Dallas BraggFormer crystal methamphetamine user, I help men who have sex with men break free from the addictive patterns associated with Chemsex. Currently expanding my expertise by seeking to become a Certified

Want to Heal Shame? Stop Scrolling

30 May 2025 · 2 min

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2:23

In this solo teaching, Dallas Bragg addresses the compounded stigma faced by queer individuals who use methamphetamine and live with HIV. He argues that external labels and internalized shame can drive continued substance use, and proposes a five‑step process for creating a personal counter‑narrative that replaces shame with self‑compassion and radical authenticity. The steps are: (1) become the compassionate observer, stepping back from shameful thoughts and viewing them with curiosity; (2) reclaim language, replacing victimizing descriptors with empowering ones; (3) find a tribe of truth‑tellers who see beyond labels and reflect one’s authentic self; (4) integrate painful experiences rather than erase them, weaving them into a larger story of resilience; and (5) embody the new narrative daily through posture, breath, and behavior. Bragg emphasizes that the body remembers liberation and that one’s response to experiences, not the experiences themselves, defines identity. The overall message is that healing shame requires active, embodied practice of a self‑crafted narrative.

Chapters

All right, you return to meth use because you are given labels and stigma not only from general society and culture but from your own queer community as well. You're a queer person, you're a drug addict, you're a tweaker, you're dirty with HIV. When you accept this narrative, why not just go ahead and use anyway? This is why we have to create and embody our own counter-narratives. So here's how to create your counter-narrative. Number 1, become the compassionate observer. Step back from the shame narratives playing in your mind. You are not your thoughts. You are the one witnessing your thoughts. So from that vantage point, approach your journey with curiosity rather than judgment. What happened here? Instead of, what's wrong with me? Right? Number 2, reclaim your language. Words have power. Notice how you describe yourself. I'm an addict. I'm a victim. They did this to me. These aren't your identities. Try, I'm a man in transformation, or I'm reclaiming my wholeness. Create language that honors your complexity, your resilience, and empower yourself to move forward. Number 3, find your tribe of truth-tellers. Surround yourself with others who refuse to be defined by stigma as well. When someone sees you, truly sees you, Beyond your labels, it becomes easier for you to see yourself. The connections— that this is not just a support network. These are mirrors reflecting back your authentic self. Number 4, integrate, don't erase. Your counter-narrative doesn't pretend the hard parts didn't happen. Instead, it weaves them into a larger story of resilience. Meth use, HIV status— these aren't character flaws. They're chapters in a complex That's the human journey. Number 5, embody your new narrative every day. This isn't just intellectual work. It lives in your body. How do you stand? How do you breathe? How do you move through the world? How do you show up when you're not carrying shame? Practice this embodiment every day. Your body remembers what liberation feels like. Your experiences do not define you. Your response to them does. And that response can be one of courage, Self-compassion and radical authenticity.