TRIP

Ecstasy

Better Health Channel (Australia), 2004

Ecstasy is the common name for the illegal synthetic drug called Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).
It is both a stimulant and a hallucinogen, since it speeds up the workings of the central nervous system and alters the user's perception of reality.
Today in Australia ecstasy is made in backyard laboratories, which means the user has no idea if the dose will be strong or weak.
Liquid ecstasy is gamma-hydroxybutyrate or GHB, and is also known as grievous bodily harm (GBH) or fantasy.
GHB is usually a colourless, odourless, bitter or salty-tasting liquid, sold in small bottles or vials.
GHB is sometimes used in the dance and club scene as it can produce feelings of euphoria, relaxation and sociability, and an increased urge for sex.
It produces symptoms of drowsiness, amnesia and impaired movement and speech, as well as more serious symptoms of agitation, unconsciousness and respiratory collapse.
When we are stressed or under threat, the central nervous system readies us for physical action by creating particular physiological changes.
Key functions like heart rate and blood pressure may increase, redirecting blood flow into the muscles and away from the gut.
As a nervous system stimulant, ecstasy works by prompting the brain to initiate this 'fight or flight' response and the user feels refreshed by a burst of energy.
Ecstasy's hallucinogenic properties distort the user's experience of reality by triggering hallucinations of both sight and sound.