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Perceptions of MDMA & users ... how to change minds?

patra

patra

Bluelighter
Joined
Sep 21, 2012
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145
So many of you on ED have wrote about having to live separate lives. Unless you're an MDMA user or open-minded to drug culture, most people have everything from silly to terrifying ideas about MDMA use and users.

I've struggled with this - I have friends who have tried coke, shrooms, weed, and drink heavily, but for some reason think MDMA is something completely different from what it is. A particular friend who has tried all of the aforementioned drugs (she's a bartender and prone to binge drinking several times a month) has said several times she'd love to try MDMA. I told her I was going to set something up in a few weeks - I love introducing people to MDMA when they're eager for it - but suddenly she seemed to change her mind. We've been close friends for 15 years and been through a lot together, so I know her well. I didn't expect her to have a sudden freak out, and I think it's because the only benchmark she has is black-out drunk or tripping on shrooms.

What bothers me most is feeling like there's some kind of undertone in the sudden reversal of opinion, almost like she's judging me and thinks I'm some kind of addict (obviously completely whack, and the only people who think this are people who have never tried it and don't understand the affect it has). I worry that talking to her more on the subject might make her feel more uneasy.

I get that "undertone" a lot from people who have had either no or limited engagement with MDMA.

Obviously the only way to overcome this is to get her to see the light (if she's still willing of course, I wouldn't force her).

It's ironic that more discussion, especially in terms of harm reduction, is sometimes worse than simply popping a pill out of your pocket and letting a person decide at that moment if they want to join or not.

I was hoping for any advice & thought we could use this thread to talk about experience with perceptions of MDMA. Has anyone has similar problems? Did you get past them? How do you navigate?
 
patra said:
So many of you on ED have wrote about having to live separate lives. Unless you're an MDMA user or open-minded to drug culture, most people have everything from silly to terrifying ideas about MDMA use and users.

I've struggled with this - I have friends who have tried coke, shrooms, weed, and drink heavily, but for some reason think MDMA is something completely different from what it is. A particular friend who has tried all of the aforementioned drugs (she's a bartender and prone to binge drinking several times a month) has said several times she'd love to try MDMA. I told her I was going to set something up in a few weeks - I love introducing people to MDMA when they're eager for it - but suddenly she seemed to change her mind. We've been close friends for 15 years and been through a lot together, so I know her well. I didn't expect her to have a sudden freak out, and I think it's because the only benchmark she has is black-out drunk or tripping on shrooms.

What bothers me most is feeling like there's some kind of undertone in the sudden reversal of opinion, almost like she's judging me and thinks I'm some kind of addict (obviously completely whack, and the only people who think this are people who have never tried it and don't understand the affect it has). I worry that talking to her more on the subject might make her feel more uneasy.

I get that "undertone" a lot from people who have had either no or limited engagement with MDMA.

Obviously the only way to overcome this is to get her to see the light (if she's still willing of course, I wouldn't force her).

It's ironic that more discussion, especially in terms of harm reduction, is sometimes worse than simply popping a pill out of your pocket and letting a person decide at that moment if they want to join or not.

I was hoping for any advice & thought we could use this thread to talk about experience with perceptions of MDMA. Has anyone has similar problems? Did you get past them? How do you navigate?
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I myself have got about 7 people to try it for their first time and all thought it was the best time of their life. There is always that fear from people who've never tried it to worry, it's just natural instinct too. There's always the nerves and dumb stories people throw out there about the drug that taint it's view. I have never tried to force someone to try it but convince them for sure. I let them know I won't give them my dealers number so they can't do it often and I tell them you can't do it more than once a month. Some things i try and say are how you can't describe the feeling, how you see the world in a while new light and how it can change your view on things forever. One thing I used to say was it was like I was blind but now I can see ahaha.

I geuss a reason why I've been able to convince people is because I abused it heavily and these are friends who knew. I abused it for about 6 months weekly and still worked out daily, worked and went to school. Bad idea learned my lesson but to the outside world I seemed perfectly normal, the only bad things I got were anxiety which I could keep to myself and hppd which have both slowly gone away. I preach the harm reduction more than anything as well.

