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

Send us a text
Supplemental Study Guide: 
https://www.drdallasbragg.com/newsletters/blog/posts/ArtificialIntelligence
In this episode, Dallas welcomes Richard, a 59-year-old from the UK with a background in finance, who shares his innovative approach to Chemsex recovery through AI assistance. Richard discovered the power of AI (specifically Claude and ChatGPT) while managing a difficult situation with a narcissistic housemate, where AI helped him keep facts steady amid gaslighting and emotional manipulation. He then realized the same principles applied to his addiction—selective memory, distorted thinking, and the fantasy of control. After years of struggling with traditional 12-step programs that didn't fully address the arousal-based nature of Chemsex addiction, Richard found AI to be an invaluable "thinking partner" that provides shame-free, judgment-free support available 24/7. He emphasizes that AI isn't a replacement for human connection, but rather a supplement that helps him process cravings, manage impulses, organize his thoughts, and work through the unglamorous daily moments where addiction festers in the dark.
The conversation explores practical applications of AI in recovery, including using it as a comedown partner, an impulse buffer before sending emotionally-charged texts, a dream interpreter, and a tool for sexual template normalization planning. Richard candidly discusses how Chemsex differs from other addictions because meth and sex become completely fused—he describes it as a cue-initiated, arousal-based addiction rather than an emotional one. Dallas and Richard address common concerns about AI use, including data privacy and the importance of using AI alongside (not instead of) human support, particularly in crisis situations. Richard is currently focused on sexual reintegration after recognizing that abstinence from meth without addressing the sexual component isn’t true recovery.  The episode offers listeners practical insights into leveraging AI technology as an additional recovery tool while maintaining realistic expectations about its role in the healing journey.
Find Richard Here:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-day-4125061b5/
The AfterMeth:
Join our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theaftermeth/
Dr. Dallas Bragg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drdallasbragg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdallasbragg/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drdallasbragg
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

Send us a text
Supplemental Study Guide:  https://www.drdallasbragg.com/newsletters/blog/posts/Mindfulmasturbation
In this essential episode, Dr. Dallas Bragg welcomes back Coach Kevin Martin (the Pleasure Priest) to explore mindful masturbation as a critical tool for sexual reintegration after Chemsex addiction. Kevin explains that mindful masturbation means bringing consciousness and intention to self-pleasure—moving beyond the automatic "grab phone, pull up porn, rub one out" routine to ask "what am I needing right now?" The practice involves scheduling a dedicated self-pleasure date, creating a pleasurable atmosphere using all five senses, eliminating distractions (especially phones and porn), and exploring the body with gentle curiosity rather than rushing toward orgasm. Kevin emphasizes that the goal isn't to come but to notice what pleasure feels like, which helps men discover their natural arousal template versus what was chemically hijacked by meth.
The conversation addresses deeper themes of worthiness, permission, and shame that prevent many men from experiencing pleasure, particularly those coming from religious or judgment-based backgrounds. Kevin shares that simply giving oneself permission to feel pleasure can be transformative for clients, and that this practice serves as a powerful tool for emotional regulation, craving management, body reconnection, and distinguishing between meth-influenced sexual interests and authentic desires. Both hosts stress that mindful masturbation is a practice requiring patience and persistence—initial attempts may feel awkward or frustrating, but with time it becomes a profound form of self-awareness that extends benefits across all areas of recovery and life. Resources mentioned include Kevin's OnlyFans content modeling mindful practices and Powers of Man's "deep stroke sequence" technique.
Find Coach Kevin Here:
IG: @coachkevmartin
The AfterMeth:
Join our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theaftermeth/
Dr. Dallas Bragg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drdallasbragg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdallasbragg/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drdallasbragg
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

Send us a text
Supplemental Study Guide: https://www.drdallasbragg.com/newsletters/blog/posts/lonelinessgift
In this essential episode, Dr. Dallas Bragg welcomes Phil McAuliffe, founder of Humans:Connecting and The Loneliness Guy to explore one of the top reasons gay men relapse in recovery from crystal meth addiction: loneliness. Phil reframes loneliness as a vital signal—like hunger or thirst—that our connection needs aren't being met, rather than a problem to fix or numb through scrolling, using, or other distractions. He introduces the powerful concept that admitting loneliness is akin to saying "I feel unworthy of love and belonging," which explains why men often won't acknowledge their loneliness until after they've relapsed. The conversation dismantles common platitudes like "you're not alone" and "just put yourself out there," revealing how these well-meaning responses often miss the mark and why loneliness carries such debilitating stigma in our community.
Phil shares his framework of the "three pillars of connection"—connection to self, connection to those most important to you, and connection to community—emphasizing that meaningful connection requires showing up authentically rather than wearing masks or performing competence. He introduces the critical insight that loneliness "dances in a trio" with shame and trauma, meaning addressing loneliness often requires courage to examine these deeper wounds. Practical tools discussed include owning loneliness through language ("I'm experiencing loneliness" versus "I'm lonely"), getting relentlessly curious rather than judgmental, asking for consent before sharing your loneliness with others, and committing to six months of persistence when trying new connection activities. The episode reinforces that recovery work—whether from addiction or loneliness—takes time, effort, and patience, but ultimately, you are worth it.
Find Phil here: 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-mcauliffe/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humans_connecting/
Connection Resolutions Download: https://www.humansconnecting.org/downloads/connection-resolutions
 Connection Starter Course: https://www.humansconnecting.org/connection-starter-course
The AfterMeth:
Join our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theaftermeth/
Dr. Dallas Bragg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drdallasbragg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdallasbragg/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drdallasbragg
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

