The Pausing Porn Podcast

After a pretty long 9-month break, I’m finally back.

In this episode, I talk a bit about why I stepped away, what the last few months have looked like, and something I’ve been working on behind the scenes.

I finally built the app I’ve talked about wanting to make for a long time.

It’s called Etio, and the first version is now live.

Right now, Etio is focused on one thing: helping you get through urges without having to rely on willpower or trying to “fight” them.

I talk about how the Urge Processor works, why I built it the way I did, and how approaches like urge surfing, mindfulness, CBT, ACT, and DBT influenced it.

This is still very early, and there’s a lot I want to add over time, but I wanted to get something useful into people’s hands instead of waiting forever to make it perfect.

You can try Etio for free on iPhone here:

https://tryetio.com/

If you do try it, please send me your feedback. What you like, what you don’t, what feels confusing, or what you want to see added.

And to everyone who kept listening while I was gone, thank you. It’s nice to be back.

In this episode of The Pausing Porn Podcast, I walk you through exactly what I would do if I were still addicted to porn in 2026. This is a complete recovery playbook based on lived experience, science-backed strategies, and what actually worked for me to build a life free from porn.

We cover how to build a strong recovery community, why accountability matters, how to stop white-knuckling urges and start handling them with confidence, why tracking urges beats tracking streaks, how social media impacts porn addiction, how to set meaningful goals outside of recovery, and why letting go of shame is essential for long-term change.

This episode is not about motivation or quick fixes. It’s about understanding porn addiction, learning how recovery really works, and putting the right systems in place so 2026 can finally be the year things change.

If you’re serious about quitting porn addiction and building a life you don’t need porn to escape from, this episode is for you.

Follow the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes, and share this with someone who needs support on their recovery journey.

In this episode of The Pausing Porn Podcast, I talk about the real difference between addiction and fulfillment and why this mindset shift can completely change your porn recovery journey.

I break down what addiction actually is using both a clinical definition and a simple idea that helped me understand my own compulsive porn use. Addiction is not just about watching porn. It is the progressive narrowing of the things that bring you pleasure. I share how this showed up in my own life as porn slowly replaced friendships, hobbies, and real connection.

Then I explore the opposite of addiction which is fulfillment. Fulfillment is the expansion of meaning, connection, and joy across your life. Recovery is not just about quitting porn. It is about building a life that no longer needs porn as an escape or coping mechanism.

If you are working toward a life free from compulsive porn use and want a healthier and more fulfilling future, this episode will help you take a meaningful step forward.

Quitting porn is hard. But staying addicted to it is even harder.

In this episode of The Pausing Porn Podcast, I talk about why relapse can feel like the easy option in the moment and how it actually makes life more difficult over time. I break down what really happens after a relapse, how urges get stronger when we act on them, and why porn is often a way to escape stress, anxiety, or discomfort rather than the real problem itself.

Using personal experiences and reflections from my own recovery, I explain why sitting with urges is a skill that takes practice and why choosing recovery, even when it feels hard, leads to a better life than staying stuck in compulsive porn use.

If you are struggling with urges, relapse cycles, or building a life free from porn, this episode will help you reframe the choice in front of you and move forward with clarity.

Listen now and choose your hard.

In this episode I break down one of the biggest lies porn teaches men without ever saying a word. If you grew up watching porn like I did, you probably developed a completely distorted idea of what the average penis size is and what women actually care about in the bedroom. This belief is not based on reality. It comes from years of repetition and comparing yourself to porn actors who represent the extreme top one percent.

I talk about the best scientific research we have on penis size including the major study published in the British Journal of Urology International that measured more than fifteen thousand men. I also share what the data actually shows about what women value in sex and why emotional connection trust communication and confidence matter far more than size.

Porn trains men to focus on performance and comparison but real intimacy is built on presence and partnership. My goal with this episode is to help you challenge the insecurities that porn created and replace them with facts that support your confidence and your recovery.

If you have ever felt insecure about your size or believed you are not enough this episode will help you reset your standards and understand what really matters. Thanks for listening and I hope this one gives you clarity and relief as you continue your healing journey.

