Unhooked: Breaking Porn Addiction Podcast

Jeremy Lipkowitz
  • 4.7 (101)
  • Sexuality
  • Updated Weekly

Unhooked is a podcast dedicated to helping people break free from porn addiction and other compulsive behaviors related to the internet, sex, and intimacy. Rooted in Buddhist wisdom, neuroscience, coaching, and mindfulness, the show explores practical strategies for lasting recovery and personal transformation. Each episode features leading experts, scientists, coaches, and individuals in recovery, sharing their insights, experiences, and expertise to guide listeners on their path to healing and freedom.

  1. 2d ago

    How Porn Rewires Your Brain (And What Buddhism Has to Say About Healing It) | Jeremy Lipkowitz Interviewed on An Evolving Man Podcast with Piers Cross

    🔹 Want to break free? Join Unhooked Academy now: https://www.unhookedacademy.com/ Jeremy Lipkowitz joins Piers Cross on An Evolving Man to discuss how porn addiction is driven and worsened by craving, shame, and avoidance of unpleasant emotions like boredom, loneliness, anxiety, and lack of purpose. Jeremy shares his own history of early porn exposure, how Buddhism and Matthieu Ricard’s book Happiness helped him understand neuroplasticity (“neurons that fire together, wire together”) and craving as suffering, and why recovery requires more than willpower. They explore why modern porn is uniquely addictive through affordability, accessibility, anonymity, and infinite novelty, and why taking distance from porn reveals impacts on clarity, confidence, and integrity. The conversation emphasizes mindfulness as awareness across the “six sense doors,” community and men’s groups to dissolve isolation and shame, skillful moral shame/dread (hiri and ottappa), and how the attention economy and tech design mimic slot machines to capture attention. 00:00 Shame And Escape 01:18 Rebroadcast And Themes 02:40 Meet Jeremy Lipkowitz 03:54 Porn Habit Origins 06:41 Buddhism Changes Everything 08:46 Neuroplasticity And Craving 12:29 Beyond Meditation Recovery 14:17 Porn Culture And Taboo 16:57 Smartphone Porn Explosion 21:04 Why Porn Hooks Us 24:50 Reclaiming Healthy Sexuality 26:49 Triggers And Emotional Avoidance 29:33 Feeling Emotions In The Body 31:56 Slow Down The Urge 32:59 Mindful Smoking Insight 33:48 Mindfulness In Recovery 35:21 Shame And Community 39:40 Porn Shame Stigma 42:39 Healthy Moral Shame 47:42 Four Truths Reflection 49:31 Attention Economy Trap 55:24 Reclaiming Your Attention 57:31 What Mindfulness Means 59:28 Six Sense Doors Practice 01:01:22 Closing And Resources

  2. Aug 10

    Porn, Shame, and the Hungry Ghost: Jeremy Lipkowitz on Addiction, Integrity, and Mindfulness | My Conversation with Jonah Primo on The Overexamined Life Podcast

    🔹 Want to break free? Join Unhooked Academy now: https://www.unhookedacademy.com/ This rebroadcast from Jonah Primo’s The Overexamined Life features Jeremy Lipkowitz (former Buddhist monk, meditation teacher, executive coach, and host of the Unhooked podcast) discussing pornography as a lens for addiction, shame, and compulsive behavior. They cover how widespread porn use is among men and increasingly women, early exposure in childhood, and how porn’s normalization alongside taboo can fuel addiction. Lipkowitz argues porn is often used for emotional regulation (boredom, loneliness, anxiety), can distort expectations of intimacy, train novelty-seeking dopamine patterns, and contribute to a shame-driven double life. They address ethical concerns about performer exploitation, whether moderate use is defensible, the distinction between porn and masturbation, and rising risks from AI-generated porn, non-consensual deepfakes, and related technologies. Treatment emphasizes mindfulness, men’s groups, integrity, and Viktor Frankl’s “space between stimulus and response” over reliance on blockers; Lipkowitz recommends abstinence first if moderation is attempted. 00:00 Rebroadcast Introduction 01:34 Meet Jeremy Lipkowitz 04:19 Who Watches Porn 05:28 Taboo Meets Normalized 07:04 Kids And Early Exposure 12:49 Porn Scripts And Consent 15:47 Porn As Emotional Coping 20:11 Shame Fuels Addiction 26:52 Making It Less Shameful 28:01 Men's Groups Explained 33:44 Performers And Exploitation 39:36 Is Any Use Safe 42:55 Subtle Long Term Effects 47:11 Hungry Ghost Origin Story 48:43 From Catalogs to Tube Sites 49:30 When Lust Becomes Suffering 50:46 Hungry Ghosts Explained 52:26 Pros and Cons of Quitting 54:59 Masturbation Without Porn 56:50 Engineered to Be Addictive 59:52 AI Porn Pandora Box 01:05:15 Skillful vs Unskillful Desire 01:07:55 Life After Porn Benefits 01:12:54 Relapse and the Three As 01:15:58 Mindfulness Space to Choose 01:20:01 Abstinence vs Moderation 01:22:13 Rapid Fire and Farewell

