A 21-Day Detox from Porn: Jack’s Story

Jack P. is a management consultant, financial executive, and historian residing on the East Coast. He is active in the pro-life movement, the United States Naval affairs, and is an avid outdoorsman.

I had no real habitual issues with porn until after my wife died a few years ago.  I began to view nude women online and engaged in masturbatory acts. The current pandemic accelerated both my loneliness and impurity. I realized that I was far off-course, and I began praying fervently and fasting regularly.

In the early fall of 2020, I met two tremendous young Catholic priests who told me about STRIVE. I immediately signed up and went through the program that Matt Fradd and his staff have designed.  In addition to daily prayer and Mass, I started to go to Confession much more frequently and began more daily readings of Holy Scripture, reciting the rosary, and reading spiritual books. I also reached out more to family and friends.

Two Key Steps to Freedom

Soon, I began to experience the true joy of Jesus’s guidance and of being a son of God. I recognized the changes in my mind and heart and began to be healed.

Daily prayer was done with renewed vigor.

However, in my journey to be freed from porn,  I found two things to be critical:

First, an accountability partner is mandatory. I actually have several Catholic priests who are mine, and I am an accountability partner to a friend who lives some distance away.

Second is the need for all of us to pray daily for each other. Even if you have completed the entire STRIVE program, (I have gone through it twice), attempt to take some time each week to review some of the posts. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you by His grace to write something in the comments section which may assist one or more of our brothers. Don’t believe that you have nothing to say; even telling a guy “I’m praying for you” is an enormous lift to his spirits.

Realistically, temptations to sin will always be around us, and flashes of past pornographic material will occur. Learn to calmly put these sinful thoughts out of your mind, and ask Jesus, by the power of His saving blood, to protect you.

He will.

Recovery Takes Work

In the United States military, daily physical training is critical to the mission of the various service branches. Starting each morning with a cold shower is a “shock” to begin your day, and you can then turn it warm to wash your hair.  It’s not that rough once you get used to it; just muscle up and do it!

Similar to the training in the military, it is essential to find activities in your daily life that will force you to have physical discipline. These could be playing one or more of the sports you enjoy, such as running, cycling, playing golf,  softball, tennis, or going to the gym. Personally, I do calisthenics, work out with weights, walk, play basketball and tennis, and swim outdoors in good weather. A priest, who is one of my confessors, said that this exertion focuses us and burns up the same energy that we would expend with impure activities. Go for it!

I would also like to recommend that you read 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. St. Paul gives us excellent reasons for ” bringing our bodies under strict subjection”.

Men, fight discouragement above all else. Remember that we are all in this battle together, and we will not give up. As Matt Fradd points out in his videos on Days 10 and 11 of STRIVE 21, failure is part of growth, and setbacks can be overcome.

The late Zig Ziglar, one of the best motivational speakers I’ve ever heard, said: “Failure is an event—it is not a person. Yesterday ended last night, and today begins a whole new day”.

And, as one of the greatest coaches in NFL history,  Vince Lombardi,  said: “It’s not whether we get knocked down. It’s whether we get back up.”

Just keep getting back up. Begin that whole new day, Brothers.

As St. James advises us: “Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

If you need prayers or any support, please drop me a line on STRIVE; I have your back.

Jesus Chris has risen, and he has conquered!

Your Brother,

Jack P.

A Note from the Covenant Eyes Team

Wondering what STRIVE is and how you can join? STRIVE is a 21-day porn detox for men, helping them begin the journey to freedom through daily videos and challenges created by Matt Fradd. Throughout the 21 days, they will encounter truth and beauty in a way that Satan and the sex industry have tried to hide. They will learn important truths like the importance of accountability, how porn use impacts the brain, how pornography correlates with sex trafficking and sexual abuse in the industry, plus many more.

STRIVE users can remain anonymous, and it is free to them for a limited time. Users will also be granted the offer of a 14-day free trial to the Covenant Eyes Screen Accountability software so they can continue the road to sobriety long after they complete this detox. In the end, men have nothing to lose and everything to gain through STRIVE.