Dallas Bragg, a chemsex recovery coach, explains how methamphetamine, mephedrone, and GHB fuel a global epidemic among gay men through apps like Grindr. The addiction stems from a desire for uninhibited sex, but causes permanent psychosis and brain damage. Traditional treatment systems ignore it entirely.
Hey everybody, I'm Dallas. I'm a chemsex recovery coach helping men who have sex with men break free from the addictive patterns of chemsex and reach their highest potential. I thought I'd start off with a little background on the term chemsex since it is seemed to not seep into the vernacular here in the US quite yet. Chemsex identifies a subset of the overall umbrella of sexualized drug use. Chemsex refers to men who have sex with men, or MSM, abusing the substances such as methamphetamine, mephedrone, and GHB. That list continues to grow also as we see new synthetic substances hit the market like monkey dust. Chemsex was first coined by a researcher and practitioner in London named David Stewart. He believed that the subculture of MSM who use these drugs faced unique challenges and also behaved differently while on them. And this continues to prove true. And now, with the help of apps like Grindr, chemsex has become a worldwide epidemic. Chemsex has become its own world hiding in plain sight. MSM are— who face minority stress, stigma, shame, and fragmentation seem to have found a place where all of that is stripped away and they are free to express their sexual desires without any inhibition. That state of consciousness has become the addiction for many men. They say that their first time is that, that feeling they've, that they've been searching for their entire life. And then of course they chase that first time in an effort that rapidly spins out of control. These drugs and the culture they've created are perfectly designed for gay men who face rejection, internalized homophobia, and stigma. In their own community, to say nothing of the broader heteronormative culture. This is quickly becoming a global healthcare crisis and often compared to the AIDS epidemic. The main difference here is that these drugs aren't taking lives physically as much as they are mentally through permanent psychosis and long-term brain damage. Men lose everything and simply wish they could die, even as they reach for the pipe. I started this program after facing the severe gap in understanding in our recovery system, as I noticed the treatment centers, counselors, therapists, and court systems totally unaware of the nuances of chemsex. When I went through my treatment, they were ill-equipped to help me. There were and still remain huge gaps in recovery services for specifically chemsex. That, coupled with the silence that we're experiencing in the queer community, who are reluctant to talk about this problem. So my mission is to change that. Thank you, Court, for inviting me here, and I look forward to engaging with you all.
