Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ecstasy (tablet form), and molly (crystal form), is a type of drug known as an empathogen, meaning it effects emotional experience and makes people feel a heightened sense of empathy, euphoria, sympathy, inhibition and heightened sexual arousal. In the simplest of terms it increases both emotional and physical pleasure, and can lower a person's inhibitions making them more likely to do things they normally wouldn't do, making it a poplar club and party drug. From a chemical and physiological standpoint MDMA is a very complex drug in both its composition and the effects it has in the brain & central nervous system. In addition to being an empathogen, it is also a stimulant with minor psychedelic properties. It is classified as substituted amphetamine and is structurally similar to mescaline, which is a naturally occurring psychedelic found in certain species of cacti with similar effects to LSD (acid) & psilocybin (magic mushrooms); it is also similar to the stimulant methamphetamine causing high energy levels, euphoria & sexual inhibition. MDMA also stimulates higher levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine which are all neurotransmitters that play crucial roles in regulating mood, behavior, and various bodily functions; serotonin controls mood, sleep, and appetite, norepinephrine mediates alertness and stress response, and dopamine is involved in motivation, movement, and pleasure. While MDMA normally does not cause people to black out, it can do so when mixed with large amounts of substances that increase gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels, the most common of which are alcohol and benzodiazepines like diazepam (Valium). MDMA is classified as a schedule I controlled substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), meaning it has no recognized legitimate medical use. However recent studies have shown MDMA, along with other psychedelic drugs like LSD & psilocybin, are effective in treating mental disorders like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and schizophrenia.
