The AfterMeth: Gay Men Recovering from Crystal Methamphetamine and Chemsex Addiction

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Supplemental Study Guide:
https://www.drdallasbragg.com/newsletters/blog/posts/chemsexcommunity
In this episode, Dallas is joined by Beau, creator of the Gather app, for an honest conversation about the challenge so many gay and queer men face in recovery: how do you build genuine community when your entire social world was built around chemsex, hookup apps, and party culture? Both Dallas and Beau share their personal journeys of recognizing the armor they built to survive homophobia — and how substances became a shortcut to the connection, playfulness, and belonging they were desperate for. They explore how media, pornography, and cultural pressure shaped narrow expectations of what it means to be gay, and how recovery becomes an opportunity to finally ask: who am I, really?
The conversation turns to practical ways of rebuilding connection — from attending ecstatic dance and cuddle puddles to joining run clubs, volunteering with queer nonprofits, and taking small, brave steps like simply walking into a room of strangers and smiling. Beau introduces the Gather app as a community-driven alternative to Grindr, designed to help queer people post spontaneous, low-pressure meetups — a walk in the park, a book club, a life drawing class — and find others nearby who share their vibe. Dallas and Beau both emphasize that the path forward requires self-compassion, pushing past discomfort, and a collective commitment to showing up for one another in new ways.
Download the Gather App: https://www.letsgather.app/
Find Beau here: Instagram @gaybritishbear
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Dallas Bragg
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Supplemental Study Guide:
https://www.drdallasbragg.com/newsletters/blog/posts/giftofchemsex
In this episode, host Dr. Dallas Bragg sits down with Matthew, a client and graduate of the Foundations group coaching program, who shares his journey from childhood in West Virginia to crystal meth addiction and ultimately into recovery. Matthew opens up about the subtle but powerful childhood wounds that shaped his sense of self — growing up as an identical twin constantly compared to his brother, latching onto intelligence as his sole identity, and enduring bullying that reinforced deep feelings of inadequacy. He traces how those unhealed wounds drove him toward perfectionism, people-pleasing, and eventually chemsex, where meth temporarily silenced the relentless inner voices telling him he wasn't good enough.
The conversation turns to the transformative shift that changed everything for Matthew: learning self-compassion. Through Dr. Bragg's coaching program, Matthew began to see meth not as a villain that stole his life, but as a mirror reflecting what he'd been missing — self-worth, self-love, and authentic identity. Key themes explored include the power of asking "what is true and what is a story," releasing judgment (of meth, of yourself, of your past), and the courage it takes to stop identifying with your wounds and start discovering who you actually are. Matthew's story is a powerful testament that recovery isn't about returning to who you were — it's about becoming who you were always meant to be.
Find Matthew here:
Instagram:  Matthewdenali.11
Email:          [email protected]
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Dallas Bragg
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YouTube: The Aftermeth Podcast
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Free online course to End the Relapse Cycle: https://www.drdallasbragg.com/offers/e7c2Eo22/checkout
Meth-Free Blueprint EBOOK: https://www.drdallasbragg.com/offers/o8qFhK5i/checkout

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Supplemental Study Guide:
https://www.drdallasbragg.com/newsletters/blog/posts/HealingRelationships
In this episode of The AfterMeth Podcast, host Dr. Dallas Bragg sits down with Tom Bruett, LMFT and certified sex therapist, to explore the complex dynamics of relationships affected by crystal meth use. Tom, founder of the Queer Relationship Institute and author of "The Go To Relationship Guide for Gay Men," brings his extensive expertise working with queer couples through the challenges of chemsex addiction. The conversation tackles difficult questions many listeners face: What happens when one partner is using and the other isn't? How does meth become a "third partner" in the relationship, competing for attachment and attention? Tom emphasizes that honesty forms the foundation for healing, explaining how repeated betrayals create trauma for non-using partners and erode trust in ways that go beyond the drug use itself. He candidly addresses the reality that rebuilding a relationship during active use is nearly impossible, as meth fundamentally alters brain chemistry and becomes the primary attachment object, making meaningful connection with a partner extremely difficult.
The discussion then shifts to recovery and sexual reintegration, offering both hope and realistic expectations for couples navigating this journey. Tom shares that rebuilding trust requires "new experiences"—not just stopping use, but actively bringing partners into the recovery process through vulnerable sharing about cravings, triggers, and close calls. He addresses one of the most common concerns: the fear that sex will never feel the same again after meth. Rather than offering false promises, Tom encourages couples to grieve what was lost while expanding their definition of intimacy and sexual connection, starting small with touch, massage, and emotional presence rather than expecting immediate return to previous patterns. He outlines the importance of both partners getting support—the person in recovery needs their own resources, while the non-using partner often needs therapy or coaching to process their own trauma and learn when to set firm boundaries. Throughout the conversation, Tom validates the profound grief both partners experience while emphasizing that recovery is possible when couples are willing to do the heavy lifting of honest communication, boundary-setting, and rebuilding their foundation together.
Socials- 
Instagram- @queerrelationshipinstitute
Youtube- @queerrelationshipinstitute
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Dallas Bragg
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YouTube: The Aftermeth Podcast
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Free online course to End the Relapse Cycle: https://www.drdallasbragg.com/offers/e7c2Eo22/checkout
Meth-Free Blueprint EBOOK: https://www.drdallasbragg.com/offers/o8qFhK5i/checkout

