Change the Game Podcast S1 E13: Fragmentation, Addiction, and the Cost of Living a Split Life

Pornography functions as a maladaptive emotional regulation tool that erodes personal integrity, trust, and decision-making capabilities. Mac Dohm, a recovery advocate and creator of "Porn Free Millennial," details his transition from a decades-long cycle of secret consumption to a life of transparency and intentionality. The discussion highlights how porn use creates a "coherence issue," where individuals maintain a split identity that necessitates gaslighting and dishonesty to protect the habit. Rather than a simple moral failing, this behavior acts as a systemic, background process that degrades one’s ability to remain grounded in reality during high-pressure situations. Recovery requires moving beyond mere willpower by building supportive structures, such as accountability partnerships and honest community connections, to replace the addictive cycle with a life congruent with one’s core values and long-term goals.