Drugs, Sex and Recovery: Fitting the Pieces Together

Drugs, Sex and Recovery: Fitting the Pieces Together.

I'm happy to share (with Pride, and a sense of relief) that my newest workbook is available.


Recovery is about living a better life. Picture a life in recovery in which everything fits together like the pieces of a puzzle. Sexuality is a part of that picture--an important piece of the recovery puzzle that many people fail to examine. Sexuality is often fraught with confusion, embarrassment, fear, anxiety, shame, and avoidance.


The goal of this workbook is to help you recognize the positive power and role of sexuality in your recovery, thereby creating hope and personal fulfillment in your life. By breaking the daunting subject of sexuality into smaller pieces, the workbook allows you to address sexuality in a safe and healing approach. Topics include healthy sexuality, healing from trauma, types of intimacy, relationships, disclosure of information, spirituality, healthy touch, cultural messages, sexual expression, mental health, body image, sexual functioning and many more. For many readers, this will be the first time you deeply examine sexuality and its connection to your chemical use.

As you move through the workbook, questions for reflection are posed to help you examine the relationship between sexuality and your chemical use. Creative exercises move you toward an integrated experience of sexual health. I encourage you to discover, accept, and care for your true sexual self by embarking on this work.

The Puzzle of Drugs, Alcohol, Sex, and Other Behaviors

The Puzzle of Drugs, Alcohol, Sex, and Other Behaviors

Sexuality is a complicated puzzle that many individuals don’t address during “treatment,” and it is a major factor in recovery and sobriety. The first time most individuals in recovery start addressing sexuality is during the 4^th step and the fearless moral inventory that raises sexuality as a series of questions. While helpful, the questions are minimal and don’t necessarily provide a robust path on the journey toward integrating sexuality and recovery. Sexuality is an area than can trigger a relapse. It is often the last piece of the puzzle client’s address in recovery. In my experience, the link between sexuality and drugs is pretty clear. At this point, a few examples can highlight the relationship. For many individuals who used crystal methamphetamine, the high is often linked to an intense sexual craving/drive. Recovery for the crystal meth addict will often require unlinking the drug/sex connection. Next, alcohol is considered liquid courage helping people overcome the fear of rejection. Furthermore, chemicals can deaden the pain of loneliness or provide an outlet when someone is bored. Another example, in early recovery clients often gain significant weight triggering negative feelings around body image.