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Supplemental Study Guide:
https://www.drdallasbragg.com/newsletters/blog/posts/ChemsexRecovery
In this episode of The AfterMeth Podcast, host Dr. Dallas Bragg sits down with Shane Mayson, a recovery and life coach and interventionist with 22 years of personal recovery experience. Shane shares his journey from discovering drugs at age 13 in Charleston, South Carolina, through his progression to methamphetamine use in New York City in 1989, and ultimately finding recovery in 1994 through 12-step programs. He candidly discusses growing up gay in a religious household with a Pentecostal preacher father, the shame he carried, and how substances initially felt like the solution he'd been searching for before his life spiraled to homelessness and a critical turning point.
The conversation explores the distinction between life coaching and recovery coaching, with Shane explaining that while life coaching helps clients discover their own answers through curiosity and questioning, recovery coaching requires more direct guidance on essential boundaries like changing phone numbers and cutting contact with using networks. Both Shane and Dallas emphasize the irreplaceable value of peer-to-peer support in recovery, noting that while clinical therapy has its place, the lived experience of someone who has navigated chemsex addiction brings a unique understanding that cannot be taught in a classroom. Shane's approach blends compassionate intervention with practical recovery tools, highlighting that recovery is possible and that the journey continues to evolve even decades into sobriety.
Find Shane here:
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanemayson/
Instagram: @shane_mayson
Email : [email protected]

The AfterMeth:
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Dallas Bragg
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YouTube: The Aftermeth Podcast
X: https://twitter.com/Drdallasbragg
Free online course to End the Relapse Cycle: https://www.drdallasbragg.com/offers/e7c2Eo22/checkout
Meth-Free Blueprint EBOOK: https://www.drdallasbragg.com/offers/o8qFhK5i/checkout

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Supplemental Study Guide:
https://www.drdallasbragg.com/newsletters/blog/posts/Eroticism
In this episode of The AfterMeth Podcast, host Dr. Dallas Bragg welcomes back Dr. Thomas Gaither, a urologist and academic researcher specializing in MSM sexual health, to explore the concept of eroticism and sexual reintegration after chemsex addiction. Drawing from Jack Morin's book "The Erotic Mind," they discuss the four cornerstones of eroticism: violating prohibitions, longing and anticipation, searching for power, and overcoming ambivalence. Dr. Gaither introduces the framework of sexual "accelerators and brakes," emphasizing that addressing psychological barriers like internalized homophobia, anxiety, and self-hate is more crucial than adding stimulants to achieve arousal. The conversation centers on helping men who struggle to reconnect with their sexuality after meth use, particularly those who associate sexual thoughts exclusively with drug cravings or feel sexually numb years into recovery.
 The discussion provides practical tools for sexual healing, including an exercise in identifying "peak erotic experiences" (PEEs) from pre-addiction periods to map one's natural arousal template. Dr. Gaither explains the concept of "core erotic themes"—unfinished emotional business from childhood that manifests in sexual experiences—and how understanding these patterns can help reclaim agency over one's sexuality. Both hosts emphasize that diminishing sexual desire during recovery may actually signal healthy growth rather than dysfunction, encouraging patience as the brain rewires itself without chemical stimulation. The episode addresses common post-addiction challenges including erectile dysfunction, delayed ejaculation, and porn dependency, while reinforcing that 90% of sexual function originates in the brain and requires introspection beyond medical interventions.
Find Dr. Tom here:  
IG is @that_prostate_doctor 
Tiktok is: @that_prostate_doctor 

The AfterMeth:
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Dallas Bragg
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YouTube: The Aftermeth Podcast
X: https://twitter.com/Drdallasbragg
Free online course to End the Relapse Cycle: https://www.drdallasbragg.com/offers/e7c2Eo22/checkout
Meth-Free Blueprint EBOOK: https://www.drdallasbragg.com/offers/o8qFhK5i/checkout