Community Guidelines

Last Updated: December 1, 2025

Welcome to the Brotherhood

The Manstead community exists to support men in recovery from pornography addiction. This is a shame-free space where you can share struggles, celebrate wins, and encourage others on the same journey.

These guidelines help keep our community safe, supportive, and effective for everyone.

Core Principles

1. Anonymity and Privacy

  • Use an anonymous username
  • Never share your real name, location, phone number, or other identifying information
  • Never ask others for personal information
  • What’s shared here stays here

2. Respect and Support

  • Treat everyone with dignity and respect
  • We’re all fighting the same battle
  • No judgment, no shame, no condemnation
  • Support, don’t lecture

3. Safety First

  • Keep the space safe for all members
  • No triggering content
  • No explicit material
  • Report anything that makes you uncomfortable

Community Rules

✅ DO:

Be Honest

  • Share your real struggles and experiences
  • Admit when you’re having a hard time
  • Ask for help when you need it

Be Supportive

  • Encourage others in their recovery
  • Celebrate wins, big and small
  • Offer hope without false promises
  • Share what’s working for you

Be Respectful

  • Respect different backgrounds, beliefs, and recovery approaches
  • Listen without judgment
  • Disagree respectfully if needed
  • Use appropriate language

Be Specific (When Asking for Help)

  • “I’m struggling with boredom today” is better than “I’m struggling”
  • Specific requests get better support
  • It’s okay to be vulnerable

Report Problems

  • Use the report button if you see rule violations
  • Flag concerning content (self-harm, abuse, etc.)
  • Help us keep the community safe

❌ DON’T:

No Explicit Content

  • No pornographic material of any kind
  • No sexual imagery or suggestive photos
  • No detailed descriptions of sexual acts or porn content
  • No “testing yourself” by sharing triggering material
  • This is a recovery space, not a relapse trigger

No Personal Information

  • Don’t share your full name, address, or phone number
  • Don’t share photos that could identify you
  • Don’t ask others for their personal details
  • Don’t arrange to meet offline through the community

No Links

  • No external links to websites, articles, or resources
  • No social media links
  • No links to other apps or services
  • (Exception: Manstead staff may share approved resources)

No Profanity or Abuse

  • No swearing or crude language
  • No insults, name-calling, or personal attacks
  • No harassment or bullying
  • No threats of any kind

No Spam or Self-Promotion

  • No advertising or promoting products/services
  • No soliciting money or donations
  • No recruiting for other programs or apps
  • No repetitive posting

No Harmful Content

  • No encouraging relapse or porn use
  • No discussing methods to access porn
  • No glorifying addiction
  • No encouraging self-harm or suicide
  • No dangerous “challenges” or unhealthy behaviors

No Discrimination

  • No racism, sexism, or hate speech
  • No discrimination based on religion, nationality, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic
  • Everyone deserves respect and support

No Medical Advice

  • Don’t diagnose others
  • Don’t prescribe treatments or medications
  • Don’t discourage professional help
  • Share your experience, not medical opinions

No Inappropriate Relationships

  • This is not a dating app
  • No romantic or sexual advances
  • No grooming or predatory behavior
  • Keep relationships platonic and recovery-focused

What to Post

Good Posts Include:

Check-ins:

  • “Day 15. Feeling strong today.”
  • “Hit 30 days! Here’s what helped me…”
  • “Struggling today but pushing through.”

Asking for Support:

  • “Having a tough day at work. Feeling vulnerable. Any advice?”
  • “Urges hitting hard tonight. Need encouragement.”
  • “About to relapse. Talk me down.”

Sharing Wins:

  • “First week down. Feels good.”
  • “Told my accountability partner about my struggle today.”
  • “Went for a run instead of acting out.”

Offering Encouragement:

  • “You’ve got this, brother.”
  • “I’ve been there. It gets easier.”
  • “Proud of you for showing up.”

Sharing Insights:

  • “Realized my biggest trigger is…”
  • “This lesson really helped me understand…”
  • “Cold showers are a game changer for me.”

Asking Questions:

  • “How do you handle stress without porn?”
  • “What do you do when you’re home alone?”
  • “Any tips for talking to an accountability partner?”

Posts to Avoid:

❌ “Here’s a link to an article about porn addiction”
✅ “I read something helpful about dopamine today. Anyone else learning about the science?”

❌ “I relapsed to [explicit details of what I watched]”
✅ “I relapsed yesterday. Feeling disappointed but getting back up.”

❌ “Anyone want to text? Here’s my number: 555-1234”
✅ “Looking for an accountability partner. DM me if interested.”

❌ “This program sucks, go try [other app] instead”
✅ “I’m finding [specific feature] challenging. Any tips?”

❌ “You’re an idiot for relapsing again”
✅ “Recovery isn’t linear. Keep going, mate.”

Consequences for Rule Violations

We take these guidelines seriously. Violations may result in:

First Offense:

  • Warning from moderators
  • Content removal
  • Temporary restriction from posting

Second Offense:

  • 7-day suspension from community access
  • Content removal
  • Written warning

Third Offense or Serious Violations:

  • Permanent ban from community
  • Account may be terminated
  • Reported to authorities if illegal activity is involved

Immediate Permanent Ban: The following result in immediate permanent bans:

  • Sharing pornographic material
  • Threatening violence or harm
  • Predatory behavior toward vulnerable users
  • Doxxing (sharing others’ personal information)
  • Spam or commercial activity after warning
  • Creating multiple accounts to evade bans

How to Report

If you see content that violates these guidelines:

In the App:

  1. Tap the three dots on any post or comment
  2. Select “Report”
  3. Choose the reason for reporting
  4. Submit

Serious Concerns: For urgent safety concerns (threats, self-harm, child safety), email us immediately at:
hello@manstead.com
 Subject: “Urgent Community Report”

We Review:

  • All reports are reviewed within 24 hours
  • Reporters remain anonymous
  • We take action based on severity
  • You’ll receive confirmation that we reviewed your report

Our Commitment to You

We Will:

  • Review reports promptly and fairly
  • Take action against rule violations
  • Protect your anonymity and safety
  • Continuously improve the community experience
  • Listen to your feedback

We Won’t:

  • Share your reports with other users
  • Tolerate abuse, harassment, or hate
  • Allow triggering or harmful content
  • Let the community become unsafe

Remember

This community is here to help you, not hurt you.

  • If something doesn’t feel right, report it
  • If you’re triggered, step away
  • If you’re struggling, speak up
  • If someone needs support, offer it

Recovery happens in brotherhood, not isolation.

We’re in this together.

End of Community Guidelines