Teresa J. Helm, a trafficking survivor and advocate, shares her experience as a victim of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. She discusses her work at the National Center of Sexual Exploitation's Law Center and offers advice on recognizing signs of grooming. The podcast also explores the definition of trauma and the healing process, highlighting the importance of understanding sex trafficking and providing trauma-informed care. Teresa provides closing thoughts on parenting and protecting children from trafficking dangers.

Wright, P. J., Paul, B., & Herbenick, D. (2021)British Board of Film Classification. (2020)Maas, M. K., Gal, T., Cary, K. M., & Greer, K. (2022) 

As few as 1 in 3 and as many as 9 in 10 porn videos depict sexual violence or aggression. That's especially concerning, considering that research indicates that these sexually violent narratives can bleed into consumers' attitudes and behaviors.This episode is a part of our Get The Facts series, where we explore the research on a specific topic  surrounding porn’s harms to help you be more informed and more empowered with the facts.You can find our Get The Facts articles and sources for the claims made in this episode at ftnd.org/GetTheFactsClick here to access the resources discussed in this episode.To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.To support this podcast, click here.As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.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.

Ironically, despite porn’s promise of improving consumers’ sex lives, there is growing evidence that porn consumption is linked to sexual dysfunction and less sexual satisfaction.This episode is a part of our Get The Facts series, where we explore the research on a specific topic  surrounding porn’s harms to help you be more informed and more empowered with the facts.You can find our Get The Facts articles and sources for the claims made in this episode at ftnd.org/GetTheFactsClick here to access the resources discussed in this episode.To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.To support this podcast, click here.As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.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.

Myunique is a content creator and influencer. Today she lives a life free from pornography but that hasn't always been the case. Myunique watched porn for the first time at ten years old, she wasn’t aware how that decision would negatively impact her life for years to come. What started as a natural curiosity about sex eventually escalated into compulsive sexual behavior which left her feeling lonely, and negatively impacted her overall mental health. As a young girl, she didn’t feel comfortable opening up to anyone about her porn consumption because of the misconception that only guys struggled with it. That all changed when she stumbled upon an article by Fight the New Drug.In this Consider Before Consuming episode, Myunique talks with podcast host Garrett Jonsson about why her porn habit began, how her consumption escalated, and why education about the harmful effects of pornography empowered her to overcome her struggles.Click here to learn more about the guest, and access the resources discussed in this episode.To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.To support this podcast, click here.As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.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.

A deeper look into how the brain works reveals that addictions to harmful substances like tobacco have striking similarities to porn compulsion, including impaired decision-making.This episode is a part of our Get The Facts series, where we explore the research on a specific topic  surrounding porn’s harms to help you be more informed and more empowered with the facts.You can find our Get The Facts articles and sources for the claims made in this episode at ftnd.org/GetTheFactsClick here to access the resources discussed in this episode.To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.To support this podcast, click here.As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.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.

If you know anything about technology, you’ve heard about Silicon Valley. Jason Portnoy was a Silicon Valley executive at PayPal and had all of the outward signs of success, but internally, he was miserable. He experienced compulsive porn consumption which escalated to buying sex, sugar dating, and more. Listen to Jason open up with podcast host Garrett Jonsson about some of the adverse childhood experiences he had which led to him seeking comfort through porn, why he labels porn a gateway drug, and how he finally experienced true healing.Click here to get Jason Portnoy's book, Silicon Valley Porn Star.To learn more about the guest visit JasonPortnoy.comClick here to access the resources discussed in this episode.To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.To support this podcast, click here.As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.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.

Trigger Warning: This episode includes frank, explicit, discussions about sexual exploitation, rape, and sex trafficking. Listener discretion is advised.In the porn industry, there is virtually no way to guarantee that any piece of pornographic content is truly consensual, ethical, or even legal.This episode is a part of our Get The Facts series, where we explore the research on a specific topic  surrounding porn’s harms to help you be more informed and more empowered with the facts.You can find our Get The Facts articles and sources for the claims made in this episode at ftnd.org/GetTheFactsClick here to access the resources discussed in this episode.To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.To support this podcast, click here.As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.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.

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual abuse and sex trafficking. Listener discretion is advised.This week’s conversation is with exploitation and trafficking survivor turned sociologist, Megan Lundstrom. Today, Megan is a contracted trainer, consultant, national speaker, and the Co-Founder of The Avery Center, an organization dedicated to ending commercial sexual exploitation. In this episode, Megan speaks with podcast host Garrett Jonsson, about her own lived experiences of being exploited through “sugar dating” websites, and she sheds light on the impacts of a pornified culture and what has to change to end commercial sexual exploitation.Click here to learn more about the guest, and access the resources discussed in this episode.To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.To support this podcast, click here.As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.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.

Research indicates that consuming porn can normalize sexual objectification, which can have profound consequences in the ways porn consumers view and treat others.This episode is a part of our Get The Facts series, where we explore the research on a specific topic  surrounding porn’s harms to help you be more informed and more empowered with the facts.You can find our Get The Facts articles at ftnd.org/GetTheFactsClick here to access the resources discussed in this episode.To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.To support this podcast, click here.As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.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.