Episode 2 Preview: Rewriting the Conversation Around Pornography
What happens when a routine tab click turns into a ritual of silence?
In Episode 2 of Mental Health Rewritten, we step into the uneasy quiet between screens and selves. "Rewriting the Conversation Around Pornography" isn't just about pixels or proclivities—it's about the pulse of modern intimacy, loneliness, and the desperate human need to feel seen.
We begin with a whisper—literal and emotional—as the episode opens up with late night mouse clicks from a computer of a middle schooler. Host Dominic Lawson introduces us to Gio and Maddie: two lives shaped by secrecy, both tethered to pornography not by pleasure, but by pain. Gio, an adult survivor navigating shame and survival. Maddie, a 14-year-old lost in a browser tab no one talks about at home or school.
This isn't an exposé. It's a confrontation—with our digital habits, our societal contradictions, and our clinical blind spots.
“Pornography, for many, isn’t just about sex. It’s about escape. It’s about relief. It’s about control when the world feels uncontrollable.”
With clinical insight from Dr. Justin Dodson and Dr. Alexandra Katehakis, the episode bridges childhood trauma, digital compulsions, and the systemic failure to provide language for discomfort. And yes, the conversation is bold: public health crisis vs. harmless outlet, coping mechanism vs. compulsion, expression vs. exploitation.
As always, Mental Health Rewritten is not here to shame or glorify. It’s here to understand.
🎧 Whether you're a parent, a partner, or simply someone curious about the unspoken, this episode dares to make the invisible... audible.
Debuts 5/30/2025
Take care of yourself
Dominic Lawson
Dominic Lawson is a 24x award-winning podcast host, producer, and editor based in Memphis,
Tennessee. A U.S. Army veteran, he studied business administration at National American
University before discovering his passion for podcasting in 2016. That year, he launched "The
Startup Life Podcast," providing listeners with insights into building businesses and advancing in
their careers. Throughout the show's run, Lawson interviewed notable figures such as Marc
Randolph, co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, and Tom Golisano, founder and chairman of
Paychex.
In 2021, Lawson joined Meadows Behavioral Healthcare as a podcast producer, editor, and
host. He took the helm of the "Beyond Theory" podcast, facilitating in-depth conversations with
experts in mental health and addiction recovery. His innovative approach led to the launch of
"Recovery Replay" in April 2022, a groundbreaking podcast that chronicles personal recovery
stories from three distinct perspectives.
Demonstrating his versatility, Lawson introduced the "Black Is America" podcast on February 1,
2022, shedding light on lesser-known African American figures and narratives. The podcast
garnered significant acclaim, earning multiple awards, including the 2023 Webby Award for Best
Podcast-Individual Episode.
Episode 3 Preview: Rewriting the Conversation Around Sexual Assault
