Molly is one of the many street names for 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine, or MDMA. Molly is an entirely synthetic drug that significantly alters and impairs the mood, perception, and behavior of the user. This means that the user will experience a change in their situational awareness, or their awareness of the conditions, objects, and people surrounding them.
Since Molly exhibits the effects of both stimulants as well as hallucinogens, the drug is popular with users that are looking for a very party-friendly and dance-friendly experience. The drug has seen a high level of popularity and general use among users who frequent the club and rave scene. Molly is also known as “ecstasy” or simply “X”.
Molly can be found in several forms. It can be found as capsules, tablets, liquid, powder, and rock. The capsules and tablets are swallowed as with any other pills and need to begin digestion before they can enter the system. The liquid is often mixed with a drink, just as the powder can be. The rock form of the drug is the purest and is often only seen once it is ground into the powder form. The powder is often snorted, but it can be mixed in with liquids, as well as taken orally in small paper or tissue packets that are swallowed like a pill but which dissolve very fast, taking effect quickly.
There are significant risks to taking Molly, both for the occasional and short-term users, as well as for the long-term or high-dose users. These effects can be not only the body of the user, but also damage to their individual brain chemistries, and negative effects on their emotional and psychological health.
What are the Side-Effects of Using the Drug Molly
The side-effects of using the drug Molly start with how the drug operates. It primarily acts on three specific brain chemicals, Serotonin, Dopamine, and Norepinephrine. These are important chemicals needed for the proper regulatory functions that the brain performs.
- Serotonin – Serotonin is a chemical that helps your brain and body regulate sleep, mood, and even appetite. Research shows it can react with other hormones and have an effect on both sexual arousal, and deeper feelings of trust. Large doses can create feelings of emotional intimacy, empathy, and euphoria.
- Dopamine – Dopamine is a chemical that makes you feel good. It gives a mild euphoric feeling, and that creates powerful links in the brain’s motivation and reward center that is the foundation for most behavior.
- Norepinephrine – The chemical norepinephrine is responsible for raising heart rate as well as blood pressure as part of the body’s normal regulatory functions. This can be incredibly dangerous, however, for users that may suffer from cardiovascular issues of any sort.
When it is initially taken, the Molly will last anywhere from 3 to 6 hours, and many habitual users find themselves taking a second dose when they feel the effects from the first dose begin to recede. During the “trip” or “roll” the user will experience euphoria and emotional closeness to those around them. They may also begin to feel increased feelings of sexual arousal as the drug sets in.
Possible negative effects of Molly can leave users feeling nauseous, muscle cramping, clenched jaw, headache, blurred vision, sweating, and chills. Higher doses of Molly can lead the user into a state of hyperthermia due to losing the ability to effectively regulate their body’s temperature. This can lead to life-threatening situations involving liver and kidney damage, even cardiac arrest, heart failure, and death.
Another potentially deadly result of the feelings of closeness, trust, and affection it manufactures, combined with the massive boost to sexual response, is unsafe and sometimes outright reckless sexual behavior in the users. This unsafe behavior can result in the user contracting or even becoming a carrier for deadly infections like Hepatitis and HIV/AIDS.
A final hazard posed by taking any drug, but particularly one like Molly, is that it is difficult or simply impossible to identify without chemical purity testing. This means that when users think they are paying for Molly, they may be getting it cut with unknown adulterants or other drugs like Ketamine, Methamphetamine, bath salts, or something else entirely.
What Withdrawal Symptoms from the Drug Molly Can Look Like
Most users feel a draw to the experiences that using Molly brings. The euphoria, the energy to dance, the closeness and “love”, and more. They can begin using increasingly large doses, which can lead to side effects like severe fatigue and loss of appetite when going through withdrawals. When during the detox stage as well as after, there may be extended feelings of depression, as well as an intense difficulty in concentrating.
Since it demonstrates some of the more potent effects of stimulants, like increased heart rate, and it fosters feelings of affection so easily, what users often experience during quitting is frequently linked with depression. They miss the feelings of intimacy that the drug created, and the environments that the drug was often taken in, such as raves and other largely underground electronic music events. Even if depression is not felt, often former users report a lingering malaise.
What Is a Treatment Option For An Addiction to the Drug Molly?
Since no standardized treatment exists for addiction to the drug Molly, if you or someone close to you may need help with addiction, behavioral/addiction therapy may be helpful. Reaching out for professional help through a treatment facility that offers both inpatient and outpatient treatment options can be the difference between lasting recovery and relapse.
Treatment plans are frequently designed around the specific needs of the user and are created with the goal of long-lasting sobriety. They are able to teach a variety of methods for avoiding the temptation of potential use, and coping mechanisms for increased relapse resistance. If you or someone you care for may be addicted to the drug Molly, help them reach out for treatment.
Even if you don’t think using the drug Molly is a problem for you, it is best that you seek help on the onset of taking the drug, as it can easily lead you down a path of dependence or down a path of a more devastating addiction. As such, reach out today to set yourself up for a firm foundation of long-term sobriety and, thus, a more fulfilling, satisfying life free from drugs right now.