What exactly do we mean when we talk about paired substance use and sexual behavior? This information is from Dr. David Fawcett. Below is a list of the most common variants along with brief explanation of what each of those variants look like:
Chemsex
This is a term primarily used by gay men to describe the use of a variety of drugs (though nearly always including some form of stimulant drugs, such as amphetamines, cocaine, meth, or prescription stimulants) as a way to enhance sexual experience.
Paired Stimulant Use and Sex
This is a long-standing pattern of concurrent amphetamine, cocaine, meth, or prescription stimulant use paired with sexual behavior so that one behavior automatically triggers the other. A sexual thought or actual sexual behavior can trigger thoughts of drug use, and vice versa.
Fused Drug and Sex Behavior
This is the result of an ongoing pattern of co-occurring drug use and sex to the point where the two behaviors are fused, resulting in one behavior being dependent on the other. This is often characterized by an escalation in both drug use and sexual behavior as tolerance to the intensity builds over time.
Cycling Drug and Sex Behavior
This is a pattern where substance use and sexual behavior alternate over a period of time—usually a few days to several months. Sometimes a person engages in one behavior in an attempt to control the other. (“I don’t want to look at porn anymore, so I’ll drink or get high instead.”)
Alcohol and/or Drugs for Sexual Disinhibition
Some individuals use the disinhibiting and confidence-building properties of alcohol and other drugs to overcome fears about sexual desires and behaviors or to overcome feelings of low self-worth in sexual settings.
Alcohol and/or Drugs to Numb Sexual Shame
Some individuals use the dissociative (numbing) properties of alcohol and other drugs to reduce the shame, anxiety, stress, guilt, and depression they feel about their sexual orientation, gender identity, or sexual behaviors in general.
Ritualized Drug Use and Sex
This is a ritualized cycle of addiction where the user devotes a great deal of time and energy to planning for drug and sex behaviors—clearing his/her schedule, lining up a supply of drugs and sex partners, creating time for “recovery” after a binge, etc.
