Dallas Bragg warns gay men in recovery that FOMO—fear of missing out on parties and hookups—is the biggest threat to staying sober. He breaks down how Grindr notifications hijack your brain on a Friday night alone, and what's really underneath: needing validation, community, and escape. Two weeks of relapse, he says, isn't worth it.
You want to know the biggest detriment to crystal recovery for gay men? Fear of missing out, or what we know as FOMO. It's Friday night and you're at home staring at Netflix. The phone is beside you screaming at you, right? Grindr and sniffies are waiting. They're begging to be opened while you stare at Schitt's Creek, because on the other side of that app click, the world opens. Who is out tonight? What orgy am I missing? Is anyone new in town? FOMO will take over your brain. It hijacks your brain function. Leaving no room for logical reasoning or critical decision-making. But what are you afraid of missing, really? FOMO is not about the party. It is the very essence of the craving of the Tina experience, the very call to soothe your emotional stress, cure your boredom, to be validated, to feel a part of a community. Those are the things that you're afraid of missing out on. So On that Friday night in front of Netflix, ask yourself, what other ways can I achieve these same objectives? Get up and take control of your life. What you are missing out on is the next 2 weeks of emotional and physical misery if you go use Tina.
