Acute+vs.+Chronic


 *  Acute vs. Chronic **

=The short term affects of MDMA are that the drug releases the serotonin from the brain at a rapid rate creating feelings of openness and empathy towards others (Hart et al, pg 344). This increased sociability and sense of euphoria are one of the main benefits for users. The acute affects include an increase in body temperature, blood pressure and pulse. MDMA also decreases appetite and sleep in the user, however these affects only last hours (Hart et al, pg. 344). This is reinforcing the fight or flight response in the central nervous system. Bruxism, the grinding of the teeth, can also occur however researchers are still unknown as to why this happens.= = = =Another acute affect of the drug is its ability to alter the mood of the user. Many people who take MDMA report having a depressed mood days after taking the drug. This is deemed to be because of the rapid release of serotonin in the brain. This depressed mood can last between hours and days.= = = =Long term or chronic affects of taking MDMA are still completely unknown as to their cause on the human brain. However, it is not recommended by physicians that one should be taking the drug recreationally because all of the chronic affects have not yet been discovered. Another reason to avoid taking the drug recreationally is that it is often mixed with other illicit drugs and the user is never sure to know what they are ingesting. Damage to the brain cells is certain however. After repeated use of the serotonin being released into the brain, this can create a loss of the neurotransmitter overtime resulting in depression. On a test done with animals, the serotonin neurons were destroyed and many laboratory animals did not survive the testing (Hart et al, pg 344).=