BBC News
Since retiring from competitive diving, Woodward has been travelling around the world making social media videos about food and culture with his girlfriend, Chika Izumi – a former artistic swimmer on Japan’s national team.
The couple met seven years ago on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, where they were working as aquatic performers.
Izumi, 33, said Woodward opened up about his struggles with porn a few months into their relationship,
“I was like ‘OK, I guess there’s a problem’ – but I didn’t go against it,” she said. “I was just neutral about it.”
When asked if she was worried about him sharing his story, she said she supported him “100%”.
“I’m so proud of him, honestly – and I’m so glad he did it.
“I know he’s going to help so many boys and men. I can’t believe how brave he is, to talk to the world.”
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) said it had seen a significant rise in people seeking help for out-of-control porn use.
In a survey of 3,000 of its members, 53% of those who work with men said they were seeing more pornography-related cases.
Psychotherapist Dr Paula Hall set up the Laurel Centre, a specialist sex and porn addiction centre in Leamington Spa, 15 years ago.
“It is undoubtedly a problem that’s exploding in society, and we’re struggling to know how to contain it,” she said.
Dr Hall said one of the challenges was society’s reluctance to talk about it and recognise when viewing porn moved into the realms of addictive behaviour.
“We need resources out there to help people if it’s getting in the way of their relationships or studies,” she said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “It is troubling to hear accounts of individuals becoming addicted to pornography at such a young age.
“It reinforces the importance of the online safety laws we have put in place to prevent children from accessing harmful content. “
If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line.
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