Send us a text
Supplemental Study Guide: https://www.drdallasbragg.com/newsletters/blog/posts/jayson
In this episode of The AfterMeth podcast, Dr. Dallas Bragg sits down with Jayson Parker, a successful adult content creator who transformed his relationship with sex and intimacy after overcoming methamphetamine addiction. This raw, honest conversation explores one of recovery's most challenging topics: rebuilding a healthy sex life after meth.
 
 What You'll Learn:
 The Journey from Addiction to Recovery:
 • How religious trauma and shame led to meth as an "escape"
 • The moment when your heart changes but your body keeps using
 • Why Jason took a 3-year break from dating apps (and why it worked)
 • The power of saying "for now" instead of "never"
 
 Rebuilding Your Relationship with Sex:
 • How to grieve the loss of your addiction without demonizing it
 • The difference between performance and authentic connection
 • Why "sober sex is better" isn't about physical sensation
 • Navigating triggers, orgies, and high-risk situations in recovery
 
 Practical Recovery Strategies:
 • The importance of radical self-honesty and vulnerability
 • Building a support network of sexually liberated people in recovery
 • How to know when you're ready to return to dating apps
 • Creating accountability systems that actually work
 
 Breaking Stigma:
 • Why you can't hate yourself into a new life
 • The surprising reality of drug use in the porn industry
 • How connection truly is the opposite of addiction
 
 Key Takeaways:"You can't shame yourself into compliance with a new way of life. You can't hate yourself into a new life.""I had to look at what positive things came from my addiction... I got wonderful gifts that I probably would never have gotten. And yet, this thing cannot be in my life anymore.""The only way to have sex in recovery is to have sex in recovery."
 
 About Jayson Parker:
 Jayson Parker is a successful adult content creator who quit his job as a money laundering investigator to pursue porn full-time. Born and raised Mormon in Utah, he overcame religious trauma, meth addiction, and sexual shame to build a thriving career in adult entertainment. He's an ambassador for Sniffies and Mr. S Leather, and is organizing the first-ever Pepper Diet Academy conference focused on sex, intimacy, and relationships in recovery.
X: jaysonparker801
 IG: jaysonparker_801
 
 Resources Mentioned:
 • Pepper Diet Academy Conference: August 7-10, 2025
     ◦ Website: pepperdietacademy.org
     ◦ Focus: Sex, intimacy, and relationships in recovery
     ◦ Includes
The AfterMeth:
Join our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theaftermeth/
Dr. Dallas Bragg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drdallasbragg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdallasbragg/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drdallasbragg
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

Send us a text
Supplimental Study Guide:  https://www.drdallasbragg.com/newsletters/blog/posts/sociology
In this episode, host Dallas Bragg sits down with Dr. Chris Conner, Stephen O Murray Faculty in Residence at Michigan State University. Dr. Conner has taught Drugs and Society for 7 years, and shares insights from research on Chemsex use in the gay community. He identifies two particularly vulnerable age groups: 15-24 year-olds and those 40 and older. For younger men, substance use often provides a way to manage anxieties around coming out, potential homelessness, and navigating sex in a society uncomfortable discussing gay intimacy. For older gay men, crystal meth becomes a response to feeling invisible and sexually undesirable after turning 40—a pattern that traces back to when meth first entered the gay club scene in the 1990s and 2000s, affecting this generation when they were in their twenties.
Dr. Christopher T. Conner
Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Missouri-Columbia
Stephen O. Murray Scholar-In-Residence at Michigan State University
📧 [email protected]
📞 573-882-8331
🌐 www.chrisconner.net 
Resources: 
Party Boi Documentary https://partyboidocumentary.com/ 
Chemsex (Vice Documentary). https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5073738/ 
Do I sound Gay https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3997238/ 
Tea Room Trade https://www.amazon.com/Tearoom-Trade-Impersonal-public-Observations/dp/0202302830 
Something for the weekend: Life in The Chemsex Underworld https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/36002677-something-for-the-weekend  
The complex social, cultural and psychological drivers of the ‘chemsex’ experiences of men who have sex with men...  https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1422775/full  
Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Behavioral Health: Results from the 2021 2022 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health.  https://web.archive.org/web/20250125022513/https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/file
The AfterMeth:
Join our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theaftermeth/
Dr. Dallas Bragg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drdallasbragg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drdallasbragg/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drdallasbragg
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