  3. Aug 3

    From Homeless & Rock Bottom to 1,000 Days in a Monastery: How Piers Cross Found His Way Out

    🔹 Want to break free? Join Unhooked Academy now: https://www.unhookedacademy.com/ Piers Cross on Trauma, Addiction, and Self-Compassion Most men walk around with stones in their shoes their whole lives. They don't know the stones are there. They just know something hurts, and they've learned to keep walking anyway. That's one of the most powerful things Piers Cross said in this conversation. And it captures something I see all the time in the men I work with — unprocessed trauma quietly running the show, showing up as compulsive behavior, isolation, a relentless inner critic that won't let them rest. Piers's own story is one of the more remarkable ones I've encountered. He grew up with an alcoholic father, ran away to boarding school, watched a friend die by suicide, and was then sexually abused by the priest the school sent them to for support. He suppressed all of it, built a successful career in finance, and slowly fell apart. At his lowest point he was homeless, struggling with drugs and alcohol, and tried to take his own life. What turned it around was ending up at a Buddhist monastery — where he stayed for over 1,000 days. He's been sober for 24 years. In this episode we talk about: How suppressed childhood trauma shows up in adult addiction, even when the connection isn't obviousWhy going back to touch trauma can re-traumatize you — and what to do insteadWhat EFT tapping is, how it works neurologically, and why Piers uses it with every clientThe three ingredients Robert Moore says are required for real initiation to happenWhy the monastery was a rite of passage from boy to man — and what that has to do with recoveryThe inner critic loop that keeps men stuck, and how to step out of itWhy alcohol and porn relapse are more connected than most people realizeA five-minute safety meditation practice you can start todayWhat Piers wants every man struggling with addiction to hear before anything elseThe self-compassion piece in this one is worth the whole conversation. The image Piers uses — of picking a child up 100 times when they fall — is the kind of thing that stays with you. Connect with Piers Cross: Coaching: piers-cross.com Leadership work: compassionateleadersglobal.com Podcast: An Evolving Man Documentary: Boarding on Insanity Resources from Jeremy: Unhooked Academy: unhookedacademy.com 14-Day Slip Reset: unhookedacademy.com/reset

  4. Jul 27

    Why "If I Just Had X, I'd Be Happy" Never Works (ft. Lawrence Dunling, Enter the Lionheart Podcast)

    🔹 Want to break free? Join Unhooked Academy now: https://www.unhookedacademy.com/ This week's episode is a conversation I had on the Enter the Lionheart podcast with host Lawrence Dunling. Lawrence was kind enough to let us reshare it here on Unhooked. We get into my own unusual path: leaving a PhD program at Duke, training as a Buddhist monk in Myanmar, and eventually building my coaching practice in Thailand. From there we dig into the trap almost all of us fall into, the belief that the next zero in the bank account, the next win, the next relationship will finally make us happy, and why that chase never actually delivers. We talk through some core Buddhist concepts and how they apply to everyday life: the bliss of blamelessness, the eight worldly winds, and the middle path between renouncing everything and chasing pleasure. And we spend real time on porn and compulsive behavior specifically: why the consequences are often subtle and easy to miss, how it rewires your brain's relationship to novelty and intimacy, and the Rat Park experiment, one of the clearest illustrations out there of why addiction is about an unmet need, not a moral failing. We also get into modern dating, OnlyFans, the loneliness underneath a lot of it, and why community and close male friendships matter more than most guys realize. Resources: Unhooked Academy: unhookedacademy.com 14-Day Slip Reset: unhookedacademy.com/reset Connect with Jeremy: 🌍 Website: JeremyLipkowitz.com 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremylipkowitz/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyLipkowitz 📩 Email: jeremy@unhookedacademy.com Jeremy’s Online Course: Unhooked – Step-by-Step Guide to Quitting Porn: https://www.unhookedacademy.com/

