Unhooked: Breaking Porn Addiction Podcast

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What if the freedom you're looking for isn't just about quitting porn, but reaching a point where you no longer feel the need to turn to it?
For years, I was chasing happiness in all the places I thought I was supposed to find it. Success, relationships, sex, pleasure. On the outside, things seemed to be going well. But privately, I was struggling with porn addiction and a growing sense that something was missing.
I remember reaching a point in college when I started questioning everything. If I was getting the things I wanted, why wasn't I happy? And if I kept living this way, would I ever be?
That question eventually led me to meditation, Buddhist philosophy, and a completely different understanding of what it means to live a fulfilling life.
In this special reshare from Thriving with Addiction, I join host Dr. John Avery to talk about that journey, the role shame played in keeping my struggles hidden, and what I've learned about genuine freedom in recovery.
In this episode, we explore:
How early experiences of sexual shame can teach us to hide behaviors rather than understand them, creating patterns that follow us into adulthood
Why addressing the underlying craving for relief matters more than focusing exclusively on porn or any single addictive behavior
What years of silent meditation retreats taught me about experiencing uncomfortable emotions without immediately escaping them
Why finding a nonjudgmental community can be more effective than relying on motivation alone, especially when the initial excitement of quitting wears off
What Buddhists call the bliss of blamelessness, and why living without secrecy can bring a deeper sense of peace than simply maintaining a streak
One of the most encouraging things I've experienced is that recovery doesn't have to feel like an endless fight. With time and practice, the urges that once seemed impossible to resist can become less frequent and easier to navigate.
If you're somewhere on that journey, I hope this conversation reminds you that there's more to recovery than just stopping a behavior. There's an entire life waiting to be lived.
Timestamps
00:00 Opening: How Shame and Addiction Begin
01:15 Introducing the Conversation With Dr. John Avery
02:20 The Unhooked App
03:14 Unhooked Podcast Introduction
03:53 Dr. John Avery Introduces Jeremy
04:35 Jeremy's Life in Thailand
05:21 How My Porn Addiction Started
07:06 Why Porn Became an Emotional Escape
09:00 Sexual Shame and Mixed Messages
10:11 Understanding the Root of Addiction
11:33 The Moment I Questioned My Happiness
13:17 How Buddhist Philosophy Changed My Perspective
15:23 Silent Retreats and Becoming a Buddhist Monk
17:33 Learning to Work With Cravings
19:47 Breaking the Silence Around Porn Addiction
21:54 The First Time I Publicly Shared My Story
24:30 Talking About Pornography and Children
26:16 Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation
27:53 Rebuilding Relationships and Intimacy
29:15 Why Community Matters in Recovery
31:39 The Unexpected Benefits of Quitting Porn
34:15 Inside Unhooked Academy
35:05 Why Shame Keeps Addiction Alive
36:24 Closing Thoughts
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Learn more about Unhooked Academy: https://unhookedacademy.com
This conversation originally aired on Thriving with Addiction.

Explore the Unhooked app: https://unhookedapp.co
🔵 Want to break free? Join Unhooked Academy now: https://www.unhookedacademy.com/
This week, I'm bringing back one of my favorite episodes because its message is just as relevant today as when I first recorded it.

You've decided to quit porn. You're feeling motivated, you've set your goals, and you're ready to change. But then an urge hits, and suddenly all that determination feels a lot harder to hold on to.
What do you actually do in that moment?
In this rebroadcast of Unhooked, I break down eight practical strategies for dealing with cravings, including how to make urges less likely to arise and what to do when they show up anyway.
One of the biggest mistakes people make in recovery is relying entirely on willpower. But lasting change isn't about fighting every urge that comes your way. It's about creating an environment that supports your goals while developing the ability to experience cravings without automatically acting on them.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How to identify your personal triggers and change the routines that keep pulling you back toward porn
Why simple changes to your environment, including where you keep your phone, can make recovery easier
How mindfulness creates space between experiencing an urge and choosing what to do next
What urge surfing is and how to practice it without fighting or suppressing your cravings
When to use physical movement, cold showers, or support from another person to get through a difficult moment
The goal isn't to spend the rest of your life avoiding temptation. It's to build the freedom to choose how you respond, even when an urge is strong.
Explore the Unhooked app: https://unhookedapp.co
Learn more about Unhooked Academy: https://unhookedacademy.com

