Read the story below then do the exercises at the bottom of the page. 
 
My Ecstasy Story 
My name is Kendall. I have always thought of myself as a good friend, a good daughter, and
generally a good person. After I finished high school, I stayed at home living with my mother
and my younger brother. I worked as a waitress to help my mother pay the bills so that my
younger brother could finish school. He always said I was his role model and that he wanted to
be just like me when he got older. 
 
Sometimes I felt like working full time to help with the expenses at home was too much for me,
and I just wanted to forget everything and everyone. I have always been social, so when my
friend Irene invited me to a rave, I decided to go with her. She explained that a rave is a big party
with loud electronic music where people go to dance under bright, flashing lights and even take
illegal drugs. 
 
When we arrived, she introduced me to a guy she had met recently. His name was Matt, and he
seemed very nice. He was also handsome and funny. "I have something really special to help you
both have an amazing time tonight," he said with a big smile. He handed us each a small, pink
pill with a little diamond on it. 
 
I was nervous, but Irene told me the pill was called ecstasy. She said she had tried it the weekend
before and had the best time of her life. "You are going to love it," she said. "You will feel so
good that you will forget all about your work and daily problems and just think about what a
great party this is." 
 
She was definitely right about forgetting all about my work and daily problems. I felt amazing at
the party, and I danced all night long. I was not thinking about my demanding boss or my long
hours! Matt was dancing alongside us. He kept smiling at me and I felt like we really connected. 
 
I was supposed to work the next day, but I missed my shift. I did not get home until 5:30 in the
morning, and I slept all day. When I woke up, I felt sad and empty. Why did I feel so awful when
I had felt so amazing at the rave? I sent Irene a message and asked her when we could take
ecstasy again. She told me to meet her at the same club that night at 10:00pm. 
 
I called my boss and told him I was sick. I was too sad and confused to go to work anyway. This
time Matt gave us yellow pills with dolphins on them. Irene said she wanted two. Matt asked her
for some money, so we both paid him and took our pills. We danced all night long. 
 
After a while, the only thing I could think about was the next time I would get high on ecstasy
with Irene and Matt and dance all night. I started to miss more shifts at work because I often felt
depressed and just wanted to go to a rave. Even when I did go to work, I made lots of mistakes
with the guests' orders. My memory became terrible! I couldn't remember what the guests
wanted, and I had a really hard time with the math when I had to give them their change. My
boss eventually told me that he couldn't let me work that way. He fired me! I couldn't believe it. 
 
That just made me more depressed, and all I wanted to do was go get high with Irene and Matt. I
did not even tell my mother that I had lost my job. I did not think I could handle seeing her and
my little brother so disappointed in me. I was spending all of my money on ecstasy, and I was
worried that I would not be able to help my mother much longer with the bills at home. 
 
The night after my boss fired me, Irene and I decided to take seven pills each. The sad truth was
that as time went on, we each needed to take more to get the same high we could get from one or
two pills when we started. One of the huge problems with ecstasy is that you never know exactly
what is in it. Every time you take a pill, it's a gamble, but we had no choice. We were too deep
inside. 
 
Irene got so high that night that she did not drink enough water. Her body's natural defenses were
misguided by the drug. She just kept dancing. Her body became so dehydrated that she blacked
out. I could not believe my eyes when I saw my best friend drop to the floor, unconscious! 
 
I cried for help! The club manager hurried over to us. "Please help her!" I shouted. 
 
He shook his head and started to drag Irene outside the club. "You will need to get your own
help, I'm afraid." 
 
Shocked and terrified, I searched for Matt in the crowd. There he was! "I am sure he will help
us," I thought. "I know he cares…" 
 
Matt looked at us for a long moment, and then disappeared back into the club. I couldn't believe
it. We were completely on our own. No help was coming. "I can call an ambulance," I thought,
"but what will I tell them?" 
 
That was my big wake-up call. It made me realize what a disaster my life had become. I did
finally call an ambulance and I spent that night at the hospital with Irene, but I couldn't give the
doctors any helpful information. I was scared that I would get in trouble. 
 
