Ecstasy Abuse in Florida

Ecstasy Addiction Treatment Options

Addiction to ecstasy can be measured against a list of eleven diagnostic criteria:

• Giving up important activities to use MDMA
• Inability to manage commitments like work and school because of MDMA use
• Increased tolerance to MDMA
• Spending a significant amount of time getting, using or recovering from MDMA use
• Using MDMA even when it causes problems with friends and family members
• Using MDMA even when it makes physical or psychological problems worse
• Using MDMA even when it puts one in danger
• Using MDMA more often or longer than intended
• Wanting to stop or cut down on MDMA consumption but being unable to
• Withdrawal symptoms

People that exhibit two or more of the above symptoms are considered to have mild substance use disorder related to MDMA. Four or more symptoms indicate a moderate substance use disorder, and six or more indicate a severe substance use disorder.

Once a person is diagnosed with a substance use disorder, they are encouraged to seek addiction treatment. Addiction treatment can be broken down into three stages: detox, treatment, and maintenance.

• Medical Detox: Medical detox is the supervision of drug detox by medical staff. It can occur before or at the beginning of addiction treatment, depending on the readiness of a person to enter a treatment program. Detox for MDMA is about 30–45 hours, and the time it takes to detox is based on the half-life of MDMA. Detox is characterized by physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. Not everyone detoxing from MDMA needs medical treatment, but it is the safest way to do so. Detoxing at home is not recommended.
• Inpatient Treatment: Once detox is complete, some people may choose to enter addiction treatment. Treatment at an inpatient facility happens in a closed environment where someone lives for several weeks or months while undergoing treatment for their addiction. Inpatient care is the best option for people with severe substance use disorder.
• Outpatient Treatment: Outpatient treatment is an option for people with mild to moderate addictions who are motivated to participate in treatment. Those in outpatient treatment live at home and can still fulfill obligations like work and school while undergoing treatment part-time. They typically commute to a treatment center multiple days per week.
• Dual Diagnosis Treatment: Some people have both a substance use disorder and mental health diagnoses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or depression. People with mental health disorders can experience symptoms that look like substance use disorder symptoms but actually stem from an underlying mental health condition. For this reason, treatment programs that offer dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorders treatment must have clinicians trained to recognize both substance use disorders and mental health symptoms.
• Rehab Aftercare Programs: After detox and treatment, most people will continue into an aftercare program. Aftercare programs help patients develop and plan to stay sober and prevent relapse. Aftercare may include 12-step support programs, continued counseling, and classes that teach coping and relapse-prevention skills.