E for Ecstasy
by Nicholas Saunders
[
Chapter 10 ]
[
Index ]
[
Chapter 12 ]
Chapter 11: Suggestions for first time users
This chapter is not an encouragement to take Ecstasy. It is an illegal drug
and in some situations can be dangerous. These suggestions are included
for the benefit of those who have already decided to take Ecstasy, so that
they may get the best out of it and reduce the dangers to a minimum.
Health
First check on your physical condition. MDMA puts extra strain on the body,
so you should be healthy and rested. In particular, your heart, liver and
kidneys all have to work harder. If you have ever suffered from jaundice(
106),
you may have a weak liver. If you have doubts about your body's ability
to deal with the extra strain, then have a check up. Avoid taking MDMA if
you are on antidepressants of the MAOI type(
107,
127) (The SSRI type are OK but
you may feel no effect.(
142))
You may want to follow the more thorough screening code used in therapy
by Dr. Greer.(
99) If you are
especially sensitive to other drugs (such as Contac, sold for colds), then
you may also overreact to MDMA and you should first see the effect of a
very small dose.(
141,
178)
Your mental health is equally important, and rather more difficult to assess.
If you are unsure of this, or have doubts about being stripped bare of your
image, then you should avoid taking psychoactive drugs.
It's probably wise to stay off MDMA if you are pregnant(
58),
although trials show that it does not harm the offspring of rats.(
108)
Situation
Find a situation where you feel good. If you enjoy large parties and clubs,
a rave could be ideal especially if you are with friends. Taking Ecstasy
with a lover can be wonderful, but avoid being with people you are not sure
of, especially someone you are emotionally attached to but have doubts about
unless you are prepared to use situation explore your relationship. The
ideal home setting for taking Ecstasy is a spacious room where you feel
secure and can let yourself go without arousing the neighbours.
Alternatively it can be nice to take E outdoors in warm weather and pleasant
familiar surroundings. It's important to feel free to express yourself without
inhibition or interruption, so choose a place where you will not be seen
or overheard.
Looking after yourself
If you have any doubts at all, take a very small dose and wait an hour (the
time it takes to come on) before deciding whether to take more. Half a dose
is quite enough for many first time users, especially women and small people.
Drink plenty of water or fruit juice (except black currant(
141))
but avoid alcohol and other drugs, and if you are dancing, realise that
you may be dangerously overheated even without feeling uncomfortable. Look
after friends and get them to look after you. The ultimate precaution would
be to use a forehead thermometer, a plastic strip that changes colour with
temperature, sometimes available free from Boots to promote their own-brand
medicines.
Taking vitamin C and E may help to reduce exhaustion.(
36)
Get good sleep afterwards.
Folklore has it that calcium and magnesium help prevent jaw clench (and
even toxicity). This was suggested in 1984 and has been repeated in popular
writings on Ecstasy(
7), but is
not supported by medical evidence.
Guide
If you decide to take Ecstasy at home, choose a guide who is thoroughly
familiar with its effects, and who you can trust completely, to look after
you. Although a lover may seem the obvious choice, taking E with someone
you are intimate with carries risk that you may 'see through' your relationship
or reveal hurtful things to each other. The ideal choice is someone who
you know well and have no conflicts with; someone you feel you do not have
to impress, and to whom you are happy to reveal your needs and failings.
Preparations
Ensure that you will not be disturbed by visitors or by the telephone. Make
sure there are comfortable places to sit or lie down. Have plenty of fruit
juice and plain water on hand to drink and some chewing gum to chew in case
of jaw clenching. Wear loose, light clothing but have extra clothes and
a downy or blanket to hand in case you need to warm up. Line up some of
your favourite music, both for dancing and as a pleasant background. Bring
some personal objects that you are fond of - things to handle and look at,
or perhaps some photographs of people you are fond of. A mirror could be
useful for looking at yourself. A tape recorder and camera or video camera
can be fun and help to you relive the experience later, but, if you don't
have access to these, have a pen and paper ready in case you have the urge
to make notes. Earplugs and a blind like the ones used by people who want
to sleep on planes can be useful, too. Finally, make the space attractive:
have nice things to look at, smell and touch - such as flowers, essential
oils and silk.
You really don't have to plan anything for the trip itself; just let it
happen and 'go with the flow'. But a guide can help you sample a range of
pleasant experiences that you would otherwise miss, as there is a tendency
to get absorbed in one aspect of the drug's effect and to be reluctant to
switch to something else.
Timing
The full effect of the drug only lasts for three or four hours, but you
should allow a minimum of eight hours and it is best to reserve a whole
weekend free of committments.(
43)
This allows you time after the trip to go over your experiences with your
guide. This is usually really enjoyable and can be particularly valuable
if anything came up during the trip which needs resolving.
If you can't take more than one day off, start reasonably early in the morning
so that you will have plenty of time with your guide after the trip before
going home to get a full night's sleep. If you can't allow yourself a whole
day, then start early one evening and make time to discuss the experience
the next day.
Rules
Establish with your guide a clear set of rules for the trip. You may like
to keep the rules used in therapy(
28),
or you may like more relaxed rules such as confidentiality, no sex and no
activity that could be destructive or draw attention from neighbours. It's
a good idea to write down the rules so as to be quite clear.
Notes for guides
To be a guide is usually a delightful experience, but it is a responsibility
that must be taken seriously. Take time beforehand to find out the aims
and expectations of the person you are to guide. You should not only ask
them whether they are sufficiently fit and free from emotional problems
to take Ecstasy, but also judge for yourself. It's not a good idea to play
the guide to someone who is looking for something to 'cure' them unless
your are an experienced therapist. But however well you vet people, difficulties
can still arise and you must be prepared to deal with them. People used
to taking E at raves may react differently when they take it with only their
guide for company.(
32)
Obviously it is important to make the venue pleasant and free from interruptions,
but it is also important to show that you put care into the preparations.
As one person remarked, "When I arrived and saw how much care and attention
had gone into preparing for my trip I immediately relaxed as I knew I was
going to be well looked after". Present yourself as a servant and as
a committed supporter.
It is also important that you give the expectation of a wonderful time.
If you show signs of worrying, this may make your friend look for something
to go wrong with the trip; if you are enthusiastic and expect your friend
to have a wonderful experience, you will help to bring this about.(
109)
Discuss beforehand what the purpose of the session is. If it is just for
fun and to experience the effects of the drug, you can offer to give a 'guided
tour' of the effects from looking inside to dancing and perhaps a walk outdoors.
But maybe the person wants to explore something about themselves, in which
case the guide's job is to simply 'be there': to provide security by giving
reassurance when appropriate and to be available to talk to, typically as
the effects wear off. Side effects very often manifest as a result of emotional
problems, and it may be helpful to suggest looking at the underlying cause.
People who become 'stuck' can be supported in what they are feeling, and
if it is uncomfortable, reminded that they will become unstuck as the drug
wears off.
