Have you Seen Molly? She is running around town.

No. I’m not talking about your friend, your mom, or your one-night stand. Molly, MDMA, or Ecstasy is a psychoactive drug with the similarities to both amphetamine and hallucinogens. The feelings that are produced by Molly seem great: emotional happiness, love for others, increased energy, time perception, sensory distortions. Yeah, I like those side effects. Wait, there’s more? Muscle tension, teeth and jaw grinding, nausea, blurred vision, SO much sweating, chills, and faintness are also some of the wonderful physical effects stimulated by this sweet girl. Still not convinced why Molly is so popular? Me either. Having the risk for confusion, sleep problems, drug cravings, anxiety, and depression are the ONLY long-term effects. Adults don’t sleep… news to me, I LOVE my naptime. Molly entered the orifices of many young adults with her variety of ways to use it. Ecstasy pills can be different colors or have cartoon-like images printed on them. MDMA makers may add caffeine, PCP, cocaine, dextromethorphan, or amphetamines to the pills or capsules.

Molly is pure and most commonly a powder or a crystal. In 2014 alone, 11,025,000 adults from the ages 18-25 played around with this mystery girl. Internet is everything in teens and young adults. We never put down our phones, always going over our data limits, updating everyone on Facebook about our life struggles; So, I can’t help but be astounded to think that of that 11 million, not one of them researched the drug and decided to not follow through. The body’s ability to regulate temperature decreases. This can cause hyperthermia which then affects kidneys, liver, heart failure, or lead to death. A crucial piece of information that cannot be proven yet is the drug’s ability to become addictive. Yes, as I am writing this I am replaying my own teen years. Experimenting with Molly was fun, new, and exhilarating. I loved Miley Cyrus and claimed to love Molly. That pretty much made us besties. Reality hit; honestly, if I continued to use socially, I did have a fear it would become a problem. It was TOO fun. Emotionally I had dependence: every time I would go out, I wanted to find her. She lasted about 3-4 hours and then I looked some more for my wanted friend. My tolerance rose to a terrifying level. If I was to take my usual dose and not physically feel the symptoms, it was time to bump (follow up a hit of drug with another). The workweek following my party weekend was the trigger to make me stop before things got any worse. I had no energy, I was depressed, calling off work, trying to catch up on sleep, losing tons of weight, and losing real friendships.

Dependence, Withdrawal, and Tolerance are 3 factors leading to an addiction. A proven fact about the addiction potential of MDMA is the fact that the drug targets the same neurotransmitters that are targeted by other highly addictive drugs. I came across people who stopped, with help. I asked questions and did my long overdue research. I was lucky to find help, and to change my own life. Living in South Florida, help is everywhere. Questions need to be asked, problems need to be solved, and life is worth living with avertible risk.