Today’s guest is Garrett Jonsson. Pornography was his secret vice and almost destroyed his marriage. He says that pornography is the new drug and his mission is to raise awareness about its destructive nature.

Is pornography a drug?

Can it become a true addiction?

How does it affect your relationships?

Today’s guest is Garrett Jonsson. Pornography was his secret vice and almost destroyed his marriage. He says that pornography is the new drug and his mission is to raise awareness about its destructive nature

He is so determined to help people combat porn addiction that he ran 30 marathons in 30 days, handcuffed during each one of them. He then biked 3,800 miles across the United States, dragging chains behind him to symbolize the heaviness of addiction.

Now he works with Fight the New Drug, an organization that is raising awareness about the harmful effects of pornography using only science, facts, and personal accounts.

Garrett shares the insidious escalation of his porn addiction, how it damaged his life, and how he freed himself through recovery.

Garrett Jonsson

Sexuality is molded by experience, culture, and biology. Garrett was first exposed to pornography at the age of nine. Coming from a family that encouraged deep respect for women, he noticed that pornography was degrading but gradually became desensitized to it despite his morals. Throughout his life, his addiction to pornography worsened, but he prided himself on discipline and self-control. He lied to himself that it was becoming a problem.

When he married his wife, he hid his pornography habits. For six years, he would consume porn daily and sometimes multiple times a day behind her back. The pornography perpetuated false expectations from his wife. He thought that if he was in the mood, she should be in the mood. Pornography never said ‘no’ to him, and he demanded instant gratification. This lead to a repetitive cycle of fights that almost ended their marriage.

One night after one of their arguments, Garrett thought he ruined the relationship for good. This was the first time he realized the damage pornography was doing to his life. It made him into a deceitful, arrogant, and resentful person. He finally confessed to the secret to his wife and began the road to recovery. Now he is focused on engaging in healthy behaviors to become the best version of himself.

Studies have shown that porn stimulates the same areas of the brain as addictive drugs, making the brain release the same chemicals. And just like drugs, porn triggers pathways in the brain that cause craving, leading users back for more and more extreme “hits” to get high.

Fight the New Drug

Fight the New Drug is a non-religious and non-legislative nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide individuals the opportunity to make an informed decision regarding pornography.

Ten years ago, Fight the New Drug was founded by four college students who recognized a need for a movement educating individuals about the scientifically-proven harms of pornography. Today, there are over four million Fighters worldwide who are changing the conversation about pornography, over 1,100 articles published on FTND.org, and have reached more than 800K individuals in our live presentations.

Consider Before Consuming

Think about all of the things you consider every day to help keep yourself, your loved ones, and your community happy, healthy, and hopeful.

Now consider this: There is an ever-growing body of research demonstrating significant negative impacts, for yourself and the ones you love, in the consumption of pornography. It can change the way you think, harm your ability to connect with other people, and can contribute to changing the world in negative ways.

Join us every other week as we consider the harmful effects of pornography using science, facts, and personal accounts. But, we’re not just inviting you to consider the potential negative consequences of pornography but also the benefits to a life free of porn and its influence.