  5. Jul 20

    Buddhist Wisdom: The 5 Daily Reflections That Can Change Your Life (Rebroadcast)

    🔹 Want to break free? Join Unhooked Academy now: https://www.unhookedacademy.com/ This week, I'm bringing back one of my favorite episodes because its message is just as relevant today as when I first recorded it. In this episode, I share the Five Wise Daily Reflections from Buddhist teachings and explore how they can help you overcome addiction, let go of attachment, take ownership of your actions, and live with greater purpose. These simple reflections have profoundly shaped the way I approach recovery and continue to remind me what truly matters. What would change if you spent just a few minutes each day reflecting on what really matters most? If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who could benefit from it, and subscribe for more conversations on recovery, mindfulness, and building a life you don't want to escape from. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 02:01 The Five Wise Daily Reflections 03:06 Aging, Illness, and Death 07:29 Letting Go of Attachment 09:23 Why Your Actions Shape Your Future 12:03 How to Practice These Reflections 12:35 Living Beyond Addiction Resources: Unhooked Academy: unhookedacademy.com 14-Day Slip Reset: unhookedacademy.com/reset Connect with Jeremy: 🌍 Website: JeremyLipkowitz.com 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremylipkowitz/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyLipkowitz 📩 Email: jeremy@unhookedacademy.com Jeremy’s Online Course: Unhooked – Step-by-Step Guide to Quitting Porn: https://www.unhookedacademy.com/

  6. Jul 13

    Are You a Slave to Lust? | A Bunny Hugs Podcast interview with Todd Rennebohm & Jeremy Lipkowitz

    🔹 Want to break free? Join Unhooked Academy now: https://www.unhookedacademy.com/ This episode is a rebroadcast of a conversation I had with Todd Rennebohm on the Bunny Hugs podcast. Todd runs a mental health show that isn't afraid to go into the territory most podcasts avoid, and this conversation went deep. We covered my personal story from the beginning. How it started innocent enough, looking at lingerie catalogs as a kid, and slowly escalated over years into a daily habit that was quietly rewiring my brain. By college, I was logging on every night for an hour, sometimes two. And even though my life looked great on paper, I felt completely empty inside. In this episode we talk about: The moment I realized I was a slave to lust, and what it actually felt like from the insideHow porn hijacks the dopamine system and why the "hunt" is more addictive than the content itselfThe realm of hungry ghosts, a Buddhist concept that perfectly describes what addiction feels likeWhy porn addiction is uniquely hard to break free from compared to alcohol or substancesHow I went from PhD student at Duke to Buddhist monk to meditation teacher to recovery coachWhy the shame-based, willpower-driven approach almost always backfiresWhat neuroplasticity actually means for your recovery, and why it's good newsHow to meditate without falling asleep (and why falling asleep isn't actually the problem)AI companions, escalation, and where all of this is headedThis is one of the more wide-ranging conversations I've had. If you're new to this work, it's a good place to start. If you've been around for a while, I think you'll still find something in it. 00:00 Empty Chase 00:50 Meet Jeremy 01:37 How It Started 03:15 Daily Habit 04:59 Control And Coping 06:07 Brain Rewiring 07:15 Novelty Escalation 09:20 Seeing The Future 11:10 Hungry Ghosts 13:33 Neuroplasticity Lust 15:10 Gratitude Training 18:29 Desire Vs Craving 20:31 Meditation Skills 23:11 Tech And AI Risks 24:57 Is It Ever Good 27:14 AI Companions Dystopia 28:30 Moderation Debate 28:37 Moderation vs Abstinence 30:11 Ethics of Porn Industry 33:02 Why Porn Hooks Dopamine 37:15 Rock Bottom Realization 42:43 Finding Happiness Through Mindfulness 46:09 Non Shame Recovery Approach 50:11 Meditation Basics That Work 54:02 Grounded Not Woo Woo 54:49 Where to Find Jeremy 55:26 Final Wrap and Support Check out Todd's show, Bunny Hugs, at bunnyhugspodcast.com Resources mentioned: Unhooked Academy: unhookedacademy.com 14-Day Slip Reset: unhookedacademy.com/reset Connect with Jeremy: 🌍 Website: JeremyLipkowitz.com 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremylipkowitz/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyLipkowitz 📩 Email: jeremy@unhookedacademy.com Jeremy’s Online Course: Unhooked – Step-by-Step Guide to Quitting Porn: https://www.unhookedacademy.com/

