Would you guys be open to my posting a request for help with my survey for school? I posted quite some time ago and got some really helpful feedback and great ideas. Learned quite a bit Please let me know what ya think! Also, if you have any other ideas about other places I could post, that would be great. Thanks, Kira Some Food for Thought: MDMA and Depression I think one of the hot topics/questions among Ecstasy users/researchers is whether or not Ecstasy use is associated with chronic depression. However, this is a complex Q as both genetic and envrionmental factors play a role in clinical depression. The following research study discusses the links between having a genetic vulnerability for depression and the impact of ecstasy use. I think what is interesting here is that it is not chronic ecstasy use per se that may put you at risk for chronic depression, but rather a combo of having the genetic vulnerability and history of chronic excstasy use. In doing my litertuare review for my research study, I came across this article which was published in March of 2005. Just thought I'd pass on the info If you would like, I will keep posting interesting findings/recent research studies as I come across them. Please let me know if you have any interest in my doing this. A recent study was conducted by Roiser, J.P., Cook, L.J., Cooper, J.D., Rubinsztein, D.C., and Sahakian, B.J. (2005) which examined the association between ecstasy use and subsequent depression. Specifically, the focus of the research was to assess the contribution of a functional polymorphism in the gene encoding serotonin transporter to changes in emotional processing following chronic ecstasy use. Based upon the results of their study, the authors hypothesize that chronic ecstasy use may cause long-term changes to the serotonin system, and that ecstasy users carrying the s allele may be at particular risk for emotional dysfunction. Therefore, findings suggest that an individual’s risk of developing chronic depression as a result of taking ecstasy depends significantly on one’s genes. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org Association of a Functional Polymorphism in the Serotonin Transporter Gene With Abnormal Emotional Processing in Ecstasy Users. Roiser, Jonathan P.; Cook, Lynnette J.; Cooper, Jason D.; American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol 162(3), Mar 2005. pp. 609-612.
Ecstasy use is not associated with chronic depression. I've came to that conclusion by actually trying it out myself and I know a great number of people who have used it and are not depressed by any means. In fact, many of them are successful and happy. Depression is in the mind. It always has been, it always will be. Most individuals with chronic depression take X to stop feeling depressed but X is not the cause of their depression. They were already depressed. As for those who are chronic ecstasy users. Like all things, moderation is the key. Take a ton of anything, including water, and your body will react because it has too much of it. In a way, your body will go the opposite of the effect. Too much alcohol, and instead of a tipsy enjoyable high, you are sick making best friends with the toilet, eventually becoming an alcoholic. Ecstasy is the same. It is something to be done, at most, once a month. As for these scientists, let me ask you this: Did these scientist try Ecstasy or did they simply observe and determined a conclusion? It always upsets me when people only come to negative conclusions when they never experienced it for themselves. Just as bad as someone saying sex is not good (even though they are still a virgin). Anyway, one more thing to keep in mind. These days, it's hard to find a pure form of MDMA. Most negative things that happen usually come from all the other crap they put in the pill; which is quite sad because I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt from taking the wrong thing. Also, it sucks because it's been such a long time for me and I am starting to believe that the pure form of MDMA doesn't exist in Chicago.
Its Chicago, there has to be pure mdma there, its a big city. I have read a couple thing about when they first made mdma for depression cure, or they said. But I havent read much more on the subject.
its definitely NOT number one, but this is among the most blantantly wrong statements or claims i've ever seen on here...
How could the claims be wrong when I also knew individuals who were depressed and used X to get out of it? These are not claims, these are true things that happened. Unfortunately, it didn't help them much because they were already chronic. Maybe not most - wrong use of words, but there are those who have.
I think we have to be very careful about making generalizations. There are some people who are clinically depressed and then take substances to alter their mood. There are others who begin having difficulties with depression following their substance use. We are all genetically different and our bodies respond differently. I think what the article is saying is that some people are genetically predisposed to develop clinical depression and that chronic ecstasy users with this genetic predisposition are more likely to develop chronic depression. It is not saying that everyone who uses ecstasy develops depression. Otherwise, why would people use it? There are many people who use ecstasy recreationally and have positive experiences. Depression is not just in the mind. It affects the mind and body. People who are clincially depressed have a chemical imbalence which is associated with both cognitive and physical changes. Their thoughts tend to be more negative and bodily functions are disrupted (appetite, sleep, sex drive, motivation etc). That is why someone who is clinically depressed cannot "just snap out of it." If only it were that simple. MDMA has been used by therapists/psychiatrists and has been reported to have positive effects for some people but this is no longer legal. Research is currently being conducted (see www.maps.com) for therapeutic uses of MDMA. You have an important point that most pills sold as ecstasy are not pure MDMA and are cut with other drugs. Beware. For example, PMA has been linked with overdoses.
True, avoid PMA like the plague. When it comes to chemical imbalance, any form of medication, food, or drug can cause a reaction. Similar to those who get cancer from smoking cigarettes, as opposed to those who smoke 2 packs a day and live over 100 years. In a way, like all things, there are those who are allergic, or react, in a negative way. I even know friends who cannot eat dairy, meat, or anything that comes from an animal, otherwise they'll end up sick to the point of hospitalization. X is no different. Now becoming depressed after taking large amounts of X is still questionable because there is also the variable of whether or not the person was depressed beforehand. No one can know because there are many who are depressed but never mention it, and no one would be able to tell because they act happy in front of others and depressed when alone. Maybe by experiencing X they have become more depressed, but I hypothesize that it's because they experienced such a positive high that when they return to their original state of mind, they become even more depressed because they are reminded of what they felt before they have taken X. That could possibly explain the reason behind why they eventually become chronically depressed. But the chemical imbalance in their brain, I believe, is caused by themselves and not X itself. That's my opinion anyway.
How widespread to you think the sale of PMA as MDMA is? Have you locally heard of this being a problem?
Couldn't tell you. What i could tell you is that buying X always is risky, alot of pills are impure, not just with PMA, as we already all know. But also, gettin X is usually by means of shady ass people, shady ass people out to get your money and rip your ass off. Thats how i've seen it around here.
hell yeah its been a problem, I CANT FIND A DAMN PILL!!!! yeah even some of the most open scenes ive seen still have like half of them being fast talkers, then quick walkers. but acountability is a hard thing to have when your dealing w/ pills, presses only mean as much as the last known quality of that press which could render the symbol no more than false advertising on someones good work, and I do mean good work, if anyone is going to risk there ass/lucritive knowledge that much to render a decent supply vs a lucrative cut and run supply w/ a hook they certainly do good work.
