The practice of chemsex can lead to behaviours that escape us, or even to addictive behaviours. To keep control, and identify, if needed, the signs of problematic consumption, it is important first to keep track of it. As part of the Avril Utile month, here are some practical tools to monitor your use.
Illustration: Laurier The Fox for tetu·
Anyone who indulges in artificial paradises should keep in mind this maxim: knowledge is power. Chemsex is no exception, which is why harm reduction rests on three pillars:
- – Know your products : expected effects, dosages, prohibited interactions…
- – Test your products to prevent overdoses and dangerous interactions.
- – Monitor your consumption
The risk, without monitoring your consumption, is to fall into addiction, which affects mental and physical health as well as social, romantic, professional, and financial life. To keep control of your consumption, mental health professionals and community actors have developed tools that allow, autonomously, to reflect on the place chemsex occupies in your life, both in terms of drug use and sexuality.
The Chemsex Ephemeris
The principle of the ephemeris is simple: at the start of the month, note in a diary the days you plan a plan or the number of plans you anticipate, what you think you will consume, with whom, and for how long… “The ephemeris is not meant to be shown as a means of verification or control,” explains Fred Bladou, a sex therapist and addiction professional, who uses it with most chemsex users he accompanies. “It’s a tool to try to better manage one’s consumption, to reduce risks, frequency, and amounts consumed…”
In a second step, the ephemeris indeed allows you to set consumption goals/limits. Again, it’s you who holds the reins: the idea is not to vow at the start of every month an abstinence beyond reach, reminds Fred Bladou, “but to determine goals that are achievable and very clear for the users themselves”.
By the way, remember to also note other activities you want to do, so as not to push them out of your schedule, as well as your appointments that will help structure your time. “The ephemeris is also a tool to do other things, to change your habits, to intimately question your desires, to reconnect with non-using friends, to do sports, to go to the cinema”, Fred Bladou notes.
Starting from your objectives, replace periods of consumption with other enjoyable activities : sport, a meal with friends, an exhibition, crafts, etc. This is essential: you are not substituting consumption with boredom. You can also include a box for your financial balance: what savings or expenditures have you made to date?
Far from any injunction, you visualize your consumption and your ability to positively evolve your habits. You can derive genuine satisfaction from it or consider other forms of support.
The Journal of My Consumption
This is about evaluating more precisely each session in order to track your consumption and your practices, measure their effects, and assess your well-being.
You can thus note in your journal (a template sheet is available at the end of the article):
- – The date of the session, its start time and end time, if it was planned in your objectives.
- – The products consumed, at what dose, in what form, at what times, if you mixed them, etc.
- – The context of the session, recruitment of potential partners (apps, acquaintances…), whether sexual risk reduction was used by you and your partners, etc.
- – The effects of the session, positives (on desire, pleasure, confidence, connection with others…) and negatives (anxiety, paranoia, vomiting, loss of consciousness, injuries, loss of sexual pleasure or positive interactions…). Ask yourself: “Am I deriving a positive outcome from this plan or would I have been better doing something else?” This is not about blaming yourself but simply facing your consumption.
- – Consent and safety : before you start, were you able to set limits, a possible stop at any time, a regular check of consent as consumption proceeds, and respect for your choice of sexual prevention…
- – What you could have done better or differently. After the plan, and outside of a potentially violent descent, note your remarks, for example: “space out the G doses,” “don’t mix G + alcohol,” “don’t use alone,” “don’t accept an injection offered by a stranger,” “missed my PrEP…”.
Identify Risky Situations and Signs of Addiction
Sometimes, even when you feel you are in control, you are not managing anything at all. That is why it is important to know the early signs of addiction, so you can seek help. To this end, SPOT Paris of the Aides association and Checkpoint Paris have launched ChemTest, an innovative self-assessment tool for people who practice chemsex and want to better understand their use. It offers a space for personal reflection that helps identify vulnerability situations, consider safer practices, and spot potential warning signals. Each pathway ends with personalized feedback, along with advice and resources available online or through support services.
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Sophie Brennan