Expert: Jurriaan Plesman, Nutritional Psychotherapist - 11/15/2007

Question
Hey. I am confused about a lot of things and i want to hopefully get some advice/information. I started taking ecstasy when I was 15, and finally stopped when i was 18. Im now 19 and feel like i havent recovered. I was not your usual ecstasy user- i took it almost EVERY DAY (3-5 times a week), and i always took more than 1 because of my tolerance building up. I would chew the pills, inject them, or sniff them. i was so obsessed with it that i took it at school and work. i made a total idiot out of myself all the time. all i ever thought about was taking E- all of my friends were the same way. finally after 3 years had gone by, i was falling apart and felt very unhealthy. i started dating a guy who motivated me to stop using E. Its been exactly a year now since the last time i did it, but lately ive been feeling similar side effects that i had when i used to take the pills. Ive been very depressed/moody, i have a very bad temper, and i have panic attacks/anxiety. i also get shakey sometimes, and my eyes will randomly become blurry. a few weeks ago this happened to me while i was driving. i went off the road and crashed my brand new SUV. im so confused about this and dont know why its happening now. I felt SO much better after i stopped taking E. Now, 12 months later, why am i feeling like this? are there delayed side effects? or can they be long-term?
Also i have another issue. i cant stop thinking about those 3 years of my life. its like im constantly getting flashbacks about my drug use also. EVERYTHING reminds me of my friends & i using ecstasy. it makes me want to take it again, and it crosses my mind every day. im in my first year of college, im engaged, and have a great job. i dont want to ruin my life all over again. but for some reason i feel tempted to. why am i constantly thinking about ecstasy? i know it was a big thing in my life for 3 years straight but i want to just get over it. i am so afraid im going to get pulled into it again if this doesnt stop. any advice or suggestions would help im sure. Thanks!

Answer
Dear Rachel,

I fully understand how you feel. You have stopped taking E and you expect to feel better. The point is that your present day problems may be due to an imbalanced biochemistry that keeps you feel lousy and emotionally upset. Never mind, this can be treated by a change in diet.

Most people who use drugs or who have been using drugs are hypoglycemic and this causes them to feel down and depressed, after they have given up the drugs. This condition may have existed before you started taking drugs, but the drugs may have aggravated it.

Please read:

Drug Addition is a Nutritional Disorder at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/drug_addictions_nutritional_disorder.htm...

and follow the articles.

We also have a self-help psychotherapy course at:

Self-help PSYCHOTHERAPY course at;
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/i-psychotherapy.html

but tis will only be helpful AFTER you have treated the biological aspect.

Please go on the hypoglycemic diet.

What is Hypoglycemia at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/what_is_hypo.html

The Serotonin Connection at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/serotonin_connection.html

All this can be treated by going on a hypoglycemic diet.

If any problems arise, I strongly suggest that you get a referral to a Nutritional Doctor or a Clinical Nutritionist.

I hope I have been  of some help.

_______________________________________________
Jurriaan Plesman BA (Psych) Post Grad Dip Clin Nutr
Editor of
The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia.
www.hypoglycemia.asn.au
Author of "Getting off the Hook"
Freely available at Google Book Search