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On this day: 30 Aug
What is Crystal? (AKA: Tina, crank, crissy, speed, meth, tweek) !!! Crystal is an amphetamine — a synthetic stimulant that excites the brain and the central nervous system. Crystal increases the release of dopamine in your body — the chemical that sends pleasure messages to the brain. Crystal is most often found as an odorless off-white or white powder but can also be found in pill, capsule, or crystal form.
Why so Popular?
People express different reasons for using crystal. Some of the more common ones are:
* The desire to have lots of sex for a long time with multiple partners.
* The ability to dance for hours on end.
* To accomplish dull tasks; for example, users report feeling more energetic and having more fun cleaning their house.
* To get higher on less; for example, crystal provides a high that lasts much longer than cocaine, so users get "more for the money."
* To lose sexual inhibitions; for example, to have sex with men if you normally don't, to have aggressive or submissive sex, to bottom.
People may use crystal for other reasons that are not so apparent:
* Loneliness: Some gay men may feel isolated; crystal is often a social experience.
* The desire to connect with others: Some gay men say it's easier to meet or feel close with other men when on crystal.
* Loss of energy: Some gay men say crystal gives you energy to do it all. Some HIV+ men say crystal makes up for weakness associated with taking HIV medications.
* Self-esteem: Some gay men say crystal reduces insecurities, giving them confidence.
* Depression: Feeling sad, empty or incomplete inside is a big reason a person might turn to crystal, or any substance, to change how he is feeling. Gay men are sometimes un-aware that depression is impacting their use of crystal.
Methods of Ingestion
The onset of a crystal high varies depending on how you take it. Users report experiencing different highs from the different methods of ingestion — these different highs can inform your sexual behaviors.
* Swallowing: Getting high by swallowing crystal in pill form, or by mixing it in liquids. The high sets in about 20 – 30 minutes after ingesting.
* Snorting: Getting high by inhaling crystal through the nose. The high sets in around 3 to5 minutes after snorting. It goes directly into the veins of your nose.
* Smoking: Using a pipe (glass or homemade) to get high. It takes 7 – 10 seconds to feel the high.
* Booty Bump: Inserting it into your anus. It takes 10 – 15 seconds for the high to set in. The lining of the rectum absorbs the drug.
* Injection: Putting crystal in your veins with a needle. It takes about 15 – 30 seconds for the high to set in and is the most powerful high.
What happens?
For many people, crystal use begins recreationally, enhancing one's sexual experiences and dancing or social activities. However, crystal is extremely addictive, and even for many people who have practiced moderation in many aspects of their lives, crystal often becomes an addiction.
Crystal can elevate your mood, induce euphoria, increase alertness, reduce fatigue, increase energy levels, and suppress appetite. It also increases movement and speech, and can provide a sense of increased power and a desire to be sexual. Many describe it as "feeling invincible and feeling like the life of the party."
Coming down from the high ("crashing") includes symptoms of anxiety, irritability, and sometimes severe depression. People who are crashing often experience sweating spells, nausea, paranoia, psychosis and total physical and mental exhaustion causing extended periods of sleep.
Overdosing on crystal can dramatically affect your breathing (breathing may be shallow and short) and in some cases may stop your breathing. Some symptoms of an overdose include severe chest pain, convulsions, and vomiting. Overdose can result in heart attacks, strokes, and death.
Long term or heavy use can lead to neurological damage, chronic depression, liver and kidney damage, and other health related problems.
Crystal and Sex
Some users who have sex while high on crystal can stay hard and fuck for hours. Others experience what is known as a "crystal dick" or the inability to get hard. Often, men will use crystal in combination with Viagra to get or keep an erection. This can potentially raise your blood-pressure to dangerously high levels which can take you steps closer to an overdose or give you a really long lasting hard-on that can permanently damage the muscles and tendons in your dick.
