I Was Trafficked As A 22-Year-Old Massage Therapy Student, A Conversation with Teresa J. Helm, Jeffrey Epstein Trafficking Survivor And Advocate

Katie Bulmer started Truth For Your Twenties to be the person she needed when she was younger. She mentors young women, shares advice on her podcast, and speaks nationwide.

In today's Consider Before Consuming episode, Katie shares wisdom on navigating the dating world. She suggests setting realistic expectations and having constructive conversations about pornography. Additionally, she discusses different types of intimacy that can exist in relationships, romantic or otherwise, and stresses that porn should not be used as a substitute for genuine intimacy.

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 Resources

Article: Has Our Culture’s Obsession with Porn Changed Dating Expectations?

Article: What Are the Risks of Choking a Partner During Sex?

Visit: Truth for your Twenties

The following podcast episode contains discussions of child sexual abuse, violence, and sex trafficking. Listener discretion is advised.

Matt and Sarah founded She Is Not Your Rehab and launched the concept in Matt’s 2019 TEDx talk.

In this Consider Before Consuming episode, Matt shares how his vulnerability around his personal history of abuse and porn consumption helped other men in his barbershop to open up about their experiences. And Sara shares how her work in the anti-trafficking space led her to establish strict boundaries around pornography consumption and fight to create homes free from violence.

Their work to combat domestic violence, through an invitation for men to acknowledge their own childhood trauma and take responsibility for their healing, has reached millions.

Episode Resources

Visit: She Is Not Your Rehab

Matt and Sarah's Book: She Is Not Your Rehab

Art Prints: Who Is She?

Watch: Matt's Ted Talk

Article: What Are the Risks of Choking a Partner During Sex?

Article: 10 Reasons Why You Should (Not) Be Cool With Your Partner Watching Porn

Paul was exposed to pornography at a young age and realized in college that his porn consumption had escalated to the point that it was impacting his sleep, his relationships, and his mental health.

During this Consider Before Consuming Podcast episode, Paul shares how he was able to retrain his brain away from porn consumption through healthy practices. He also shares about his work as the Teams Coordinator for an organization in Mexico, which focuses on prevention, intervention, and restoration for survivors of trafficking. Paul encourages our listeners not to give up and reminds us that there is always hope.

Episode Resources

Article: 7 Reasons to Add Quitting Porn to Your Self-Improvement List

Article: Why Do Some People Fight Against Sex Trafficking and Also Support Porn?

Video: Paul's Story

Podcast: How the Porn Industry is Connected to Sex Trafficking

Visit: El Pozo De Vida

Trigger warning: The following podcast episode contains discussions of abuse and sex trafficking. Listener discretion is advised.

Julie Whitehead is a survivor of many years of abuse and sex trafficking. As a survivor, Julie shares her story in her book Shadowed: How I Became the Sex Trafficked Mother Next Door. She also serves on a survivor advisory board for the Malouf Foundation.

This episode of Consider Before Consuming is part 1 of our 2-part interview. In it, Julie shares about leaving her abusive marriage, only to begin being sex-trafficked on the weekends by a man she thought would help her.

Julie bravely shares her story in the hopes that other trafficking victims see that there’s hope on the other side of their experiences.

Episode Resources

Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 104: Julie Whitehead, Pt. 1

Julie's Book: Shadowed: How I Became The Sex-Trafficked Mother Next Door

Visit: On Watch

Trigger warning: The following podcast episode contains discussions of child sexual abuse and suicide. Listener discretion is advised.

Julie Whitehead is a survivor of many years of abuse and sex trafficking. As a survivor, Julie bravely shares her story in her book Shadowed: How I Became the Sex Trafficked Mother Next Door. She also serves on a survivor advisory board for the Malouf Foundation.

This episode of Consider Before Consuming is part 1 of our 2-part interview. In it, Julie shares about the child sexual abuse she experienced at home, as well as the emotional and psychological abuse she endured by her husband in their 12-year marriage, before meeting the man who would sex traffic her.

Episode Resources

Visit: The Connection of Porn and Sex Trafficking

Article: How Pornography Can Worsen Cases of Domestic Violence

Julie's Book: Shadowed: How I Became The Sex-Trafficked Mother Next Door

There are hundreds of studies from years of research showing how pornography is negatively impacting individuals, relationships, and society. In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, we hear from many experts on how pornography harms.To learn more, check out Truthaboutporn.org. Truth About Porn is a current, ever-growing database dedicated to research on the harmful effects of pornography.

Videos: Truth About Porn Interviews
Articles: Get The Facts

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 Resources

Article: How My Feelings of Shame Fueled My Struggle with Porn

Video: Emma's Story

Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 63: Dr. Debbie Akerman

Sara's Website: Overcome Pornography For Good

As a young adult, Carmen’s occasional porn habit turned perpetual, which he realized when he was looking at porn even when he didn’t feel like it. As a drug and alcohol counselor, he felt like a hypocrite because he was helping others in addiction recovery while struggling with an addiction himself. Once he began recovery, he realized the importance of not letting setbacks discourage him from continuing to try, and of not being alone in his struggle. 

In this episode, he shares with us his story of recovering from his unwanted compulsive porn use, the significance of understanding the connection between pornography and trafficking in his continued recovery, and how he uses his story to help others.

Episode Resources

Article: How Porn Can Fuel Sex Trafficking

Video: Carmen's Story

Podcast: Consider Before Consuming, Ep.93: Chandler Rogers

Carmen's Podcast: True Victory

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.

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 use

Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 49: Matthias J. Barker

Matthias' Podcast: Matthias J. Barker Podcast: If You're Struggling with Porn

When Madi first discovered porn at the age of 13, she was immediately consumed by shame and the belief that she was the only girl looking at pornography. The cycle of looking at porn as an escape and the feelings of shame kept her from breaking free. Once she opened up to others about the struggle she was experiencing, she was able to understand that she wasn’t alone and to connect with her true identity. 

In this episode, Madi shares about her experiences and how she utilizes her story to provide support to other women and girls to know they’re not alone in their struggles, and encourages parents to have open, honest conversations with their kids about the harms of porn.

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.

Article: Don’t think Women Struggle with Porn? Read Stories from 5 Who Have

Article: Can Women Get Addicted to Watching Porn?

Podcast: CBC Ep. 97: My Experience Being a Girl Addicted to Porn for 13 Years

Madi's Podcast: Sisters on the Frontline