SALT LAKE CITY — When Jake Scott, 35, speaks of his ongoing recovery from pornography addiction, he is brutality honest about how being consumed by it almost ruined his life.

At his lowest point, he contemplated leaving his wife and infant son because he could not seem to control his urges.

“It’s a very burdensome thing — being an addict,” Scott explained. “Having to face that everyday, you wake up (knowing that), 'I’m an addict. Holy cow! What am I going to do with my life?'”

Learning how to redefine one’s self as something other than an addict was critical to overcoming the onus that came with being afflicted, he said.

Scott and his wife, Polly, were among the featured presenters at the 13th annual Utah Coalition Against Pornography conference at the Salt Palace Convention Center Saturday. The one-day event is among the largest in the country that focuses on educating the public about the problems and solutions concerning pornography.

“We want to be able to (give) people the tools to deal with anybody you know who is into pornography,” explained Pamela Atkinson, chairwoman of the coalition board. “We’ll also help you prevent it from occurring in your home in the first place.”

The event, attended by 1,300 people, included sessions targeting the impact of porn on children and teens, protecting kids as well as how to manage access to pornography in the technology age. This year, the event also included new Spanish language sessions and classes for single adults.

For those unable to attend in person, many of the sessions can be accessed online at http://utahcoalition.org/media/.

Atkinson said the coalition aims to provide information that will help people — particularly young people — impacted by the ills of pornography to cope and get the assistance they need to improve their lives.

“We talk about the ramifications of what happens and how kids are being prosecuted with felonies and how it impacts young people across the country,” she said. Porn addiction affects all socio-economic groups — both men and women.

Conveying that message is critical to creating awareness in every part of the community, she said.

Scott noted that despite his immense struggles, he was able to find balance and hope for the future with treatment and lots of soul searching.

“My message is to seek help, reach out for both the victim spouse and the addict,” he said. “Be patient with yourself and if you do have belief in a higher power, seek that higher power to come in and help you relieve that burden.”

His wife Polly said one of the major keys to the success of overcoming pornography addiction is patience.

“You can’t expect to have a full recovery immediately — or trust or forgiveness immediately,” she said. “(You have) to let the recovery take its course. Patience is really important, both with yourself and with others.”

She noted that getting proper treatment and enrolling in therapy are also critical to regaining control of your relationships.

The keynote speaker at the conference was child advocate Ed Smart, whose daughter Elizabeth was kidnapped in 2002, then miraculously returned after nine months in captivity. He noted that her kidnapper Brian Mitchell was a pornography user, which played a part in his overall mental development.

“People need to understand what happens with pornography,” he said. “It’s a 'slippery slope' that can lead to other things.”

He said society has a duty to educate children to show them what is safe and what poses a potential threat.

“(Our family) never thought an abduction would occur, and many people feel that a little pornography is not going to hurt, but it’s what it leads to that’s the problem,” Smart said.

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