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  3. Joshua Shea
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Joshua Shea

Author/Educator
Pornography Addiction Awareness
Country or state 
United States (Maine)
Available to 
North America
Fee 
Languages 
English
Volunteer:
Yes

Personal Details

Bio

Blessed with the gift of gab as a child, Joshua Shea was always an overachiever, while simultaneously hiding his addiction secrets.

Already a full-time award-winning journalist at 19, Joshua hid his alcoholism and pornography addiction from family friends and colleagues for years. At the age of 25 he was diagnosed as bipolar, but despite medication to balance his moods, the addictions continued. As his personal and professional lives flourished, he was able to maintain "functional addiction."

In 2009, he created Lewiston Auburn Magazine, a regional magazine in Central Maine, serving as its editor and publisher for more than four years. He was also a co-founder of the Lewiston Auburn Film Festival, dubbed one of the country's "25 Coolest Film Festivals of 2013" by Moviemaker Magazine. At the same time he did these two things, he served a term as a City Councilor in Auburn, Maine between 2011 and 2013.

Following a drop in business in 2013, Shea made the horrible mistake of pulling himself off of his bipolar medication, rationalizing if he could tap into his manic, creative side, he'd be able to save the company. It was a gross miscalculation. His addictions exploded and life took a serious turn for the worse. As his 20-year addiction was reaching a critical level in late 2013, Shea made the error of engaging a teenage girl in an online chatroom.

Shea immediately entered a facility for alcohol addiction in California where he spent 10 weeks and shortly after that spent 7 weeks at an inpatient facility in Texas for sex/porn addiction. He also spent the two years between his arrest and sentencing in deep therapy, attending 12 step groups and learning as much as he could about addiction and more specifically, pornography addiction.

While serving a short jail sentence in early 2016, Shea wrote his first book, "The Addiction Nobody Will Talk About: How I Let My Pornography Addiction Hurt People and Destroy Relationships," eventually released in January 2018. His follow-up book, "He’s a Porn Addict…Now What?" was released December 2019. Both are available through Amazon.

In 2017, Joshua launched RecoveringPornAddict.com. He has also contributed articles about recovery to TheFix.com and Recovery Today magazine and has developed and presented three versions of a speech about addiction and overcoming the odds for churches, libraries and other groups.

Shea has made over 75 podcasts, television and radio show appearances using his personal story to promote the ideas that porn addiction spans all demographics and those with a problem should seek help before it’s too late, as it became in his case.

He's also an expert at explaining the issue as it faces society (32% of men under 30 say they have a problem with pornography) and talking about what needs to be done to change things.

Sober since early 2014, Joshua still lives in Central Maine with his wife and two children.

Current position (1)

Author/Educator

Pornography Addiction Awareness

Presentations

Presentations (3)
The Addiction Nobody Will Talk About

Named after his first book, this presentation focuses on Shea's belief that Pornography Addiction could be one of the next great health care crises in the world if action isn't taken in the next decade or two. What is the addiction and why should anyone care?Young adults who grew up not knowing a world before the Internet are becoming addicts in alarming numbers, yet even the mental health community barely registers it as an issue. Using research, statistics and his personal story, Shea outlines what needs to be done before this problem becomes an epidemic.

Meet Your First Pornography Addict

In 2012, Shea wrote an article in the magazine he edited sharing his struggle with bipolar disorder. Upon publishing, he learned that it was either a secret in most families or he became the first person people knew who dealt with it. In this non-graphic presentation Shea shares the origins of his addiction, how he managed to hide it for so many years, his rock bottom and the public shaming, and his eventual recovery. Shea addresses a bit of the overall problem facing the world, but hopes audience members walk away understanding it truly is an illness and there is no such thing as a stereotypical addict.

The Biggest Mistake of My Life and How to Fix It

One morning, Joshua Shea was a local celebrity and pillar of his community. By the end of the day, he was out on bail for possession of underage pornography and the top story on the news. In this presentation, Shea recounts his public fall and the shame that came out of it, his decision to try and pull his life together, and following the calling to share his story of pornography addiction with others. Turning negatives into positives can make the world a better place.

Past talks (1)
Depended Upon the Host's Needs
View RecoveringPornAddict.com/media for all previous appearances
North America
  • All (2)
  • Videos
  • Photos (1)
  • Slides (1)
This speaker hasn't uploaded any videos yet.
College Presentation
College Presentation
Over 75 appearances/presentations
This speaker hasn't uploaded any one sheet yet.
This speaker hasn't uploaded any press information yet.

Books & Articles (5)

The Addiction Nobody Will Talk About: How My Pornography Addiction Hurt People and Destroyed Relationships
Joshua Tree Publishing,
2018
He's a Porn Addict...Now What? An Expert and a Former Addict Answer Your Questions
Msi Press,
2019
That Explains It: Coming to terms with a bipolar disorder diagnosis
He's a Porn Addict...Now What
The Addiction Nobody Will Talk About

Expertise (9)

Health & Well-being
Education
Pornography Addiction Addiction Pornography Mental health Rebuilding Your Life Addiction Treatment Overcoming Adversity

Clients

Visit RecoveringPornAddict.com/media for all appearances
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Whether you need 10 minutes or 90 minutes, a serious tone or entertaining, they'll pay attention.

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