Is Ecstasy Addictive?

August 28th, 2023

By P. Casey Arrillaga, LCSW, LCDC

People
often wonder if the popular club/rave drug Ecstasy is addictive. This turns out
to be a more complicated question than it sounds because there is no one
formula for Ecstasy. The primary ingredient that users expect, MDMA, is often
combined with other substances without telling the user, and sometimes the MDMA
is left out completely. This post looks at what’s going on behind the scenes
with Ecstasy and what that means for the people who use it.

Buyer
Beware

Most
people know that when they buy street drugs, there is no guarantee that they
will get what they paid for. Street drugs are often adulterated or “cut” with
other drugs, sometimes to get a better high and thus sell more, sometimes to
stretch the drug further by adding something less expensive to increase profits,
and sometimes because the popular drugs are less available, so the dealer uses
what is readily available in order to make the sale. There is often no regard
and no recourse for the end user.

Nowhere
is this dynamic more apparent than with Ecstasy. Most users know that the
active ingredient they want is MDMA, which increases a sense of friendship,
trust, and empathy, while also providing a stimulant effect and enhancing enjoyment
of music. All of this makes it seem perfect for use in clubs and raves, and it
has been popular in these settings for decades.

What
many users may not know is that MDMA is often cut with other substances and
sometimes is left out completely. About one of every four Ecstasy users tested
in one study turned out to not even be getting MDMA at all, even if they used a
powdered form that was sold as “pure MDMA.” While MDMA has not been shown to be
particularly addictive, some of the substances that are added or even
completely substituted for MDMA have high abuse and addiction potential. Researchers
analyzed both samples of Ecstasy/”pure MDMA” and performed hair follicle tests
on self-reported users. Here is a partial list of the drugs they found had been
added without the users being told:

• Amphetamine
• Methamphetamine
• Ketamine
• PCP
• Synthetic cathinones (“bath salts”)
• Unknown/uncommon psychoactive drugs

While
some of these drugs have become more common in samples and some less common, it
is alarming that the general trend among Ecstasy/MDMA users is that they have
become less suspicious over time that the drug they are taking is not what it
was advertised to be. This increased trust leads to increased risk.

What
This Means for People Who Use Ecstasy

As
people take Ecstasy, the risk of unintentional exposure to harmful substances
is very high. This is even worse because they think they are taking something
that has low abuse potential when they may be getting substances that are
highly addictive, such as methamphetamine or PCP. These drugs that not only
have a high abuse potential but also a proven track record of leading to
dangerous behaviors, legal consequences, injury, mental health issues, and
death.

It
is also important to point out that while MDMA has not been proven to lead to
abuse and addiction as much as some other drugs, it still caries risk even when
it isn’t mixed with other substances. It has been known to cause overheating in
users to the point that they are in medical danger. A number of deaths have
been attributed to MDMA for this reason. It is possible that some of these may
have been caused by a combination of MDMA and other drugs, but as we’ve seen
already, this is a constant danger for anyone using this drug. Ecstasy/MDMA
users are rolling the dice with heavy consequences every time they use it, and
they often seem unaware of it.

Clearly,
better education on this is necessary if the risks are to be diminished. It’s
unrealistic to think that Ecstasy manufacturers and dealers are going to offer
a safer product. Instead, end users need to be informed. Research has shown
that the more Ecstasy/MDMA users are educated about the potential risks and
likelihood that they are not getting what they expected, the less likely they
are to use it, something that is not true of every drug. This means that
education about the realities of Ecstasy/MDMA can be an effective and
potentially life-saving use of drug education resources.

The
Bottom Line

It
is never safe to take an illicit substance, and Ecstasy is no exception. Users
who take it may be getting any number of other drugs they didn’t mean to take,
even if what they are sold is marketed as “pure MDMA.” As a result, it is hard
to say if Ecstasy is addictive because you never know what you are really
getting. At the end of the day, your best bet is to avoid taking it at all.

About The Author

P. Casey Arrillaga is the Team Leader for Education at
Windmill Wellness Ranch, and he is the author of books including “Realistic
Hope: The Family Survival Guide for Facing Alcoholism and Other Addictions”.
His books, podcast, videos, etc. can be found at CaseyAuthor.com