20th August 2019 • Sticky Post

Escaping the Chemsex Cycle

The term “chemsex” jumped into the popular consciousness in 2015 as a feature-length documentary of the same name was released and the British Medical Journal published an editorial warning of the dangers of the phenomenon. According to the BMJ, chemsex is a behaviour defined by the ingestion of GHB, GBL, crystal meth, and mephedrone coupled with participation in hours or days-long sexual sessions with multiple partners. Mephedrone and crystal meth act as stimulants which trigger euphoria and arousal, while GHB and GBL have dis-inhibiting and anesthetic qualities that allow users to take pleasure in risky behaviour they might not attempt sober. Psychologists feel that chemsex appeals mainly to men who suffer from internalised homophobia, anxiety about their HIV status, and a lack of self-confidence and self-esteem. Let’s take a look at the growth of this dangerous trend, and ways for chemsex addicts to break free.

Is Chemsex Common?

As a recent article in Avert notes, while there is a great deal of qualitative data about the phenomenon, it’s difficult to find quantitative data. However, researchers from Public Health London, the University College of London, and Imperial College London found that 30% of HIV positive men who participated in the Positive Voices survey reported having participated in chemsex in the past year (with over 10% reporting they’d participated in “Slamsex”, a particularly dangerous variant where users inject the drugs). While the spread of HIV has finally started to slow, chemsex participants were found more likely to have anal sex without a condom and to engage in the behaviour with partners of an unknown HIV status.

In addition to the risk of increasing the spread of HIV, chemsex is also believed to be a factor in the spread of other STIs. Chemsex participants were found to be more likely to be infected with Hepatitis C, Syphilis, gonorrhea and other STIs which have been spreading rapidly across Europe and North America.

Why Is Chemsex So Addictive?

David Stuart, a sexual health worker at 56 Dean Street, a pioneering London clinic which offers resources and support to chemsex addicts, cites the traumas of growing up as an LGBTQ+ person as a factor. “Intimacy is a skill we learn as children in the ideal family unit…A lot of gay men didn’t experience that” he says. “Then suddenly they’re all grown up, in a hypersexualised gay world with an app on their phone that helps facilitate very fast sex in a population of people who are more prone to HIV and hepatitis C, and they’re trying to incorporate intimacy into their lives with no frame of reference.” Stuart feels that the drugs commonly used in chemsex offer vulnerable gay men a tool which allows them to experience the pleasures of intimacy and sex. However, it also leads to incredibly risky behavior, with a very serious risk of infection and overdose.

Irish healthcare professionals are starting to notice a marked rise in GHB addiction as a result of chemsex. Graham Ryall, a Dublin based outreach worker notes that people who begin using GHB on weekends often experience “terrible comedowns” and begin using throughout the week. “If you’re riddled with anxiety you might think, ‘One shot and I’ll be fine’, but then you need another one at 11am,” Ryall said. And GHB overdoses linked to chemsex have been on the rise in London, with associated deaths doubling in number between 2012 and 2015.

Escaping the Cycle

The documentary film Chemsex follows a young gay man named Miguel through his journey into and out of a blur of hookups and drug abuse. According to him “They filmed me on various comedowns, meltdowns and on one very losing-the-plot crystal meth binge. I think this documentary is a huge step in reaching out to the general public and showing that we’re not hopeless junkies who will die in their own various bodily fluids.” The documentary climaxes with Miguel suffering a psychotic break caused by crystal meth abuse, but following the filming, he went through a year of drug treatment in France. He has yet to watch the movie, stating that “Watching this film at this point in my life will make me sink back into the worst period of my life, a series of rock bottoms. The documentary will always be there tomorrow.”

While difficulty with positive expressions of intimacy and sexuality can lead vulnerable young people into the nightmare of chemsex, other risk factors include depression, anxiety, and drug use outside of sex. While clinics like 56 Dean Street offer a variety of harm reduction services, including clean needles, information, counselling, and the HIV prevention drug PrEP, ending drug dependence is a must for beginning a healthy life.

Drug rehabilitation centers such as Iboga Tree Healing House can be extremely helpful, because of the unique combination of holistic treatments, which help to rebuild the self, and the power of iboga to induce self-reflection and limit withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings. Equine-assisted therapy has helped thousands of people with intimacy issues to build trust and connection, and mindfulness and meditation practices have been shown to benefit those suffering from depression and anxiety.

An addiction to chemsex is fundamentally different from other forms of drug addiction, and traditional treatment models may not address the traumas and mental health issues which lead to this incredibly risky behavior. If you’re interested in breaking free, get in touch with us today!