What Is Chemsex?

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Dr. David Fawcett

Chemsex is the paired use of drugs, particularly methamphetamine, with sexual behavior. The term chemsex was coined in the UK to refer to gay men who struggle with stimulant drugs and sex, but use of the word has spread to other communities. Still, it is mostly gay men who use the term chemsex. 

Seeking Integrity offers specialized 21 and 28-day residential treatment for men for whom chemsex and other forms of paired substance/sex behaviors have spiraled out of control. 

  • Are compulsive drug use and sexual behavior creating problems in your life?
  • Do you need to be drunk or high to engage in sexual behavior?
  • Does your drug and sex life put you in places that scare you, endanger your health, or violate your personal moral code?

If you think you or a loved one may be struggling with chemsex behaviors, I suggest you take this anonymous 25-question substance use and sexual disorders screening test.

What Do You Call Your Addiction?

Chemsex addicts sometimes identify as both sex addicts and drug addicts, but not always, and sometimes they identify as neither, choosing instead to call themselves chemsex addicts. At Seeking Integrity, we don’t argue about the terminology. Our goal is to help individuals who consistently and compulsively pair substance use/abuse with sexual activity. For these individuals, the pairing often becomes a single, fused behavior. If they’re doing one, they’re doing the other. And when that fused behavior spirals out of control, we’re here to help.

Many chemsex addicts have tried and failed to quit drugs numerous times. Often, they’ve been to treatment for drug addiction, sometimes more than once. Unfortunately, treatment for drug addiction addresses only half of the chemsex issue. And after treatment, these individuals find themselves relapsing again and again, almost always related to their search for the same type of sexual intensity they got when they were using meth, cocaine, or other drugs and being sexual.

Treating Both Halves of the Addiction

Whether the pairing of substances and sex is referred to as chemsex or something else, it is clear that linking substance use and sexual behaviors can become a serious issue requiring specialized treatment, as offered by Seeking Integrity. Sadly, expertise in treating this unique dual addiction is virtually nonexistent out of Seeking Integrity.

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If you or someone you care about is struggling with chemsex or any other form of paired substance/sex addiction, you may want to consider Residential Treatment with Seeking Integrity. Separating yourself from active addiction with inpatient rehab is a great way to jumpstart recovery. And at Seeking Integrity, we will treat both halves of your addiction in ways that can lead you to lasting sobriety.