Consider Before Consuming

Paul shares his journey of recovery from porn addiction and the impact on his relationships and mental health. He discusses therapy, coping mechanisms, and life-giving activities that helped him rewire his brain. The podcast also explores the connection between pornography, trafficking, and the work of an anti-trafficking organization. It emphasizes the importance of uncomfortable conversations, addressing mental health stigma, and seeking therapy for self-understanding.

This podcast explores the harmful effects of pornography on individuals, relationships, and society. It discusses the rewiring effect on sexuality, objectification of women, increase in violent tendencies, and decreased likelihood of intervening in sexual assault cases. The podcast also covers recovery from porn addiction and the link between pornography and human trafficking. It emphasizes the negative impact on relationships, consent, exploitation, objectification, and perceptions of healthy relationships. Despite the findings, the podcast offers hope for individuals to overcome pornography consumption and improve their well-being and relationships.

Sara Brewer is a life coach who has helped numerous individuals overcome unwanted porn consumption. Initially, Sara found that many of her clients sought help to control their excessive porn consumption, which led her to concentrate on developing a coaching program specifically designed to aid clients in overcoming porn consumption, in a way that is shame-free and sex-positive. In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, Sara highlights the role that shame plays in perpetuating the cycle of porn use, including changing how we feel about ourselves. She also explains the concept of being sex-positive and offers advice to parents on how to have open and honest conversations with their children. Sara encourages people struggling with porn to seek help and believe in the possibility of change.Fight the New Drug collaborates with a variety of qualified organizations and individuals with varying personal beliefs, affiliations, and political persuasions. As FTND is a non-religious and non-legislative organization, the personal beliefs, affiliations, and persuasions of any of our team members or of those we collaborate with do not reflect or impact the mission of Fight the New Drug.Episode ResourcesArticle: How My Feelings of Shame Fueled My Struggle with PornVideo: Emma's StoryPodcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 63: Dr. Debbie AkermanSara's Website: Overcome Pornography For Good

Carmen, a recovering addict, shares his journey of overcoming compulsive porn use. He discusses the connection between pornography and trafficking, the significance of not giving up, and the power of sharing his story. Topics include addiction, shame, recovery process, accountability, small steps in recovery, and the importance of storytelling.

Matthias J. Barker is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who, through his engaging content about mental health, has gained a significant following on TikTok and Instagram. As his reach has grown, Matthias has worked with other experts in the field of mental health to create workshops and meets with clients in his own practice.During the episode, Matthias provides valuable insights into the potential connection between unwanted behaviors and our childhood experiences. He also shares practical tools that can help individuals overcome such behaviors, including identifying the root cause of avoidance, confiding in trusted individuals, and understanding that genuine healing is possible.You can find Matthias on TikTok, Instagram, at @matthiasjbarker or at matthiasjbarker.com.Article: What Past Issues Are You Trying to Escape From When You Watch Porn?Find Support:  Relay, the #1 group-based program for overcoming pornography usePodcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 49: Matthias J. BarkerMatthias' Podcast: Matthias J. Barker Podcast: If You're Struggling with Porn

Madi, a former porn consumer, shares her struggles with shame and isolation. She emphasizes the importance of opening up about such issues to find support. The podcast delves into normalizing conversations about porn, empowering women to speak out, and finding joy amidst struggles.

The following podcast episode contains discussions about child sexual abuse. Listener discretion is advised.When Kristi McVee became a police officer in Australia, she quickly realized how prevalent child sexual abuse was, leading her to want to teach both parents and children about cyber safety and how to protect children. Her organization, Child Abuse Prevention and Education Australia (CAPE-AU) seeks to provide an education for parents and caregivers around child sexual abuse protection and prevention. In this episode, Kristi discusses the prevalence of child abuse in the rapidly developing digital age, the impact of pornography on children, and stresses the importance of frequent conversations about digital safety between parents and children.Article: Parents—If You Don’t Teach Your Kids About Sex, Porn Sites WillPodcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 87: Lisa FrostConversation Blueprint: Let's Talk About PornVisit: Child Abuse Prevention and Education Australia (CAPE-AU)Kristi's Book: Operation KidSafe:A Detectives Guide To Abuse Prevention

This episode contains discussions of child sexual abuse and sex trafficking. Listener discretion is advised.Sage is a passionate anti-exploitation advocate whose interest in women's rights and healthcare led to her work as the Director of Impact for the Malouf Foundation and Executive Director of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation. Sage and her team engage in programs and initiatives that confront sexual exploitation through education, advocacy, prevention, recovery, and healing.In this episode, Sage joins us to discuss sex trafficking—what it is, how it happens, and what we can all do to confront it. We also discuss ways trafficking can occur that may differ from typical assumptions, for example through the camming industry.Access OnWatch training, Raise, and more at https://www.malouffoundation.org/education.Article: How You Can Spot, Prevent, And Report Human TraffickingPodcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 89: Elizabeth SmartVisit: The Malouf FoundationVisit: Elizabeth Smart FoundationVisit: Onwatch TrainingJulie Whitehead's Book: Shadowed

Experts discuss the harmful effects of pornography on relationships, including distorted views, desensitization, and lack of respect. They also explore the potential for recovery and improvement in well-being.

Donna M. Hughes, an expert in sex trafficking, discusses the connections between the porn industry and sex trafficking. The podcast explores the use of force, fraud, and coercion in porn production and compares violence scenes in mainstream films and porn. Hughes and Dr. Mari Irvine analyze the definitions of sex trafficking and consent in the porn industry, challenging the notion of pornography as a contractual agreement. The importance of reducing the demand for exploited sex and pornography to combat human trafficking is emphasized.