A Juneau man living in recovery from a porn addiction remembers feeling as though he was suffering alone, a feeling he wants others to know isn’t true.

“I struggled with pornography, I wanted to break free, and I tried and tried, and I couldn’t. I was addicted. I didn’t know where to turn,” said John, 64, who asked the Empire to not reveal his identity to protect his family’s privacy.

He said he couldn’t find the necessary resources in Juneau to guide him through recovery — until he came across Pure Desire Ministries.

Pure Desire is a faith-based group headquartered in Oregon that travels the nation and offers online services to help people, usually those in Christian circles, who are dealing with sexual addictions. Although its services are centered on recovery through faith, the organization’s executive director Bryan Roberts said its counselors are certified through clinical agencies and use a scientific approach to treat addiction.

It’s the same service that John used when he realized he needed help with his addiction to porn because it was destructive to his family and community life.

Similar to an Alcoholics Anonymous group, John met with people (usually online because he couldn’t find a group in Juneau), and he would share his struggles with other porn and sex addicts. He said he’s directed a few of his friends to the group for help.

Now, he’s inviting all of Juneau to a meeting.

On Aug. 6 and 7, a team from Pure Desire will visit Juneau for a free conference titled “Building Healthy Families” at Centennial Hall and Dzantiki’i Middle School, respectively. (Classes are not in session during summer break, and the group is renting out the facility.)

Pure Desire speakers will present information about brain chemistry when watching porn, sexual health information for young adults and guidance for parents raising children in the digital age. Testimony, prayer and worship time will also be on the agenda.

Debbie Douglass, a member of Juneau’s Christ Community Ministries and a coordinator for the convention, said she has seen what happens when children are not guarded from exposure to porn. She became the temporary guardian for several children under 12 in Juneau who became addicted to porn.

“How many parents have open internet in their house? And if (an exposure to porn) does happen, what do you do?” Douglass asked.

How to raise children in the digital age when pornographic images can pop up on after a simple Google search is a question all parents should be asking, Douglass said, not just Christian parents.

“This conference is for anybody with a question,” Douglass said. For parents with questions who don’t want raise their hands while neighbors are nearby, speakers will answer questions sent via text message, too.

First Lady Donna Walker agreed there are questions about pornography, however uncomfortable they are to ask, that need to be answered now. Walker is lending her support to the conference by offering the opening remarks on Aug. 6.

“One of my primary objectives is working to improve the safety, well-being and health of our children and families,” Walker told the Empire Thursday. “Of course, pornography and the issues (similar to it are) impacting this generation.”

In a phone interview, Walker said porn is not just a hot topic for the socially conservative or feminists in Alaska; she said pornography contributes to the issues of human trafficking and violence toward women in the state.

“A lot of pornography is coming from (human trafficking) victims, too,” Walker said. “In my own experience … I have seen this particular issue, pornography, destroy careers, destroy relationships, destroy families.”

According to Barna Group, a California-based research institute, 37 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds in the U.S. are seeking out pornography from anywhere between once a month to once daily.

“You can’t understand what you’re trying to protect your children from if you don’t understand the nature of the developed addiction that comes from exposure,” said Joel Webb, who is also a member of Juneau’s Christ Community Ministries and a coordinator for the conference. “An empowered parent knows what’s coming.”

Webb said as a father, he worries about what his children could be exposed to since the days of buying pornography from a liquor store and covering it in a brown paper bag are long gone. He said the way pornography was once distributed marked a societal norm that has since disappeared, which has given rise to a hushed problem.

Getting past the “shame” associated with the topic is the first hurdle for most communities, Pure Desire director Roberts said.

“There is a shame associated with sex addiction, like it’s worse than other addictions,” Roberts said. “The shame that’s connected with it will keep people from saying they need help, but this is just like any other addiction and there are tools to work on this.”

On. Aug. 6, the convention runs from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. at Centennial Hall. On Aug. 7, the closing event is from 2:30-3:30 p.m. at Dzantiki’i Middle School. To learn more about the convention, or to donate to the Christ Community Services fund for convention fees, visit www.christ-community-ministries.org.

• Contact reporter Paula Ann Solis at 523-2272 or paula.solis@juneauempire.com.