Freddie Woodward, a former British diver who competed in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, revealed the difficult time he went through: for years, he had a compulsive relationship with pornography.
According to his account, he began being exposed to it at a very young age, and its consumption became a daily habit. He even came to use it as a kind of reward after training sessions.
Woodward said that for six years he tried to quit on his own, but repeatedly failed. The situation ended up affecting his relationships and the way he viewed women.
“I felt trapped”, he explained when speaking about that period. He also acknowledged that for a long time he carried “shame” and came to feel that he had lost control over his behavior.
The former Olympian says he was finally able to quit pornography two years ago after changing the way he understood his problem, as he revealed to the BBC.
He now speaks publicly about his experience so that other men can recognize that they are not alone and seek help. His message is direct: “You are not broken and you are not alone”.