Recent studies suggest that using ecstasy may cause permanent brain damage. But lots of young people discount the danger when they're promised four to six hours of carefree and intense bliss. Ecstasy's high is said to produce feelings of expansive well-being, endless energy, sociability and trust. The high allows users to dance all night without feeling tired. Techno music played in clubs often speaks of the same feelings of freedom and brotherhood that the drug produces.
Ecstasy comes in tablets, capsules, powder or liquid.
It is classified as both a stimulant and a hallucinogen, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. MDMA spikes the serotonin level in the brain. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that helps control mood, sleep, thought, sexual activity, eating, sensitivity to pain and aggressiveness. The several hours' surge leaves serotonin supplies depleted for days to weeks after the high wears off. Studies show that serotonin levels may drop as much as 90 percent.