EP 1:36 Healing the Heartbreak of Chemsex Addiction with Mell

The AfterMeth: Gay Men Recovering from Crystal Methamphetamine Addiction

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Supplemental Study Guide: https://www.drdallasbragg.com/heartbreak/
In this moving episode of The AfterMeth, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Melissa McCracken, Executive Director at a Los Angeles recovery center specializing in sexualized drug use and chem sex addiction treatment. Together, we explore the profound concept of emotional "heartbreak" as a root cause of addiction, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community.

This was my favorite one yet, guys!

We explore the concept of emotional "heartbreak" as a root cause of addiction, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community. McCracken shares their vast experience working with trauma and addiction, offering deep insights into why people relapse, the importance of finding authentic identity in recovery, and how early childhood experiences shape our adult behaviors and relationships.

The conversation goes into powerful metaphors about recovery - from mud on windshields to allegories of caves - while discussing how trauma manifests in people-pleasing behaviors and the challenges of maintaining healthy relationships in sobriety.

Mell McCracken is the Executive Director of No Matter What Recovery in Los Angeles CA, serving as the administrative leader of the clinical treatment program and overseeing programming for our sexualized drug use track.

Mell is nationally and internationally recognized as an LGBT+ educator, co-author, and treatment provider. They also serve as faculty member at the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Specialists. They are committed to uplifting voices and breaking stigmas, one conversation at a time, and have spent their career fighting for inclusivity and empowerment through chemsex education and LGBT+ activism.

Mell McCracken (they/them)

Executive Director, No Matter What Recovery

323-797-5464 (admissions) 213-845-7410 (cell)
[e-mail]
http://nomatterwhatrecovery.com

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Dr. Dallas Bragg

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