We Watched “True Life: I’m Hooked On Molly” So You Don’t Have To

[divider]Our Issues With The Show[/divider]

For starters, the entire time it is referred to exclusively as molly as if the entire audience automatically knew what the drug was. MTV had an opportunity to educate users on what “molly” is and give a bit of a baseline before diving into the stories of these two very addicted women, but alas we will have to do so for you as they glossed over it fairly quickly in the beginning. One of the continuing problems with raving is that many people think they know what molly is, but there are so many rumors and misconceptions flying around that it’s incredibly different to know what is true about molly/MDMA and what is just urban legend. Thankfully we have our friends at Dancesafe to help get the facts right about molly.

To make a long story shorter, “molly” is the popular name for MDMA, or 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine. MDMA is a mood elevating drug that releases serotonin and produces a euphoric feeling. Unfortunately molly in its pure form is not typically what people find from their local drug dealer as it can be either cut with other substances or be something completely different than MDMA. Of particular concern is the scene in the show where Paige is on the floor hallucinating, because real MDMA does not produce that effect. This is why testing kits are so crucial, and yet even the standard field test kit isn’t enough to have 100% confidence that you know what you’re taking.

MDMA? Or something else?

Now it’s time to talk about molly addiction. Our friends at thump did a great job of summing up their take on the show and how it portrayed the addiction aspect.  MDMA is not an addictive substance in its pure form yet especially Paige shows classic addict behavior, begging for money to buy molly and alcohol and feeling like she never has enough. This is another reason we are upset that MTV didn’t provide any education about molly on their show, because many of these behaviors are indicative of other drugs.

While the drug in its pure form may not be chemically addicting, it is possible to become psychologically addicted to just about anything. Some examples of this can be seen in those who develop gambling, shopping, sex, and other habits that while not chemically dependent are still harmful behaviors. Of particular interest in this instance is both of these women were dealing with depression issues before molly joined the game. Since molly alters the serotonin levels in the brain it’s not too challenging to see why this women were so drawn to the quick happy high it brings on.

We were cautiously optimistic about this episode of True Life, but in the end it went for the drama without doing anything to educate the viewers on what molly actually is or how it features for a typical raver. Both of these women were far outside the norm, and at the end of the day the shows messaging just seems to be a slightly more modernized version of the old-fashioned D.A.R.E curriculum. Here at Dance Music Northwest we don’t promote drug use, but we also know that many of you do partake in substances that alter your electronic music experience. It is our hope that you’ll educate yourselves on what you’re taking, both in terms of the effects and what that could mean for your own health situation as well as testing your substances in an effort to avoid nasty surprises.

At USC shows the Conscious Crew has your back whether you’ve been too friendly with molly or just need someone to chill with. Credit: Tyler Hill Photo

Because we love you, our readers, we also want you to know that should you feel that you or one of your friends may be getting too friendly with molly there are safe places to get help. First and foremost, reach out to friends and family and let them know what’s going on. Chances are good they already knew and were waiting for the right time to talk about it. Next, get help. There are great inpatient and outpatient options around the country waiting to help you and we promise we’ll be here when you get back. Our community prides itself on taking care of each other and that includes you.

MTV had the opportunity to do some good and educate a captive audience as the eyes of the media and pop culture are focused squarely on the EDM world. Sadly, in the end, this episode was just a sensationalist grab to get viewers while not doing anything but using a scare tactics approach in depicting molly users the way they did. These women were brave to share their stories, now it’s up to us to show yet again what our culture is really like.

If you still can’t resist the temptation to watch, here you go.