Gay sex and meth

Methamphetamine has a profound effect on dopamine activity, a brain chemical associated with motivation and the urge to repeat pleasurable activities. The effects of the drug on the brain and body keep getting exponentially more damaging, and between the physical addiction and the subsequent loss of impulse control, it can be extremely difficult to get out of the cycle of using.

One of the first steps you can take towards recovery is to get help from another person.

With the pervasiveness of illicitly manufactured fentanyl—a synthetic opioid that causes overdose in very small doses—in the drug supply, the need for action has never been more immediate.

A large part of this work involves changing the perception of society toward methamphetamine addiction and especially queer people who struggle with this disease.

At first it helped me keep the party going, keep the sex hot, keep the mood up, but something began to shift the more I did it.

But because methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant drug, a person can quickly become dependent on its effects.

As someone abuses more meth, the brain can only receive dopamine from drug abuse. It can seem scary or overwhelming at first, but if you take it one moment at a time, it’s easier than you think. It’s crucial that treatment centers don’t just claim to be accepting of sexual and gender minorities but do the necessary work to make these patients feel safe and welcome, protecting them from harassment and mistreatment from both staff and other patients.

These programs also must work to address common issues that co-occur with addiction among LGBTQ+ patients, such as trauma, emotional turmoil, and interpersonal conflicts.

You may even realize you need more accountability than just therapy alone. It has drastic effects on someone’s skin, mouth, and eyes.

Psychological impacts such as meth-induced psychosis can induce feelings of skin crawling, paranoia, mood swings, and depression. The world became grey, muted, and not pleasurable when I was off it.

I believe that the combination of meth’s extremely physically addicting qualities, along with the unique feelings that a gay man grows up with in terms of how he feels about himself, sets up a perfect marriage between gay men and meth use, and explains why the drug is so rampant in our community.

Our LGBTQ+ patients face numerous challenges that may lead to substance use as a means of coping, such as discrimination, stigma, and trauma.

Our LGBTQ+ patients often talk about feeling their needs and experiences are invalidated by those around them. Many feel they need crystal methamphetamine or other psychoactive drugs to perform sexually.

Meth And Sexual Orientation

New studies show a connection between methamphetamine addiction and people experimenting with sexual orientation.

Because meth can make someone go outside their comfort zone, some find they are changing sexual prevalence.

Homosexuality and meth shouldn’t be viewed as synonymous.

Being in this environment was a high in-and-of-itself, but when combined with the substances that were going around (ecstasy, GHB, meth, ketamine), I was truly flying for what felt like the first time.

After coming from the other end of the spectrum, not being allowed to develop naturally and express my true self and sexuality, being in this space felt so good and so free that I never wanted it to end.

It will take a multi-faceted approach that involves the cooperation of treatment centers, queer people in recovery, allies, and the broader LGBTQ+ community.

Karah Moody, LMHC, CPP, MCAP, is a counselor and LGBTQ2+ Coordinator at River Oaks Treatment Center, an American Addiction Centers facility.