MDMA

Sometimes people email me with questions about my MDMA article. The other day, I got this heartbreaking email. I wrote the author back with a few suggestions and and was granted permission to use this letter anonymously on my site.

Hi Elaine,

I stumbled upon your website in my search for a way to repair the damage I have done to my brain through ecstasy use. I was in college in xxx (where it was first popularized) in the mid-eighties when Ecstasy first became a club drug, back before it became illegal. The bartenders in the clubs of my little college town actually sold it openly right there along with the beers and cocktails. EVERYONE was doing it and we did it ALL the time. I did a lot of it during those years in school and finally quit when I felt it was ruining my memory. I was an honor's student and feared it was starting to affect my grades. It has been over 15 years since I've taken it, but for years now I have suffered from depression, anxiety, panic attacks and body dysmorphic disorder and I can't help but think that it was caused by my use of this drug since prior to my drug use I never suffered from any of these maladies.

The reason I am writing you is to see if in any of your research you have found any recommendations as to which psychiatric drugs may be of benefit to someone like myself who has most likely done irreparable damage to my serotonin and dopamine receptors. I recently started taking Wellbutrin (Bupropion), an antidepressant, which I'm hoping will help alleviate some of my problems. I am also very frightened of the possibility of Parkinson's disease due to the damage I have done. If you have any suggestions or resources you could recommend, I would be grateful to hear from you. Thank you.

I'm going to share the suggestions I've been making when people write looking for help. First, you must stop using toxic drugs like amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA, MDA, and the like. None of these drugs are safe, no matter what you take before a trip. As long as you keep using them, you are doing more damage. MDMA isn't too addictive, but amphetamine and methamphetamine are. If you can't seem to quit, you need to find some help. Many employee benefit packages include assistance programs that provide free, confidential access to addiction counseling. Most colleges and universities also have confidential counseling programs where you can go for free help that won't affect your standing or grades. You could also try attending a Narcotics Anonymous meeting or talking to your regular doctor.

If you need help coping with problems like depression or anxiety, I have a friend who is an expert psychiatrist. She is one of the most gifted healers I've ever met and uses a powerful combination of classical psychiatry, naturopathic medicine, and a detailed knowledge of neurochemistry to develop very effective, individualized treatments. She is board certified in California and is currently accepting new patients. If you live in another state (or country), she is available for telephone consultations and can work with a doctor or psychiatrist in your area. Her name is Dr. Estelle Toby Goldstein and there is contact information on her website.

It is very important to make sure your brain and body have the nutrition they need to repair damage. Brain cells that are actually dead are gone for good, but cells that are only damaged do slowly regrow. Truehope makes a nutritional supplement called EMPowerPlus that has helped thousands of people who suffer from psychiatric illnesses like bipolar illness, depression, and anxiety. It is active in animal models of a kind of damage called apoptosis, the same kind that's caused by MDMA and related drugs. This means that EMPowerPlus has the potential to partly heal drug-related damage. If you're on psychiatric medications, you will need some help using EMPowerPlus becasue it interacts with them. Dr. Goldstein can help you if you become her patient, or you and your local doctor can get help from the Truehope call center.

Finally, consider looking for a naturopathic doctor in your area. Antidepressants and other psychiatric medications may help with some of your symptoms, but there is a lot more that can be done. Naturopathic doctors are experts at helping your body repair itself by using nutritional supplements, lifestyle changes, herbal medicine, acupuncture, and other alternative, non-invasive medical treatments. Find a naturopath in your area through the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.