|
One ecstasy pill could ruin mental health for life: study
|
View this Thread in Original format
| sash |
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003...7749663424.html
| quote: | By John von Radowitz and Brigid Delaney
March 17 2003
Taking just one or two ecstasy pills could cause long-lasting brain damage and lead to depression, scientists have warned.
A team of British psychologists found that people who had tried ecstasy only a few times had depression levels four times higher than those who had taken a range of other drugs, but not ecstasy.
Although they did not qualify as clinically depressed, they were left susceptible to problems triggered by stress or emotional turbulence, the findings found.
Researcher Lynn Taurah, from the London Metropolitan University, said: "People often think taking ecstasy just once or twice won't matter, but we're seeing evidence that if you take ecstasy a couple of times you do damage to your brain that later in life will make you more vulnerable.
"Many of these people are working professionals, and you can imagine if they have a problem or a bit of stress in their life their depression levels could go up. Taking ecstasy is really not a good idea."
Ms Taurah said the findings supported evidence from animal studies suggesting that even small doses of ecstasy destroyed brain neurons that produced the chemical messenger serotonin, which is closely linked to mood.
However, Paul Dillon, information manager at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, said the findings were "alarmist and misleading".
"It's important to note that the animal studies and psychological studies are separate," he said.
"It's still a leap to say one or two ecstasy pills causes long-term brain damage. A link between human use and brain damage has yet to be established."
Mr Dillon said findings that linked ecstasy use to depression are inconclusive as "many people who take the drug already have a predisposition to depression".
He said research should be conducted as to why the "drug is taken in the first place".
The researchers, who presented their findings to the British Psychological Society at the weekend, studied 519 volunteers. These included some who were current or past ecstasy users and others who had either never taken drugs or taken several drugs other than ecstasy, including alcohol and cannabis.
They were also broken down into those who had used the drug more or less than 20 times.
Participants in the study were given a standard psychological questionnaire designed to discover to what extent they suffered from depression.
The results produced scores which once they passed the figure of 25 indicated that they were clinically depressed. Non-ecstasy users, including those taking other drugs such as alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, amphetamines and cocaine, had average scores of about four.
Scores of non-frequent ecstasy users, including many who had only tried the drug once or twice, reached levels of 16 or 17.
For the frequent users, score values of up to 28 were found which put them in the category of clinically depressed.
Seven years after the initial damage there was no sign of the neurons repairing themselves.
Press Association
|
hmmm. |
|
|
| bassaholix |
I dunno makes me dumb but its nice... weeeeeee LOL
i haven't had any effects to this day.... well C in the long run ey... |
|
|
| Muff2K |
| thanks for the post, gonna send this around in an e-mail to some friends |
|
|
| fr0st |
| Alchohol kills brain cells......Yet a lot of people still drink....People will continue to do drugs with adverse reactions cuzz in the short term they feel better. |
|
|
| decode |
| Dont belive everything you read ;) |
|
|
| kr00t0n |
*cough*bull*cough*
By that research, I should have comitted suicide about three years ago, and well, I'm still pretty much here, and still one of the happiest and unmoody people I know :)
It's more down to people's lives and lifestyles really, in order for such research to be conclusive, they'd need 2 IDENTICAL people in every way, and give one pills and the other not and see what happens.
A study over a group of people still doesnt represent most people (hell, they were prolly all depro already, prolly just used as propaganda :p ) |
|
|
| chesco |
Lets scrutinise this article a bit then shall we.....
"four times higher". Actually those people who take ecstacy were getting four times higher, and loving it.
"although they did not qualify as clinically depressed" or "we are all chancers and have no medical proof that ecstacy causes any harm whatsoever."
"animal tests", we're not in animals, if your looking for someone to test on, my number is 01698...... I'll be more than glad to help.
How the can you measure depression? |
|
|
| Porky |
| quote: | Originally posted by Muff2K
thanks for the post, gonna send this around in an e-mail to some friends |
why even bother??
this article is fundamentally flawed
take the methodology for example
what basis is there for considering someone depressed or not? (i'd like to see the questionaire that they used)
519 volunteers may not be statistically significant. the results are qualitative conjecture at best
before making any conclusive judgements always question waht you read. who funds their research? what is the purpose of the article?
Pork |
|
|
| Phaze Shifter |
| Come on guys, I know you are all smarter then this!! Don't be fooled by scare tactics used by government to help their efforts in the war on drugs. Use common sence, if that was the case, what happened to all the people who were perscribed it back when it was legal and were taking a pill a day like it was a vitamin?? Whenever a drug gets popular, the gov. throws out scare tactics...do your own true research on www.erowid.com A CNN reporter did a speacial on erowid and he interviewed many hospital doctors who read erowid all the time to keep up on all side effects and types of different drugs so they can help people better when they come in....a goldmine of knowledge. -Ryan |
|
|
| Dumonde Trancer |
| quote: | Originally posted by Phaze Shifter
Come on guys, I know you are all smarter then this!! Don't be fooled by scare tactics used by government to help their efforts in the war on drugs. Use common sence, if that was the case, what happened to all the people who were perscribed it back when it was legal and were taking a pill a day like it was a vitamin?? Whenever a drug gets popular, the gov. throws out scare tactics...do your own true research on www.erowid.com A CNN reporter did a speacial on erowid and he interviewed many hospital doctors who read erowid all the time to keep up on all side effects and types of different drugs so they can help people better when they come in....a goldmine of knowledge. -Ryan |
this guy knows what going on, thank ,
unlike most other brainwashed bastards.
true, ecstacy isnt harmless, but neither is eating cabbage or jogging in the park. ffs. |
|
|
| Phaze Shifter |
| True enough, and anyone remeber when "studies said bras cause breast cancer"? Well, what ever happened to that...never listen to what one source says, take the time to research things yourself to find the true awnsers...also, I would like to make a correction on my first post, it is www.erowid.org not .com sorry about the mix up. Don't believe the hype. -Ryan |
|
|
| Phaze Shifter |
| I just remebered this...I did a report on the effects of ecstasy a while back and one of the VERY interesting fact I uncovered came directly from the UK government studies as well as other independant group. Basically it gave a number of people who died from ecstasy and that number(although I don't remeber it off the top of my head) came out to be less the the deaths resulted from people fishing and eating peanuts combined! I found this interesting because the gov. was basically saying that the drug is very harmless yet it is still illegal and they condem the use of it. -Ryan |
|
|
|
|