  7. Jul 6

    What Porn Addiction Really Does to Your Brain | Jeremy Lipkowitz Interviewed by Breanne Wilson on Adventures in Adversity Podcast

    🔹 Want to break free? Get my FREE 14-day slip reset here: https://unhookedacademy.com/reset This week, I'm resharing a conversation I had with Breanne Wilson on the Adventures in Adversity podcast because I think this message is more important than ever. We talk about my journey from porn addiction to recovery, how addiction rewires the brain, why shame keeps so many people trapped, and what it really takes to build a life of integrity, purpose, and freedom. We also explore mindfulness, neuroplasticity, healthy masculinity, and why lasting recovery isn't about willpower, it's about creating a life you no longer want to escape from. Whether you're struggling with porn, another compulsive habit, or simply searching for deeper fulfillment, I hope this conversation reminds you that change is possible. What's one area of your life where you're ready to stop escaping and start healing? If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who could benefit from it, and subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss future conversations on recovery, self-mastery, and living with purpose. 🔹 Want to break free? Join Unhooked Academy now: https://www.unhookedacademy.com/ Connect with Jeremy: 🌍 Website: JeremyLipkowitz.com 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremylipkowitz/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyLipkowitz 📩 Email: jeremy@unhookedacademy.com Jeremy’s Online Course: Unhooked – Step-by-Step Guide to Quitting Porn: https://www.unhookedacademy.com/ Connect with Breanne Wilson 🌍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adventuresinadversitypodcast/ 🎙️ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/adventures-in-adversity-an-inspirational-podcast/id1727019294 Timestamps:

  8. Jun 29

    How I Escaped Porn Addiction | Jeremy Lipkowitz Interviewed by Tim Tedder on The Affair Recovery Room Podcast

    🔹 Want to break free?  Get my FREE 14-day slip reset here: https://unhookedacademy.com/reset Why do so many people struggle to quit porneven when they genuinely want to stop? In this interview with Tim Tedder on The Affair Recovery Room Podcast, I share my personal journey from years of porn addiction to finding lasting recovery, and the lessons I learned along the way. We talk about how porn rewires the brain, why novelty keeps people trapped in the cycle, how shame silently fuels addiction, and why recovery isn't about relying on willpower alone. We also discuss mindfulness, healthy relationships, community, and the inner work required to build lasting freedom. In this episode you'll learn: What porn addiction really isHow porn changes your expectations of intimacyWhy shame keeps people stuckWhy willpower isn't enoughThe role of mindfulness in recoveryWhy community accelerates healingHow to build a life you don't need to escape fromWhether you're struggling yourself or supporting someone you love, I hope this conversation gives you hope and practical insight for the journey ahead. If this episode helped you, share it with someone who needs it and subscribe for more conversations on recovery, self-mastery, and creating lasting freedom. 🔹 Want to break free?  Join Unhooked Academy now: https://www.unhookedacademy.com/ Connect with Jeremy: 🌍 Website: JeremyLipkowitz.com 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremylipkowitz/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JeremyLipkowitz 📩 Email: jeremy@unhookedacademy.com Jeremy’s Online Course: Unhooked – Step-by-Step Guide to Quitting Porn: https://www.unhookedacademy.com/ Connect with Tim Tedder 🌍 Website: https://www.affairhealing.com/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Tim-Tedder 🎙️ Podcast: https://www.affairhealing.com/podcasts https://open.spotify.com/show/54DlIhDCxb3a4gpFCJrRPu https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-affair-recovery-room/id1116458007 Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:27 What Porn Addiction Really Is 04:25 The Hidden Signs of Addiction 06:03 How My Addiction Started 14:29 Why Real Relationships Feel Harder 20:44 What Finally Helped Me Recover 26:36 Why Shame Keeps Men Stuck 29:26 Porn Isn't the Real Problem

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4.7
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Unhooked is a podcast dedicated to helping people break free from porn addiction and other compulsive behaviors related to the internet, sex, and intimacy. Rooted in Buddhist wisdom, neuroscience, coaching, and mindfulness, the show explores practical strategies for lasting recovery and personal transformation. Each episode features leading experts, scientists, coaches, and individuals in recovery, sharing their insights, experiences, and expertise to guide listeners on their path to healing and freedom.

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