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Posted: 7/24/08 9:17 pm
Methamphetamine is a particularly sexual drug for many, but the "backfire," as you know, is pretty severe. On the up side, it can increase sexual desire and stamina. It can dissipate sexual shame and inhibitions. However, the down side is you can get "crystal dick," which means your cock is floppier than a worm on a hook, not to mention it's nearly impossible to ejaculate. Furthermore (and this is the backfire part), meth is highly addictive, and most people find their sexual desire quickly becomes dose-driven, meaning not only do they crave the drug more, but their desire for, and ability to have, sex is dependent on it. Withdrawal and recovery, as you also know, is horrible and libido often suffers the most. Crystal meth is a sexual wolf in sheep's clothing.
I've been reading the different studies focusing on sexual shame and crystal meth -- which, by the way, are few. In fact, Dr. David Wohlsifer states in his study on the subject, "Little is mentioned about sexual issues beyond identifying crystal users as suffering from a sexual addiction and being sexually compulsive. The literature [research] is devoid of suggestions or efforts aimed at helping develop healthy sexual beliefs and a meaningful and healthy sex life as well as address the issues of sexual trauma that may have occurred during crystal use."
Almost every treatment program supporting people to stop using crystal also requires them to be sexually abstinent. It's clear that sex can be so dramatically enhanced by crystal, it's very hard to pull the two apart. But all too often sexual activity gets stigmatized as being part of the destructive chemical itself, and, as a sexologist, I begin to recognize something out of whack in the approach to helping meth users recover.
Since the relapse rate for crystal users is as high as 90 percent (Sanello, 2005), I figure some of these treatment facilities might be willing to consider some alternative approaches to recovery, especially from a sexological point of view. Here's my perspective:
While reading through the research, another kind of "treatment" kept popping into my head. Oftentimes, the most successful "ex-gays" (if you can call that success) are people who (for lack of a better term) have an addictive personality, i.e., people who abuse alcohol, drugs and other substances. Therefore, when they find Jesus and use religion to "come clean" from their substance abuse, they corral their gayness in with their addictions and get the idea that being straight goes along with being "on the wagon." So, conversely, for them "gay" equals destructive behavior.
Is this reality? Of course not. Jesus might help people get off the booze, but being gay is not a chemical addiction. Yet both this "treatment" to "cure" gayness and the treatment to recover from meth categorize sexuality as just part of the addiction. Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying these two kinds of organizations are identical in every way. They are very different. However, I hope you can perceive how similar kinds of sex-negativity can actually contribute significantly to the problem.
Turning again to Dr. Wohlsifer's study, he found that his gay subjects had many shame-based beliefs about their sexuality prior to their initial use of crystal and that the use of the drug eradicated those same feelings of shame. It created for the user a kind of "alternate sexual reality," one where a user felt sexy, horny, confident, adventurous, uninhibited and affectionate with a sense of belonging and camaraderie with the other men he had sex with. With that kind of shame-free sexual euphoria (and the addictive chemical begging for more), of course he would feel compelled to take meth over and over again.
This may be a big clue to defusing the epidemic. As Dr. Wohlsifer put it, "If each man in this study had someone, before they initially used crystal, help them work through the sexual shame they felt, it can be hypothesized from their comments that they might not have resorted to the drug. They might have developed healthier sexual beliefs about themselves and acted in ways less destructive."
This is not the first time our community has confused sexuality and self-destruction. In the early '80s, the queer community really did not know if AIDS would kill every gay man on the planet. There was a sense our quickly dwindling "gay species" could actually die out! Therefore, every person, especially our sex partners had to survive. In essence, we insisted that sex be a positive experience for everyone by developing cutting-edge education despite the challenges. It was important then and it's important now that we insist our healthy sexuality does not take the blame for irresponsible behavior.
I know sex is not the only reason people use crystal, but re-shaming a recovering user by telling him "Just say no to sex" could certainly set the stage for a relapse. "To respond to the community health problems that Crystal use presents, it is essential to understand that Crystal use is a mechanism that eradicates sexual shame." So let's provide ways for recovering users (and everyone, quite frankly) to stimulate a positive sexuality -- one without shame. My practice focuses on this need by providing information, workshops, and consultations specifically for those wanting to decrease their sexual shame.
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