Podcasts and Books and Research!

Without Grindr, Sniffies, and Porn, what would I do with my extra time?

Have you ever tried to calculate how many hours you've spent of your energy and time staring at your phone/laptop with absolutely zero benefit to show for it?

I estimated my own investment the other week and became nauseous.

So......

I wanted to share, hopefully on a weekly basis, what I consume during my downtime. And conversely, I'd love to see your recommendations!

I can't get enough of Rich Roll. He is the OG of podcasts and keeps plowing through more and more. His own sobriety journey is inspiring as well. This episode was a goooood one:

Dr. John Martini breaks it down in this shorter video and gives some VALUABLE advice for emotional regulation. This is pivotal for successful recovery.

Hell yes to this podcast with Dr. Frank Anderson. He's a thought-leader when it comes to releasing trauma and God knows we can all use some of that:

Mark S. King is SUCH a proficient and powerful writer. His account of meth addiction and living with HIV is poignant and hilarious. He will be on The AfterMeth podcast in September!

This book shook me out of my false understanding of addiction and recovery. Dr. Gabor Mate has forged a new path for the addiction industry. This book is a must-read.

I've been looking at studies lately that demontrate long-term physical effects of meth. This one looks at cardiovascular disease:

Loneliness, Methamphetamine Use, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among Sexual Minority Men in the COVID-19 Era - International Journal of Behavioral Medicine

Background Important gaps exist in our understanding of loneliness and biobehavioral outcomes among sexual minority men (SMM), such as faster HIV disease progression. At the same time, SMM who use methamphetamine are approximately one-third more likely than non-users to develop cardiovascular disease. This study examined associations of loneliness, stimulant use, and cardiovascular risk in SMM with and without HIV. Method Participants were enrolled from August 2020 to February 2022 in a 6-month prospective cohort study. The study leveraged self-report baseline data from 103 SMM, with a subset of 56 SMM that provided a blood sample to measure markers of cardiovascular risk. Results Loneliness showed negative bivariate associations with total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in the cardiometabolic subsample (n = 56). SMM with methamphetamine use (t(101) = 2.03, p < .05; d = .42) and those that screened positive for a stimulant use disorder (t(101) = 2.07, p < .05; d = .46) had significantly higher mean loneliness scores. In linear regression analyses, negative associations of loneliness with LDL and total cholesterol were observed only among SMM who used methamphetamine. Conclusion We observed lower cholesterol in SMM reporting loneliness and methamphetamine use. Thus, in addition to the observed associations of loneliness with cholesterol, there are important medical consequences of methamphetamine use including cardiovascular risk, higher HIV acquisition risk and progression, as well as stimulant overdose death. This cross-sectional study underscores the need for clinical research to develop and test interventions targeting loneliness among SMM with stimulant use disorders.

 

SpringerLinkEmily J. Ross

I've also been looking at new and improved harm reduction strategies. In parts of the world other than the US, men have been more successful at enploying harm reduction strategies when it comes to chemsex, but the jury is still out of its longevity or practicality.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395924000835

Hey, hope you guys enjoy this informaiton and if you have any downtown over the weekend, close the hook up app and expand your mind!

Dallas 💚

August 9, 2024