'Never drop without your significant other, cause that way lies ruin': The boundary work of couples who use MDMA together.
The International journal on drug policy September 1, 2019 Katie Anderson, Paula Reavey, Zoë Boden 10 citations
MDMA's pro-social effects, such as increased friendliness and empathy, are examined in the context of heterosexual romantic relationships. Through interviews and diaries with couples, the study finds that MDMA use is carefully bounded from daily life both temporally and corporeally, involving rituals that reenchant everyday spaces and selves. Couples also exclude others to preserve an emotionally intense space for themselves. The drug serves as a unique form of relationship 'work,' akin to a special date night that revitalizes connection. The authors suggest harm reduction efforts should address 'messy' emotional harms and engage with users' language of 'specialness' to limit negative impacts.