London: Behind the image of discipline, success and achievement, some high performers are fighting a private battle that few people ever see: compulsive pornography use.
Freddy Woodward, a former Team GB diver who competed at the Olympic Games, says he experienced that contradiction throughout his sporting career. While training up to six hours a day and competing at the highest level, he says pornography became a coping mechanism for stress, pressure and difficult emotions.
His experience, he argues, exposes a problem often overlooked among high achievers: being successful does not necessarily mean being psychologically free.
When Success Hides the Problem
High performers are often exceptionally good at compartmentalizing. They can train, work, compete and deliver results while keeping personal struggles hidden.
The problem may emerge only in private—at home, in a hotel room or late at night.
Because pornography does not necessarily produce immediate, visible consequences, its effects can accumulate gradually. A person may continue succeeding professionally while experiencing growing dependence, guilt, anxiety or loss of control.
That makes the problem particularly difficult to recognize.
When Discipline Stops Working
Freddy says he spent around six years attempting to quit pornography through willpower and discipline.
But the strategy repeatedly failed.
For an athlete accustomed to pushing through pain and maintaining strict routines, this created a painful contradiction: if discipline had helped him reach the Olympics, why couldn’t it help him stop?
He eventually concluded that discipline was the wrong tool for the problem. Constantly fighting urges, he argues, can increase frustration, pressure and shame rather than resolve the reasons behind the behaviour.
From Performance to Self-Worth
Another factor is perfectionism.
High performers can become deeply dependent on achievement for their sense of worth. Winning produces confidence, while failure can feel like a judgment on their identity.
That pressure can create stress, loneliness, boredom and shame—emotions that pornography can temporarily help people escape.
Over time, pornography may therefore become less about sexual desire and more about emotional regulation.
The Cycle of Secrecy
The problem can become even harder to address because high achievers often hide it exceptionally well.
Freddy says that despite having coaches, trainers and sports psychologists during his athletic career, he never discussed his pornography use with them.
The secrecy can reinforce shame and isolation, creating a cycle in which the individual repeatedly struggles alone.
Freedom, Not Just Abstinence
Freddy’s message is that overcoming compulsive pornography use requires more than simply trying harder.
Understanding emotional triggers, separating self-worth from performance, developing healthier coping mechanisms and seeking support can be more productive than relying solely on willpower.
He describes his own recovery as an “identity shift”—moving from being someone who was constantly trying to quit to becoming someone who simply does not use pornography.
His central message is straightforward: functioning is not the same as freedom.
For high performers, the challenge may not be learning how to push harder, but learning when to stop fighting themselves—and understand what is driving the struggle in the first place.
