)

[alexisyael]

Or worse, remembering (or being told about) the stories that happened in your early childhood!

[kettunainen]

Ecstasy is not the same as MDMA. MDMA is the pure form, which is likely what your mother may have been getting; ecstasy is the street form that is usually cut with some sort of cocktail of amphetamines. The pure form, undoubtedly, would have more potential to cause irreversible damage to one's ability to functionally produce serotonin.

As with ANY drug, no one can predict how one's body will handle it. As such, one dose of MDMA OR ecstasy will affect Person 1 entirely differently as the same dose for Person 2, solely with respect to long-term serotonin production.

If a person has depression problems that are serotonin-based to begin with, ecstasy is probably not a drug they should use, and certainly not a drug they should abuse.

In the same vein, there is a vast difference between using a drug and abusing a drug. Most illicit substances are very easily abused -- especially ecstasy, due to its ability to make someone feel GOOD and carefree and wonderful. It's likely in the same family as marijuana, in that it is not physically addictive, but it is very likely psychologically addictive.

As far as my opinion is concerned, I would identify use as one or two tabs of ecstasy (no basis for comparison with MDMA, as I've never tried it), every 3 months MINIMUM, since it takes at least 3 months for the body to recover its pre-dose level of serotonin production. However, in the rave or club scene, it's extremely common to dose with 2-3 tabs on a monthly or even weekly basis. Which is, IMO, extremely stupid.

And studies have shown that long-term usage of ecstasy has resulted in the ab/users becoming highly anti-social, depressive, and anxious. Go figure.

I've done E about 5 times, and I've enjoyed the highs immensely and dealt accordingly with the lows. If I have any long-term ill-effects, with respect to serotonin production, it is minimal. I doubt, however, that I will resume my usage once baby nurturing has passed, simply because the side effects for me outweight the benefits. I'm glad I was able to experience the drug, because I learned a massive amount about my body, about personal and general neurochemistry, about music and dance, and about relationships -- knowledge I would not have otherwise acquired without the use of this substance (or cocktail of substances, more appropriately).

Having had a family torn apart by alcoholism, watching my dad die and grandfather wither away due to cigarette addiction, and having the positive and beneficial experiences with ecstasy, I am obviously biased in favour of E being considered much less harmful than it currently is. This is not to say that it is not or does not have the potential to be harmful in either a short-term or long-term capacity. Simply that I would place it in a lower category of harm than alcohol or cigarettes.

As with anything, informing oneself to the best of one's ability and acting responsibly in accordance with said knowledge is best.