The inability to get a hard-on can often lead someone who usually tops to bottoming. And in whichever position, some guys report dispensing with using a condom from the start. Remember: unprotected anal sex is the leading cause of HIV transmission. See below; and for more information on safer bottoming tips, refer to GMHC's booklet, "Tunnel of Love: the Ins and Outs of Anal Pleasure," click here.
If you are HIV positive
* If you are HIV positive, you should know that Crystal speeds up the rate of HIV replication.
* Crystal reduces the effectiveness of HIV meds (HAART).
* Some protease inhibitors like Amprenavir (Agenerase) increase the amount of amphetamine in your blood stream, putting you at risk for an overdose.
* The lifestyle connected to crystal use can exhaust your immune system and affect your ability to take medications as prescribed.
* Using crystal may affect your decisions. You may decide not to use condoms. If you have sex without a condom, you are likely to transmit the virus to your partner(s).
* These findings make it even more important for you to take better care of yourself and to reconsider your use of crystal.
If you are HIV negative:
* Research has connected the rise of HIV infection rates amongst gay men to crystal use
* Crystal is known to impair judgment and can lead to unsafe sex... and HIV.
* Crystal is known to reduce inhibitions allowing men to engage in rough sex, or bottom.
* Crystal can complicate your decisions on condom use
* These findings make it even more important for you to take better care of yourself and to reconsider your use of crystal
Safer Sex Tips
* Stay mindful of your sexual limits. Identify ways to ensure you use a condom.
* Tops need condoms too. Protect yourself. Topping without a condom still holds significant risk for HIV transmission.
* Remember to reapply lube frequently to prevent the condom from drying out and to prevent the lining of your rectum from tearing, both of which increase the risk of HIV transmission.
* Condoms wear out. Change the condom during extended fuck sessions. Pull your dick out regularly and check if the condom is still intact.
* Lube keeps condoms from breaking.
* Discuss your HIV status with your sex partners.
* Use plenty of lube when masturbating for extended periods of time as your dick may chafe or scratch.
* When having oral sex for extended periods of time, check the condition of your mouth — you might not notice whether your mouth is chafed or sore. Drink water throughout the night.
* Check your partner(s') dick for sores or scratches. Remember Sexually Transmitted Infections increase the chance of HIV transmission.
Health Concerns to Remember
* Crystal is highly addictive. Use may change from snorting to smoking or slamming — or from using socially to using alone.
* Binging postpones the end of the party but will make the crash worse.
* Tolerance develops quickly. You will need more and more crystal to get high.
* Crystal will decrease your desire for food.
* Crystal will impact your perceived need for sleep.
* Crystal can cause exhaustion and dehydration.
* It can lead to depression and cause temporary psychosis.
* Agitation and anxiety are common when using crystal.
* Overdose is a very real and present danger.
How to Care for Your Body
* If you are going to use, you ought to use extreme caution and limit how much you take.
* Listen to what your body is telling you.
* Drink water and cranberry juice to keep hydrated.
* EAT.
* Don't assume you didn't get enough. The more you use the less burning you will feel in your nose and the less intense you may feel. If you don't feel it right away, wait.
* Avoid caffeine, soda, and energy drinks.
* Sleep, take naps. Allow your body to recover.
* Don't overdo it.
* Don't hesitate to get help. If you have questions, whether you are just thinking about using, occasionally using, or find yourself using more often, you can get answers. See resources below.
If you are injecting (slamming) crystal:
* Use a new syringe and new equipment every time you inject.
* Don't share needles. Sharing needles can lead to HIV, Hepatitis C and B.
* Clean injection sites with alcohol pads before injecting. If alcohol pads are not available, clean the injection site with warm soap and water. It will not be as effective as alcohol.
* Change injection sites to avoid collapsed veins and abscesses.
* New needles can be purchased at participating pharmacies without a prescription.
* Access needle exchange programs.
For a more extensive list of how to take care of your physical and mental health, you can also visit tweaker.org at:
Ref :www.tweaker.org