What causes the happy, social, oh God, I love everyone feelings associated with MDMA? A new animation from AsapSCIENCE has your answer:
The drug increases activity of three neurotransmitters — the brain chemicals responsible for relaying information throughout the brain and body — including serotonin, which is associated with mood. Those amped-up levels of serotonin are responsible for that feel-good high. But, as the video explains, the drug causes so much serotonin to be released that your brain goes on the attack and starts destroying more serotonin than usual. When the drug leaves your system after three to eight hours, you’re left with less of those happy-brain chemicals than normal, which explains the low feelings that can last for days.
And though the drug is usually associated with club culture and those darn youths, some scientists are taking MDMA’s potential very seriously, and are currently investigating it for its potential therapeutic effects. A party drug today, a potential PTSD treatment tomorrow. Maybe.
