Unhooked: Breaking Porn Addiction Podcast The Science of Porn Addiction: Dopamine, Brain Rewiring & Recovery | Jeremy Lipkowitz Interviewed by Melissa Hadley Barrett on The Penis Project Podcast
Mar 23, 2026
Jeremy Lipkowitz, former Buddhist monk, meditation teacher, and coach who founded Unhooked to help people break compulsive habits. He explores how dopamine and neuroplasticity rewire desire. He explains the amygdala hijack and porn’s effects on intimacy. Practical topics include mindfulness, the 90-second rule, and the role of accountability and community.
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Early Porn Use Led To Meditation Recovery
- Jeremy Lipkowitz started watching porn at age 10 and escalated to 1–2 hours nightly by college, which triggered his recovery journey.
- He used mindfulness, self-compassion, and meditation retreats to rewire habits and later began coaching others from that experience.
Addiction Defined By Harm Over Time
- Addiction is any repeated behavior done despite negative consequences, regardless of substance or behavior.
- Jeremy frames addiction holistically: weigh benefits (distraction, pleasure) versus cumulative harms to decide if it's an addiction.
Industry Harms Amplify Individual Damage
- The porn industry causes external harms (exploitation, trafficking) that complicate claims of a 'healthy relationship' with porn.
- Jeremy argues most users underestimate societal and ethical harms beyond individual effects.