In this episode of the Pausing Porn Podcast, I am starting a new monthly series called The Recovery Inbox where I answer your questions directly on porn recovery. Today's question comes from someone in a recovery community on Reddit asking: should you tell your partner when you relapse?

I share my honest take based on lived experience and what I have learned in my recovery from compulsive porn use. I talk about the difference between healthy transparency and harmful over sharing, why your partner should not be your accountability partner, and how full disclosure can sometimes create pressure, anxiety, and more secrecy. I also explain why relapse details belong with an accountability partner, therapist, or recovery group, and how selective transparency can protect both your relationship and your healing.

I also cover how compulsive porn use impacts intimacy, emotional connection, trust, and communication in a romantic relationship, and why experts warn that daily disclosure can overwhelm partners and create secondary trauma. My goal in this episode is to help you understand when transparency is healthy, when it becomes damaging, and how to communicate honestly without hurting your partner or sabotaging your recovery.

I hope this gives you clarity on how to navigate honesty, boundaries, setbacks, and support as you work toward a life free from porn.

If you want to submit a question for a future Recovery Inbox episode, you can message me on Reddit @pausingporn or comment directly on the podcast. I appreciate you being here and I hope this episode helps your recovery journey.

In this episode of The Pausing Porn Podcast, I dive into one of the biggest questions in recovery — is porn really an addiction. I explain what the World Health Organization classifies compulsive porn use as, I share my personal experience with compulsive porn use, how it meets nearly every sign of addiction like loss of control, craving, tolerance, and withdrawal, and why I believe porn can still function as an addiction even if it is not officially recognized.

I talk about why this classification matters for people struggling with porn, from the lack of research and treatment funding to the stigma and confusion it creates for men trying to quit. I also explore whether calling yourself a porn addict helps or harms recovery and how to use language that supports real healing rather than shame.

If you have ever asked yourself whether porn is an addiction, or how that affects recovery, this episode will give you the science, clarity, and mindset you need to move forward.

Keywords: porn addiction, addictive, compulsive porn use, porn recovery, porn disorder, DSM 5, compulsive sexual behaviour disorder, quitting porn, how to stop watching porn, porn withdrawal, porn cravings, porn tolerance, porn classification, addiction recovery, men’s mental health

Porn does not just change your habits. It can change the way you see people.

In this episode, I talk about how porn conditions your brain to objectify women instead of building real attraction and connection. You will learn what sexual objectification really is, how it is different from healthy attraction, and how it quietly shows up in your daily life.

I also share my own story of how this looked for me. How I would catch myself scanning the world around me for women to sexualize without even realizing it, and how I began retraining my brain to see people as people again.

By the end of this episode, you will have practical steps to build awareness, reframe what you see, connect with others, and reflect on the deeper emotions that fuel objectification.

If you are ready to move past porn’s influence and start seeing people with respect again, this episode will help you take that next step.

Keywords: porn addiction recovery, objectification, attraction, awareness, rewiring the brain, dopamine, empathy, connection, mindfulness, self improvement

This episode is a little different. I take a step back to share who The Pausing Porn Podcast is really for, why I started it, and where it is heading next.

I talk about the mission behind the podcast, the free recovery guide Nathan and I are creating, the plans for building a supportive recovery community, and our long-term vision to create the best porn addiction recovery app in the world.

If you have ever felt alone in your struggle or wondered where this project is going, this episode will help you see that you are part of something bigger. Thank you for being here and helping this movement grow.

Most of us think we know what porn is, but I’ve learned that what counts as porn has changed more in the last decade than in the last century. In this episode, I talk about what actually qualifies as porn today and why your personal definition might be the reason you keep relapsing.

I’ll walk you through both the obvious and non-obvious types of porn, from videos and OnlyFans to dating apps and social media that can trigger the same reward circuits. You’ll learn how to define what is off limits for you and how setting clear boundaries can make recovery simpler and more sustainable.

If you’ve ever wondered whether something “counts as porn,” this episode will help you find clarity and strengthen your recovery.