Title: The addiction nobody will talk about
Description: Joshua Shea seemingly had it all. A loving wife, two children, and a supportive extended family. In 2010, after nearly fifteen years working his way up the journalism ladder, he launched a lifestyle magazine in his hometown. Within a year, he was one of the founders of Central Maine's largest film festival and had won a seat on the City Council in Auburn, Maine. Accolades, including receiving the Key to the City and being called one of the "Next 10 People Shaping Maine's Economy" by a state newspaper followed. While the public got one picture of Shea, behind closed doors, his longtime mental health and addiction issues were festering. A workaholic by nature, he actively ignored the red flags surrounding his long-existing pornography and alcohol problems. Finding it easier to lose himself in a bottle of tequila and adult websites, Shea's relationships with his family, colleagues, and friends grew distant. His business ventures began to collapse. Life as he knew it came to a screeching halt when he was arrested on a charge of underage pornography possession in 2014. Shea was convicted and served six months in jail in early 2016. Following his arrest, he sought help and treatment through intense one-on-one therapy, group therapy, and at inpatient rehab facilities. Bothered at the lack of quality resources and open discussion around the topic of pornography addiction, Shea is now sharing with the public his experience with the addiction in the hope he can help people to not head down the same road that he did. Shea recounts the last several years of his life leading up to his legal trouble and how his poor judgment and bad decision making led to a life he never thought was possible.
Subjects: Compulsive behavior, Internet pornography, Social aspects, Pornography
People: Joshua Shea (Journalist)