Explore the Unhooked app: https://unhookedapp.co
🔵 Want to break free? Join Unhooked Academy now: https://www.unhookedacademy.com/
What happens when something you turn to for pleasure slowly starts shaping the way you see yourself, your relationships, and the world around you?
In this reshare from Wake Up with Marci, I sit down with Marci Hopkins to share a part of my own story that changed the direction of my life.
On the outside, things were going well. I had good grades, friends, and plenty of opportunities ahead of me. But privately, I was struggling with porn addiction, constantly chasing pleasure, and becoming increasingly dissatisfied with what I already had.
Then one day, walking down the street in my early twenties, I had a realization that scared me. I could suddenly see the kind of man I was becoming, and I knew I didn't want that future.
That moment led me to question everything I thought I knew about happiness, fulfillment, and what it actually means to be free.
In this episode, we explore:
Why porn can be especially difficult to quit, including the three factors that make it so accessible and habit-forming
How to recognize the difference between toxic shame that keeps you hiding and healthy remorse that helps you change
What I learned about happiness and neuroplasticity through Buddhist philosophy, and how it changed my approach to recovery
Why trying to empty your mind during meditation can actually reinforce self-judgment, and what to practice instead
What partners often misunderstand about porn addiction, and why understanding the behavior doesn't mean excusing the harm it causes
If you've ever wondered why changing a behavior can feel so difficult, or why getting what you want doesn't always make you happy, I think you'll find something valuable in this conversation.
Explore the Unhooked app: https://unhookedapp.co
🔵 Want to break free? Join Unhooked Academy now: https://www.unhookedacademy.com/
Timestamps:
00:00 Jeremy's Story: When Porn Addiction Became a Problem
03:32 Welcome to Wake Up with Marci
05:36 How Jeremy's Porn Addiction Started
08:00 When Porn Began Taking Over His Mind
10:00 The Moment Jeremy Saw Where His Addiction Was Taking Him
12:16 Porn, Alcohol, and Other Forms of Escape16:52 How Porn Changed the Way Jeremy Viewed Women
20:06 When Does Porn Become a Problem?
22:29 The Three A's of Porn Addiction
24:32 Why Porn Can Be So Difficult to Quit
25:45 Understanding the Shame Cycle
29:22 Healthy Shame vs. Toxic Shame
31:27 Moral Shame and Moral Dread
33:19 Trauma, Insecurity, and Filling the Void
35:58 Searching for a Different Kind of Happiness
38:25 How Buddhism and Neuroplasticity Changed Jeremy's Life
41:22 Mindfulness, Meditation, and Recovery
43:51 Meditation as a Gym for the Mind
46:18 Why Meditation Isn't About Clearing Your Mind
47:13 Recovery Is More Than Sobriety
49:10 How to Practice Mindfulness in Everyday Life
52:16 How to Start Meditating
53:03 Building a Practice of Gratitude
55:34 What Partners of Porn Addicts Need to Know
57:35 Porn Addiction as a Coping Mechanism
58:31 Where to Find Jeremy
59:06 You're Not Alone
01:01:29 Jeremy's Closing Message

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In this episode of Unhooked, I sit down with Ben Brown, host of The Shift podcast, to talk about his journey from years of compulsive sex, porn, validation-seeking, alcohol, and drugs into a life of recovery, purpose, and transformation.

Ben shares what his life looked like before recovery, including the constant pursuit of women, escalating porn use, partying, and the feeling that he was becoming someone he thought he needed to be.

