those silly.. silly ravers

random blog? ..yes

what for might you ask? For one, a school paper I did for a class (this is a much shorter version of that paper)

I needed a new post on my blog so I posted this.

For some people out there. Mainly in the "rave" scene who go and take their pills, dance around, and think nothing of it.
I'm not a doctor, or a medicine addiction specialist, or anything like that.. I'm not even close. but I did my research, I read some books, and I took some classes. (No. I did not google search "ecstasy" to get the facts. I used more reliable sources)

For all you silly, silly ravers out there who hear someone say "They just did tests with ecstasy and it's proven to not really be that harmful" which is something I've heard dozens of times. Or I've heard "E isn't addicting, I can stop whenever I want, I just don't want to." I hear that with Marijuana and even cigarettes sometimes too.

The fact is that ecstasy IS ADDICTING! It's a drug. Definition of a drug? "A substance that alters the structure or functioning of the body" so yes.. it is a drug, some people don't think it's that harmful because it's a pill.

E is most commonly used in raves with people ranging from 12 years of age to 40 years of age. I don't know about you, but me personally? I find it disgusting, creepy, and just straight up wrong that people over the age of 18 go into raves to have fun, hang out, and dance with the little 12 or even 15 year olds. (and yes you are little) I mean really? Please, go and do something else with your time. That's just really weird. And if you're 12 to 17 years of age attending these raves... Don't be stupid. I would say the ability to make smart decisions is the best gift us humans have, so use it.

I posted this mainly to educate you people on this. Maybe before you go out and get your self addicted to drugs for recreational purpose, you will think again before doing something stupid. I have a little dream that maybe... just maybe I can live in a world where I'm not surrounded by 12 year old pot heads, or 17 year old alcoholics, or people who are totally oblivious to everything that's around them. I mean sure some people don't care, and that's cool and all but some day you will care so you're better off starting sooner than later when maybe it's too late.

The short term effects of ecstasy: (can include)
- Severe depression

- Excessive sweating (mainly when dancing at a rave) which could lead to dehydration

- Feeling of euphoria
- Increased blood pressure

- Increased heart rate
- Huge range of emotions

- Loss of appetite
- Anxiety
- Restlessness
-Insomnia
- Irritability

- Nausea
- In some cases, fainting, panic attacks, or seizures
- Another rare affect is hyperthermia. Which can rapidly lead to muscle breakdown, which could then result to kidney failure if not taken to the doctor asap.

The long term effects of ecstasy:
- Potential brain damage - affecting neurons that use serotonin to communicate with other neurons which then could lead to...
- Posthallucinogenic Perceptual Disorder. This is where people feel like they are locked into the effects of the drug, unable to escape. At some point they start to feel panicky, like everyone is out to hurt them. Then paranoid, then eventually their mood hits the skids. Often times the mood problems persist. Most of the time; depression.
- Long term use can also effect both your long term, and short term memory function.
- For a lot of well known medicine addiction specialists, and doctors they say the potentially life-long effects can usually start after 1 big hit, or 20 hits.

- And the worst one of all. Long term use of this drug can lead to death.

There are people out there who don't experience the long term effects, and there are some who don't get addicted to the drug right off the first hit. But there are some who get so depressed after the first hit that they have thoughts of suicide. So does that mean it's worth it? If you were to ask me I would say hell no.

Signs of addiction:
Yes this drug IS indeed, addicting. If you think otherwise you are wrong. Some signs of addiction.
- Being short on money, or having financial problems, but still finding ways to get your drug (often times through friends, or parents, or selling stuff just for rave money)
- Looking forward to the next hit of the drug, or planning a next time use of the drug and how many you will take. I would say every raver I've met that takes E does this. They get excited when it comes around to taking the drug again. That's a huge sign of addiction, although ravers might not agree, but then again, they think the drug isn't even dangerous in the first place.
-Being defensive about a possible addiction.

The Beneficial effects of ecstasy:
Absolutely NOTHING!

E is classified as a schedule 1 drug.

The articles, journals, and books I've read this information from is dated within the last year, January 2010. So if you read this please don't think "Those tests were done in 1995 they aren't accurate" If you still don't think after reading these facts that ecstasy is bad for you, then your just a typical person of teenage mind who believes you are invulnerable to any harm that a pill can do. I hear people say something along the lines of "Psh, that won't happen to me, I've done ecstasy many of times and I'm still alive." Yes, but there are heroin addicts out there who are still alive, so that must mean it's not that harmful right? ...yea I don't think so.

Just because your young that doesn't mean you're invincible.

If you are a raver, and you enjoy these effects of ecstasy, and you don't have a care in the world what it might do to you in the long run, then go be a raver. I'm not stopping you, I don't really care on a personal level. Just know what's going on before doing something stupid and put someone else's life in danger.