Joshua Shea

Pornography Addiction Expert, Author, Certified Betrayal Trauma Coach, TEDx Speaker

Joshua Shea is a former pornography addict-turned-expert on a mission to get the world talking about pornography addiction, and the potential ramifications being a porn addict can cause. He's given a TED Talk, and written four books on the subject.

His most recent book, I'm Reading This Book About Porn Addiction For a Friend, introduces readers who are struggling in early recovery, or looking for more information about a suspected addiction. It includes symptoms, stories of addicts Shea has worked with, and a series of activities to personalize the process.

His third book, Porn and the Pandemic: How Three Months in 2020 Changed Everything was released in July 2020. It looks at how the world of online pornography changed overnight during the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak with analysis and interviews from current and former pornography addicts, "cam models" who use sites like Chaturbate and OnlyFans, and a bevy of mental health and addiction professionals. Online pornography exploded during the pandemic right under most people's noses.

He is also the author of The Addiction Nobody Will Talk About: How I Let My Pornography Addiction Hurt People and Destroy Relationships (2018), a memoir about his descent during the final days of his addiction and He’s a Porn Addict…Now What? (2019) written for female partners of male porn addicts who are grappling with the revelation their loved one is an addict. It was co-written with Tony Overbay, LMFT

Shea has given more interviews about pornography addiction than anybody on Earth since 2018. He has appeared on over 350 podcasts, television and radio shows 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.

Prior to admitting his addiction, Joshua was a prominent magazine publisher, award-winning journalist, film festival founder and politician in central Maine.

In 2017, Joshua launched pAddictRecovery.com. He has also contributed articles about recovery to TheFix.com and Recovery Today magazine and has developed and presented a porn addiction lecture for churches, libraries and other groups. His favorite presentations are to college-age students. Shea gave his first TEDx Talk in December 2020.

Sober since early 2014, Joshua still lives in Central Maine with his wife and two children, 4 dogs and 8 cats.