When I woke up the next day, I felt horrible. A doctor told me that my body and my mind were
being damaged by the ecstasy. He told me that Irene came very close to dying and that what we
were doing was terribly dangerous. I just broke down and cried. Everything seemed so dark and
hopeless. 
 
The nurses at the hospital put me in contact with a rehab (rehabilitation) center. This is a place
that helps people overcome their addictions to drugs. 
 
I felt horribly guilty for making my mother and brother go through that terrible experience. My
mother had a lot of financial problems because I had lost my job, plus she needed to help pay for
the cost of my rehab. I was in the program for weeks, and it was the most challenging experience
of my life. I am so lucky that my family stayed by my side and helped me to overcome my
addiction. 
 
The saddest part of my story is that Irene decided not to go to rehab. She hated what her life had
become, but the only way she thought she could feel good was by going to raves and taking more
and more ecstasy. She started to work with Matt at the clubs, selling ecstasy to young people and
getting them addicted. 
 
Later that year, she and Matt were arrested with a large quantity of illegal drugs and were sent to
prison. I cannot believe that my best friend is in jail, but I am just thankful that she did not die as
a result of her addiction to ecstasy. I hope that her time in jail, where she obviously can't use any
drugs, will help her overcome her addiction. I write her letters to try to encourage her even
though she never writes back. 
 
Today, my mind is still slow, and I sometimes feel depressed. My doctor says that I did
permanent damage to my body, my mind, and my emotional health because of my drug abuse,
but I still have hope of regaining my old self, when I was social and optimistic. 
 
I remember that at first my mother and brother were very disappointed in me. I remember my
brother crying when he visited me at rehab. But over time, they realized how hard I was working
to overcome my addiction, and they are proud of me now. 
 
I know that my brother learned from my terrible mistakes, and he will never take drugs. I am so
proud of him for how hard he works. He recently graduated from high school and was accepted
to a good college, and my mother and I are thrilled for him. I am working again, and I hope
someday I can go to college, too. I used to be my brother's role model and inspiration, but now
he is mine. 
 
Comprehension Questions 
Read the story and watch the video at the top of the page about ecstasy. Then answer the
following questions. 
1. In the story, why does Kendall need to work full time? 
- Kendall was obligated to work full time to help her mother pay bills and expenses, and
to help her younger brother finish school.
2. Why did Kendall start using ecstasy? 
- Kendall started using ecstasy by the influence of her best friend and later on, she got
amused and felt satisfied by its effect which made her addicted in the end.
3. What was Kendall's big wake-up call? 
- Kendall’s big wake-up call was when her best friend passed out and sent to the hospital.
The doctor explained what’s the adverse effect of ecstasy did to them, and that’s the point
where everything sinks-in to Kendall and made her realized the horrible and destructive
actions she was doing to herself.

Essay Questions 
1. Of all the negative effects of ecstasy that are described in the video and the story, which do
you think is the most serious? Why do you think so? 
- The damage of mind and emotional health to one’s self are the things I considered as
the most serious negative effects of ecstasy. We all know that we perceived everything through
our mind and the brain is the command center of our body. When this are being damaged, it
leads to changes in the function of multiple brain circuits that control pleasures/reward, stress,
decision-making, impulse control, learning and memory, and other functions. This will make an
individual not to function properly as a whole with additional effect of being depressed where it
rob your happiness in life. Just like what happened to Kendall, she no longer controls herself
rather the ecstasy was the one who eventually controlled her mind, actions, - her life in general.

2. Imagine that you are with Kendall and Irene on the first night they go to the club and meet
Matt. When he offers you ecstasy, what do you do? How do you react? What do you say to your
friends, Kendall and Irene? 

- If I was with Kendall and Irene on the first night they go to the club and meet Matt who
offers ecstasy, probably my reaction will be confused and shocked at first but I will be
determined to stand on what is right, and reject the offer of ecstasy. By no means, I will
encouraged Kendall and Irene to get out of the club immediately and talk to them about never
coming back and to cut-off any connections with Matt because his influence is detrimental.