Miscellaneous
My guest today is Joshua Shea, and the subject of our conversation today is the addiction that no-one is talking about: porn-addiction. In 2010, Joshua seemingly had it all. A loving wife, two children, and a supportive extended family. After nearly fifteen years of 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. 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 inpatient rehab facilities. In this conversation, we explore the profound impact both pornography and alcoholism had on Joshua’s life, and how something which is viewed as relatively commonplace nowadays has the potential to turn into something incredibly damaging if left unchecked. This is by far the most candid conversation I’ve had about a subject that can be a little sensitive, and the perspectives and insights that are shared in it will surprise you.