Consider Before Consuming

Brian Schillingburg is a former school principal and recovery coach who spent 25 years working with students before his own struggle with pornography escalated into behavior that ultimately led to his arrest.
Drawing from decades in schools, Brian shares what he's seen as pornography and sexualized content have become increasingly accessible to young people. He discusses the realities of early exposure, how pornography can shape expectations around relationships and sexuality, and why many parents underestimate what young people are navigating online today.
Brian also shares his personal story, including his first exposure to pornography as a child, how it became a coping mechanism for stress and pain, and how years of use eventually escalated into buying sex. He opens up about the arrest that changed his life, the impact it had on his family and career, and what accountability, recovery, and rebuilding have looked like since.

This episode is sponsored by Relay, a secure peer-support app that connects you with a small group of people who understand what you’re going through and help you stay accountable on your journey to quit porn. CBC listeners can try Relay free for 7 days by signing up at http://ftnd.org/joinrelay.

Episode Resources:
Article: What 25 Years in Schools Taught Me About Early Porn Exposure
Article: When Porn Use Shatters Trust: A Therapist Explains Betrayal Trauma
Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 162: Chris Bennett
The 9th Inning Project
Demand Disruption

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Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual abuse and trauma. Listener discretion is advised.

What happens when the person you trust most is secretly violating that trust for years?
In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, Zoe Watts shares her story of discovering that her husband had been drugging and sexually assaulting her while she slept. Zoe opens up about the confusion and disbelief she experienced, why it took time to fully understand what had happened, and the emotional and physical toll the trauma left behind.
Zoe also discusses how abuse within marriage is often minimized or misunderstood, the harmful cultural messages that blur the lines around consent, and the disturbing online communities built around sharing and consuming nonconsensual “sleep content.”
After her story became part of a major CNN investigation into online sexual exploitation, Zoe founded End Eye Check, an advocacy movement focused on raising awareness around drug-facilitated sexual abuse and supporting survivors.
In this episode, we discuss how sexual abuse can hide within long-term relationships, why some survivors struggle to recognize abuse right away, how online communities normalize exploitative content, and what healing can look like after trauma.

Episode Resources:
Victim Resources
End Eye Check: Join The Campaign
CNN Article: Exposing a global ‘rape academy’
Article: She Was Asleep While It Happened: Gisèle Pelicot and the Disturbing Rise of “Sleep Porn”
Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 163: Amanda Stanhope

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In this bonus episode of Consider Before Consuming, Elisabeth and Scott bring you into a conversation they’ve found themselves having often behind the scenes.
As Fight the New Drug’s social media manager and presenter, Elisabeth is constantly immersed in current events, research, and the realities young people are facing online. Scott, who works more behind the scenes, intentionally keeps some distance, but hears about these stories secondhand. This episode is an opportunity to bridge that gap and bring listeners into that same conversation.
Using a real case involving AI-generated explicit images at a small U.S. school—where 347 images were created of 59 minors—they break down what happened, what it reveals about the world young people are navigating today, and what parents and communities need to understand right now.

Episode Resources:
FTND Live Presentations
Conversation Blueprint: Let's Talk About Porn
Documentary: Brain, Heart, World

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In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, we’re joined by Dr. Nicholas Lawless, a clinical psychologist and couples therapist, to explore how pornography can impact connection in relationships.
Does porn affect relationships? Can porn change how you see your partner? Is watching porn considered cheating? Why does porn sometimes feel like a betrayal?
Dr. Lawless shares what he’s seen in both research and real-life couples—how shifts in attention and expectations can lead to disconnection over time, and what it looks like to rebuild connection.
If you’re wondering whether porn is affecting your relationship, or how to reconnect if something feels off, this episode offers a clear, practical perspective.

This episode is sponsored by Relay, a secure peer-support app that connects you with a small group of people who understand what you’re going through and help you stay accountable on your journey to quit porn. CBC listeners can try Relay free for 7 days when they sign up at http://ftnd.org/joinrelay

Episode Resources:
Articles: How Porn Can Impact Relationships
Documentary: Brain, Heart, World
Dr. Lawless' Practice: DRT Psychology

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In this bonus episode of Consider Before Consuming, Natale and Elisabeth take you behind the scenes of managing Fight the New Drug’s social media and the kinds of comments that come with it.
From someone sharing, “I started viewing porn at 11 and didn’t even distinguish between adult and child porn,” to debates like “nobody is forcing you… you’re choosing to be that person,” this episode highlights the wide range of reactions these conversations bring up.
Together, they unpack what these responses reveal about how porn is understood today, and why the way we respond matters. From early exposure and normalization to addiction and recovery, this conversation explores how empathy and education—not shame—can lead to more meaningful change.

Core Articles: Get The Facts
YouTube: CBC Playlist
Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 160: Hunter Clark

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