The etymological journey of ecstasy begins with ecstasy , a Greek word that passed into Latin before reaching our language. The first meaning mentioned by the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) refers to the state of well-being and pleasure that a person achieves from certain emotions or stimuli.
For example: "The fans went into ecstasy with the third goal of the local team" , "The child observed the immense sea in ecstasy" , "For me, ecstasy is reading a good book while I drink a delicious coffee and eat chocolate" .
Ecstasy is associated with plenitude . Sometimes, orgasm is spoken of as sexual ecstasy : in this case, ecstasy is characterized by muscular contractions in the pelvic area that cause intense enjoyment.
In the field of religion , ecstasy is linked to the mystical union that is achieved with God . The individual who reaches ecstasy experiences a suspension of the senses and achieves communion with the divine.
Ecstasy is also called a drug that is produced synthetically in laboratories whose scientific name is methylenedioxymethamphetamine . With aphrodisiac and hallucinogenic effects, ecstasy causes euphoria and hyperactivity , dilating the pupils and increasing muscle tension.
Although it was born with a therapeutic purpose for the treatment of mental illnesses, in the '70s it began to be used as a recreational and leisure drug. In most countries, possession of ecstasy is punishable by law .
The use of ecstasy causes heart rate and blood pressure to increase and can cause symptoms of depression and paranoia . An overdose can also cause intracranial hemorrhages, respiratory problems and kidney failure, among other disorders.
The effects caused by ecstasy can be divided into two groups: acute and subacute . In the first group we find a series of sensations that are associated with a kind of "intoxication", and that begin approximately three-quarters of an hour after the first dose: increased extroversion, a very accentuated feeling of well-being, greater empathy towards the environment and a particular emotional warmth, which leads to conversation about treasured memories in a very sensitive way.
Another of the characteristic acute effects of ecstasy consumption is an increase in sensory perception , something that is largely related to the name of the drug itself. There are also acute effects that we can consider secondary, although not precisely because they do not have serious consequences. For example, hypertension (increased blood pressure above normal values), panic attacks, dizziness and fainting, seizures and loss of consciousness often occur after an overdose, which, in the most serious cases, even can cause death.
Given that ecstasy has stimulant properties and that its consumption usually takes place in situations such as parties or meetings where the person is already moving, it is common for another acute secondary effect to arise: a significant increase in body temperature , which is known as hyperthermia .
The subacute effects of ecstasy are associated with recreational use characterized by periods of abstinence interspersed with "binge eating." Typical symptoms of this relationship with the drug include arrhythmia (irregularity in heartbeat), heart lesions, memory loss, depression, attention disorders, irritability, anxiety and aggressiveness. Although the consequences vary depending on the personality characteristics of each individual, those that refer to physical and mental deterioration usually occur in a large percentage of cases.