We talk about the moments that finally made him realize something wasn't right, including a chance encounter with a stranger who told him how sex addiction had destroyed his life, and the experience that finally pushed Ben to walk into a recovery room.

We also get into what actually helped him change: community, mentors, faith, willpower, small daily habits, and finding something meaningful to put his energy into.

And Ben shares one of the biggest lessons from his recovery: you are not exempt. No matter how much shame you carry or how far gone you think you are, you can still change your life.

In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why addiction can become a way of escaping discomfort and seeking validation
- What finally pushed Ben to seek recovery after years of compulsive behavior
- Why willpower can help in the early stages but isn't enough for long-term recovery
- How small daily wins can build momentum and create lasting change
- Why finding a “mountain to climb” can help redirect sexual and creative energy into something meaningful

Recovery doesn't happen all at once. Sometimes it starts with one small decision, one mentor, one meeting, or simply taking the first step.
🔵 Want to break free? Join Unhooked Academy now: https://www.unhookedacademy.com/

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Connect with Ben

Ben Brown / The Shift Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shift-a-podcast-with-ben-brown/id1887649490

Instagram: @benbrown3000 https://www.instagram.com/benbrown3000/

YouTube: The Shift Podcast with Ben Brown https://www.youtube.com/@theshiftpodcastwithbenbrown

Website: The Shift with Ben Brown https://www.theshiftwithbenbrown.com/

🔵 Want to break free? Join Unhooked Academy now: https://www.unhookedacademy.com/

Explore the Unhooked app: https://unhookedapp.co
What if stopping porn isn't actually the thing that creates lasting recovery?
In this episode of Unhooked, I’m resharing a conversation I had on Sam’s Healing Podcast about porn addiction, recovery, and what it really takes to build lasting freedom.
We talk about why porn itself is often not the underlying problem, but instead a way of escaping uncomfortable emotions, stress, loneliness, boredom, insecurity, or other difficult experiences. I also explain why simply chasing a streak or practicing sobriety without doing the deeper inner work can leave the underlying issues untouched.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why sobriety alone isn't the same as recovery and why the underlying reasons behind the behavior matter
- How porn can become a coping mechanism for stress, loneliness, boredom, insecurity, and other uncomfortable emotions
- Why I describe meditation as strength training for the mind and how it can help build greater awareness and self-control
- How the Reset → Rewire → Rebuild → Restore framework supports lasting transformation
- Why learning to sit with discomfort instead of escaping it is an essential part of creating real freedom
If you're early in recovery and looking for a clear, grounded overview of what this work actually involves, this is a good place to start.
Ready to start your recovery?

Explore the Unhooked app: https://unhookedapp.co
Timestamps:
00:00 Why Sobriety Isn’t Recovery
02:59 Welcome to Unhooked
03:37 Introducing Jeremy and Unhooked
04:47 Why I Created Unhooked
06:02 Why Do We Get Hooked on Porn?
09:05 Why Sobriety Alone Isn’t Enough
11:09 Cross-Addictions and Replacing Unhealthy Habits
12:29 Meditation as Strength Training for the Mind
15:23 Different Types of Meditation
17:01 How to Let Go of the Performance Mindset
18:22 Why a Structured Meditation Practice Matters
20:04 The Four Phases of Recovery
21:28 Reset: Getting Clear on Where You’re Going
23:32 Rewire: Using Neuroplasticity for Change
25:04 Rebuild: Changing Your Environment and Habits
26:59 Restore: Building a Life of Fulfillment
28:42 Solitude vs. Isolation
30:14 Why We Run From Unpleasant Experiences
31:56 Learning to Sit With Discomfort
32:56 Why You Have to Take Ownership of Your Recovery
34:21 Can You Really Break Free?
36:27 Where to Learn More About Unhooked
37:21 Sam’s Closing Thoughts
37:56 Final Thoughts