Signs and Symptoms of Molly Abuse

Molly is a nickname for a new form of an old drug. Molly is crystal MDMA—the proper chemical name for this drug is 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine. Most people call it Ecstasy. Ecstasy has long been a drug popular at dance clubs, nightclubs, music festivals and parties.

Rave club

The drug is favored because it causes an artificial sense of empathy for other people. It also makes people enjoy lights and music more, which makes it popular at venues where there is music. These symptoms are accompanied by euphoria and energy that enables people to dance long into the night.

Molly is promoted as a pure crystalline form of MDMA. Pills sold as MDMA are often adulterated with other drugs, sometimes containing no MDMA at all. This new form is supposed to be a guarantee that the drug taken really is MDMA, but this is no more of a guarantee than any drug dealer’s assurances ever were. There have even been instances where the deadly drug fentanyl has been found mixed with Molly being purchased on the street and at festivals.

Singers Popularizing the Drug

In the summer of 2013, singers like Miley Cyrus, Kanye West and Madonna have referred to the drug either in song lyrics or from the stage. When two people were suspected of dying after using Molly at a music festival in New York, this drug suddenly hit the spotlight. The last day of the music festival was canceled out of a concern for the drugs being used at this festival.

Couple taking pills

A person using MDMA in any form is at risk for an overheating death. MDMA is a powerful stimulant that increases heart rate and body temperature. In a nightclub environment, users often have a “chill room” available with plenty of cold water for sale. They can cool down before they go back to dancing and thus can prevent this overheating. But in an open-air environment in the summertime, a person may not be able to keep his body temperature down.

A dose of Molly lasts for four to six hours, which may lead some party goers or festival attendees to re-dose repeatedly.

Signs and Symptoms of Molly Abuse

Signs and Symptoms that a Person has Abused Molly

Signs considered desirable:

  • Euphoria
  • Friendliness
  • Empathy for others
  • Increased energy
  • Altered perceptions of light and sound

Symptoms that are not considered desirable include:

  • Nausea
  • Chills
  • Clenching of teeth and jaw tightness
  • Blurred vision
  • Distortions of time
  • High blood pressure
  • Fast heartbeat
  • Overheating
  • Sweating
  • Depression
  • Sleep problems
  • Confusion
  • Anxiety
  • Addiction
  • Risky behavior such as promiscuous sex

Ref: https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/mdma-ecstasymolly

Addictiveness and Risky Behavior

MDMA is sometimes addictive for some people the first few times they use it. For other people, after they use it just on weekends to party, they may soon be driven to use it during the week because of the crushing depression that shows up a few days later. This kind of behavior quickly spirals into full-fledged addiction.

A person using MDMA or Molly may use poor judgment when it comes to sexual encounters. Because of the artificial sense of empathy the drug creates, some men at a club or music festival will give the drug to a woman so that she will feel like she loves him and wants to have sex with him. This feeling will be absent the next day, but if she is addicted, she will be driven to repeat this behavior.

Like with any addiction, an obsession to get and abuse Molly will drag a person’s entire life down. He (or she) is likely to abandon interests and goals and seek more drugs instead.

Drug Rehab is Needed for Molly Addiction

The Narconon program not only addresses the debilitating effects of drug abuse on the mind and body but also resolves why a person turned to drugs in the first place. As a result, a person can graduate from the program into a new life free from drug use.

Happy youth outside

Learn how the Narconon drug rehab program can help you bring your loved one home to a sober new life.


Frequently Asked Questions About Molly

What Is Molly?

What Does Molly Look Like? 

What Does Molly Do?

Is Molly Addictive?


Clinical Review by Claire Pinelli, LADC, CCS, ICAADC, MCAP

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