Why I Reach Out

In today’s world people are extremely connected through social media. At the same time people are losing connection through pornography. The technology that can be used to help our relationships can be used to kill our relationships. Pornography producers market a product that is calculated to use an individual’s own chemistry to engulf them in an addictive trap that will destroy their relationships, emotional health, and self-respect. We can help each other as we offer love and support for those who may be struggling with this problem. That is why I reach out, to help people feel like they can overcome this problem and have happy, healthy relationships.

Tyrell Mangum, Reach 10 video intern and Finance student

Pornography was something that I didn’t think seriously about. However, after learning about the detrimental impact on people and relationships, I started to recognize how severe the problem is. I saw some posts on Facebook and other social media that were not very appropriate with pornographic images. I bet I am not the only one experiencing that! Yet, we still have the culture of silence on pornographic issues and we don’t feel comfortable sharing our thoughts and feelings to others. That is why I reach out. I see the great need of open communication towards pornography issues and hope this will be a stepping stone for a healthier society.

Miji Lee, Reach 10 event intern and former English tutor in Korea

I learned a life lesson as a missionary that has changed my perspective on how I look at other people. It is, “There is so much bad in the best of us, and so much good in the worst of us, that it ill-behooveth any of us to find fault in the rest of us.” I reach out because I don’t want people who may struggle with an addiction to feel judged or looked down on. I know that pornography can hurt relationships and can take hold of one’s mind, but I also believe that isolating people who struggle by creating a culture of shame and fear isn’t the solution. I reach out because I truly believe that if real change is going to happen it will be through connections between people, not isolation from each other.

Joey Tirado-Grundvig, Reach 10 blog intern and former Alaska tour guide

I see irony in our generation. We’ve grown up in a culture that offers countless opportunities and modes of communication on the one hand and yet has lead many of us to feel more isolated than ever before. I believe reaching out is among the first meaningful steps in re-connecting the members of our all-too-isolated generation, and reshaping our expectations of ourselves, our relationships, our culture, and our future.

Austi Stenson, Reach 10 website team member and indie musician

I’ve worked for years with individuals affected by pornography, from my community’s justice center to public schools to treatment centers to addiction recovery programs to my own relationships. I’ve seen the heartbreak, and it’s inspired me to stand as an advocate for anyone trying to get out. There is no shame in asking for help. There is no shame in admitting weaknesses, and there is no shame in saying that where we’ve been is not where we plan to go. In fact, all of these things are signs of strength. I reach out because perfection isn’t a prerequisite for being loved, and when we all start to really believe that, we become strong together.

Laurel Williams, Reach 10 team member and rock climber

I’ve been clean from pornography for about a year and a half. The battle seemed impossibly endless at times, and it ONLY got better once I asked for help. Telling people about my struggle was scary for me at first, but it really was the most relieving feeling in the world to be able to have people on my team. I’ve never been closer to friends and family than now. I’m confident and at peace with myself, and I have a healthy relationship with my fiancé. I reach out because I’m proof that life gets better after pornography, and my big dream is to educate as many people to avoid it at all costs.

Jordan W., Reach 10 team member, pharmacy technician and piano soloist

I believe in the healing power of compassion, and I have seen firsthand how this love can mend individuals and relationships damaged by the effects pornography addiction. Reaching out with compassion is the most powerful tool we have in reconnecting a generation fragmented by shame and fear. Where there is love, there is hope!

Malissa Richardson, Reach 10 blog team leader and the force behind #nothankssnapchat

No one is immune from the negative influences of pornography. As a woman, I fought a lonely and isolating battle against pornography addiction. I felt completely alone and I had no one to turn to. Pornography is a taboo subject, and I want to do everything I can to change that. The more we reach out to each other and the more we open up the dialogue, the better we’ll be able to help those who have been totally trapped by shame and fear. Pornography addiction is not something you can fight alone. I reach out to women and men. This is a human problem, not a man’s problem. Love is the answer and healthy communication is the key.

Cassy Hulse, Reach 10 Team Member, writer and singer

Many fall and become trapped in pornography because they sincerely desire a way to connect with others, but can’t find success among loved ones. They found themselves drawn to a devastatingly deceiving, debilitating and false sense of connection in pornography, which in time cripples the heart, mind, and the potential for healthy relationships. I went through this process, and having learned what I was lacking, I desire to reach out because I know that my sincere efforts to connect with others will help them from going through what I went through. I reach out because I desire to help heal lives and in effect, heal mine, and an entire culture.

Creed Orme, Reach 10 Challenge team, Family Studies major & amateur renaissance man

I reach out because I’ve seen the depths of addiction, and people need to know they have somewhere to turn. Pornography use is one of the biggest epidemics of our generation, and so many are struggling who want a way out. I’ve known where I’ve stood on this issue for years, but felt swallowed by the voice of mainstream media which preach the opposite message. Then I found Reach 10, a place where your voice does matter. Reach 10 is a community of love and hope and that is exactly what is needed to combat the harms pornography brings to relationships. I have hope that discussion and empathy can change the cycle of pornography addiction because I have seen friends take control of their life through it. Have hope and speak out!

Some of our Reach 10 team members share why this issue is important to them. Why is it important to you?