Campaigns and Hubs Legacy campaigns Looking after yourself | Chemsex After a session | The chemsex wellness guide After a chemsex session, taking some time to look after yourself can help you recover, reduce risks, and feel more in control. Chemsex sessions can leave people feeling physically drained, emotionally low, anxious, disconnected, or unsure about what happened. Some people feel fine afterwards, while others may find the comedown period harder to manage. This guide is not about judgement or telling people what to do. It’s about helping people make informed choices, care for themselves, and reduce potential harm. How am I feeling right now? After a session, check in with yourself physically and mentally. Think about things like: Am I exhausted or run down? Am I anxious, low, irritable or emotional? Am I dehydrated or hungry? Have I slept recently? Am I feeling ashamed or overwhelmed? Do I need support from someone I trust? How you feel now may change over the next few hours or days. Be gentle with yourself and focus on the basics first and reach out for help if you need it [LINK to support]. What about the comedown? Some drugs can cause a comedown afterwards, especially if you’ve not slept or eaten. This can affect mood, energy and mental wellbeing, and can impact your daily life. You might experience: Low mood Anxiety or panic Irritability Trouble sleeping Feeling empty or flat Racing thoughts Paranoia or feeling on edge Lack of hunger This does improve with time, rest, food, hydration and sleep. Your body may need rest and recovery after a long session. There are a few basic things you can do to help you during the comedown and improve your wellbeing. Try to: Drink water or hydration drinks Eat something nourishing, even if it’s small Have a shower or freshen up to improve your mood Change into clean, comfortable clothes to feel fresher Rest or sleep when you can Taking any regular medication you may have missed Even small acts of self-care can help you feel better. What about my sexual health? After a session, you should think about your sexual health, whether you’re experiencing symptoms or not. Consider things like: Do I need to take DoxyPEP? Have I missed any PrEP doses or need to restart correctly Did I take my HIV medication? Do I need PEP after a possible HIV exposure? (PEP needs to be started as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours and no later than 72 hours) Booking an HIV/STI test Do I have any pain, bleeding, sores or symptoms that need checking? If you’re unsure, contact a sexual health clinic for advice [LINK]. When should I get urgent help? If you’re not feeling right and you think something feels wrong, seek urgent medical help if you experience: Chest pain Trouble breathing Seizures or fits Severe agitation or paranoia Hallucinations that feel dangerous Suicidal thoughts You can't wake someone up You are seriously worried about yourself or someone else Call 999 in an emergency. Ambulance staff are there to help keep people safe without judgement. Never hesitate to call emergency services. What if I’m not sure what happened? Sometimes people feel confused about what happened during a chemsex session. Taking time to think about it and reflect can help sort your thoughts and take action if you need to. Think about things like: Do I remember what happened clearly? Were my boundaries respected? Do I feel OK about the sex I had? Was anything filmed or shared without consent? Do I need support after something that happened? If something crossed a line, support is available. You do not have to deal with it alone. [LINK] What if I'm worried about my chemsex use? It may help to think honestly to yourself about whether chemsex is still working for you. Think about things like: Am I doing this more often than I want to? Am I struggling to stop once I start? Is chemsex affecting my mood or confidence? Is it affecting work, finances or relationships? Am I taking risks I normally wouldn’t? Do I feel dependent on drugs for sex or connection? If any of these feel familiar, support is available and things can change [LINK]. What support can I get? You don't need to be in crisis to ask for help. Support can be useful whether you want to cut down, take a break, or stop completely. You can find support from: Sexual health clinics Drug and alcohol services LGBTQ+ mental health support Peer support groups Trusted friends or family Counselling or therapy If chemsex is starting to affect your wellbeing, relationships, sex life, finances or mental health, support is available. The Chemsex Support Hub offers non-judgemental information and help for LGBTQ+ people around chemsex, sexual health and wellbeing. [LINK] Looking after yourself before and during sessions Read our full guides for planning ahead and staying safer during chemsex sessions: Before a session | The chemsex prep guideDuring a session | The chemsex safety guide Manage Cookie Preferences