One occasion my friend had decided to try it for her first time one night out. When it came down to it before we went in the club she decided she wasn't going to try it so of course I took hers as I was just coming up and didn't want it to end early. After she sees how me and my buddy were after having an intense heart to heart she immediately interrups us and says she wants to try it after. haha it's an amazing thing, and none of these people have ever abused it after which is even better.
 
I'd say ecstasy is becoming more and more socially acceptable. Plenty of movies, comedians and songs have mentioned it. E is pretty much an impossible thing to dodge if you go out on Friday/Saturday nights to anything other than a church dance.

Honestly, her perception is actually a good thing. Open minds can sometimes be a negative trait in a world where ecstasy and ACTUAL addictive substances are grouped together. I'd give it time and try not to mention it too often.
 
^ Agree with this. It's so widespread now, even people I meet in their 70's and 80's know what E is.

The best thing we can do is keep educating people on harm reduction and safe use. I think MDMA is useful and even therapeutic when done properly.
 
I can understand the undertone from somebody who has no drug history - but from anyone who is used to taking coke, shroom's and have experienced clubbing (and real life) then for them to have such a negative view of something like 'Ecstasy' is pretty strange.

I could understand if the post was something on something like Heroin / Meth (with so many addicts / horror stories) but MDMA?
 
I think the way people look at ecstacy is because of the way you look when you're rolling :D I must admit when I didn't know what it felt like seeing those faces chewing away and their eyes rolling all over the place seemed like a godawfull experience to me and it seemed like it was wrecking their bodys. I can understand how someone going hard on ecstacy looks frightening to people without a clue
 
Renz Envy said:
I'd say ecstasy is becoming more and more socially acceptable. Plenty of movies, comedians and songs have mentioned it. E is pretty much an impossible thing to dodge if you go out on Friday/Saturday nights to anything other than a church dance.

Honestly, her perception is actually a good thing. Open minds can sometimes be a negative trait in a world where ecstasy and ACTUAL addictive substances are grouped together. I'd give it time and try not to mention it too often.
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Thanks for the advice Renz, I think that's the best idea for now.

MJ - thanks for sharing your experience.
 
Bearlove said:
I can understand the undertone from somebody who has no drug history - but from anyone who is used to taking coke, shroom's and have experienced clubbing (and real life) then for them to have such a negative view of something like 'Ecstasy' is pretty strange.

I could understand if the post was something on something like Heroin / Meth (with so many addicts / horror stories) but MDMA?
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My thoughts exactly... that's why I was so surprised.
 
Firstly, if someone is not comfortable trying a drug, whatever drug it is, you should not try to change their mind. Try to understand where that apprehension/fear is coming from, and know for sure where YOU are coming from trying to get them to use such a substance for whatever how spiritually superb a means...

I feel you though, and I think you will find the answer you seek on this site, just be patient and don't be pushy with your friend, all will work out when the time is right. ;)
 
My mate wants to try MDMA and he originally said he never would. I think it depends the situation the individual is coming from. For example my mate wants to try due to MDMAs possible therapeutic properties as well as just not giving a fuck for one night.
 
seers_eye said:
Firstly, if someone is not comfortable trying a drug, whatever drug it is, you should not try to change their mind. Try to understand where that apprehension/fear is coming from, and know for sure where YOU are coming from trying to get them to use such a substance for whatever how spiritually superb a means...
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I don't want to push it on her. I started the thread not to find a way to "get her to do it" but mainly because I wanted to discuss why people have such terrible perceptions of MDMA (even if those people have used drugs that I consider to be far different from MDMA or are open minded to drug culture) and if anyone has had experiences changing perceptions without getting someone to try it.

Ultimately I know that everyone will have their own opinion of things, even if.. or maybe especially if they don't have experience to back up their perceptions.
 
StrutterGear said:
My mate wants to try MDMA and he originally said he never would. I think it depends the situation the individual is coming from. For example my mate wants to try due to MDMAs possible therapeutic properties as well as just not giving a fuck for one night.
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Will you guys be doing it together?

Yeah, agreed that it largely depends on the situation the individual is coming from, along with the amount of knowledge they have about the substance.
 
patra said:
Will you guys be doing it together?

Yeah, agreed that it largely depends on the situation the individual is coming from, along with the amount of knowledge they have about the substance.
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Yea of course, I wana be there when his face explodes haha.
 
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