The after parTy

Have favors! Can host! PNP? parTy? However you refer to it, it goes without saying that the drug scene is alive and well in the gay community. Whether you actually have used any drug is beside the point. The point is that we, as a community, don’t seem to be too concerned about it.

One drug that is making a remarkable comeback with the newer generation of gay (and non-gay) guys is meth. Meth is a synthetic stimulant that perfectly executes one job: releasing a flood of dopamine into the brain. Most people know dopamine as a naturally produced neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. Dopamine produces a positive reaction to everyday occurrences that keep us alive. When we eat or drink, our body gives us dopamine. In fact, studies show that eating food releases about 150 units of dopamine. Sex (without drugs) releases 200 units, nicotine results in 250, and cocaine clocks in at 350. In comparison, crystal meth unleashes a whopping 1,100 units of dopamine.

Meth offers a cheap and quick dopamine fix to those looking to feel good. Many people have referred to meth as the “dirty secret” of the gay community. In his book “Lust, Men and Meth: A Gay Man’s Guide to Sex and Recovery,” David Fawcett Ph.D., writes “there is a great seduction in the power of a drug to transform someone who is lonely, tired and feeling unattractive and invisible.” He refers to many users who turned to meth because they were unhappy or frustrated with how their lives were turning out. Feeling like they could use meth in a controlled way they began exploring the different ways to use meth.

Smoking, slamming, snorting or booty bumping are all common ways gay guys use meth. If you bottom after booty bumping here is a word of caution. You’re likely to have something besides absorbent blood vessels and a penis up your butt. You’re also going to have an abrasive powder which can increase chances for internal abrasion and condom tearing. If there is no condom, the risk for abrasions both in your rectum and on his penis goes up. This increases the chance for exchange of blood. Damage to the mucous membranes that line the rectum can put you at higher risk of spreading HIV and other STDs.

For a lot of gay meth users, regardless of HIV status, the drug acts as an intense sexual stimulant, one that breaks down inhibitions and boosts stamina and confidence, leading to marathon sex sessions of increasingly dangerous behavior. There’s no surprise that a study from the American Psychological Association shows that depression combined with methamphetamine use significantly affects sexual risk-taking.

But what happens after the parade has ended? Many users need to admit that they are either dependent or addicted to the drug. Coupling meth use with sex can greatly inhibit your libido and any chance to have a ‘normal’ sex life after recovery. When the brain experiences sex and meth together, the two can become “fused.” Quit the drug and you also lose sexual desire.

To confound the recovery process, the meth-addled brain has problems concentrating, solving problems and judging appropriate behavior. Because quitting meth doesn’t generally result in the physical withdrawal symptoms seen in opiate addicts, many hospitals don’t admit meth users trying to detox, even though they likely experience extreme psychological distress. In order to reclaim their lives, recovering addicts must often take a break from sex altogether as they commit to sobriety – a process that includes not just avoiding triggers and establishing new habits and friendships, but also learning to redefine sexual pleasure and increasing capacity for intimacy, Daunting indeed.

As a community “when people come out as gay, they’re celebrated but they’re not really mentored.” We need to be better at taking care of each other, helping each other, and realizing that we all have faults and are all imperfect. We are all trying to triumph over our own personal addictions and should support each other in our endeavors.

Information for this article was gathered from “Poz Magazine” and tweaker.org and is the soul opinion of the author.