If you’re someone who’s used MDMA before and you want to find out more about how the drug actually impacts you, both in the short-term and the long-term, you’re in the right place. This guide will talk you through the specific ways in which MDMA impacts the brain and the damage it can do to your mental health. So what does MDMA do to your brain?
Anyone who takes MDMA should be fully informed about the damage the drug can do so they can make an informed decision about what they’re doing to their body. And if you want to break a habit or even overcome an addiction to the drug, there is help out there. Find out more about all of this below.
Increased Neurotransmitter Activity in the Brain
One of the key ways in which the brain is impacted by the use of MDMA is through an increased level of neurotransmitter activity. This is something that can have a big impact on the way in which a person becomes addicted to the drug. The dopamine and other chemicals in the brain that are released when a person takes MDMA can lead to dependency.
Serotonin is one of the chemicals that gets released in the brain, leading to a sense of elation, and this is the feeling that people are usually looking for when they take MDMA. This leads to them wanting to take more and more of it, as their body becomes more resistant to the impact it has over time.
Depression
There are also longer-lasting impacts on the brain that might not be noticed right away by someone who has only recently started taking MDMA as a recreational user. They might, for example, find that they start to become more depressed over time as they take the drug more and more.
This might sound contradictory after we discussed the fact that lots of people chase a feeling of elation when they take MDMA, but those positive feelings tend to be harder to achieve over time, and that’s when some people start to fall into a depression or begin to feel other kinds of mental health side effects from taking the drug too much or too often.
Memory Impairment
It’s believed that MDMA also impairs the way in which our memories work. Again, this is an issue that relates to taking the drug too often and it’s a more long-term side effect that’s associated with MDMA. Studies have been done that have drawn a link between memory problems and the use of MDMA.
More studies and research need to be done to better understand the way in which this works and what the precise connection between the two is. However, anecdotal evidence also backs this up as many heavy users of MDMA do report experiencing memory problems that they associate with their habit.
Global Form Processing
The processing of visual information is something that we all do on a daily basis and don’t need to think about. However, this is another aspect of the brain’s functionality that can be damaged by taking too much MDMA. It’s a complex matter, but it’s something that we know to be linked to MDMA usage.
This is seen in the way in which we process local orientation information. Getting around, understanding a route, and being able to follow directions are all things that can be impacted by this. It stops the individual from being able to take that information and build it into a global form precept, hence the term global form processing.
Impaired Impulse Control
People who are under the influence of MDMA tend to find it harder to control their impulses, and this is something that can lead them to do things that they wouldn’t ordinarily do when they were sober. And the impetus behind all of this, of course, lies in the brain.
MDMA impacts the brain and changes the way in which we process information and make decisions. Our sense of risk, danger, and safety are all badly impacted and it’s one of the reasons why impulse control can suffer when a person is using MDMA. A lot of dangerous decisions are made under the influence of MDMA.
The impact of MDMA on the brain can be very significant. If you’re concerned about the way in which you’ve been using the drug or you think you might be developing an addiction, don’t hesitate to reach out and start getting the help you need. With the right treatment and support, you can avoid the kinds of problems discussed above.