Dax Shepard discusses relapse following 16 years of sobriety
The American actor opened up about relying too heavily on pain killers and fearing it could lead to a return to drink and cocaine which he left behind 16 years ago
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Hollywood star Dax Shepard has opened up about relapsing for after sixteen years of sobriety after battling painkiller addiction.
The 45-year-old actor – who is married to actress Kristen Bell, 40 – opened up on the latest edition of his podcast, Armchair Expert.
In a candid conversation, Dax explained that he had used pain killers while visiting his ailing father eight years ago.
Dax revealed he took double his dose of Vicodin while visiting his father – having been prescribed the drug after undergoing surgeries related to several motorbike accidents.
Opening up on the podcast, Dax recalled meeting with his father: “You know, we had so little in common and so much f**king friction.
“But the No. 1 thing we had in common was we were both f–king addicts and we had never used anything together. And we sat there stoned and looked at the lake. And in that moment, I felt elation and I was just happy.
“That was eight years ago. I’ve now had this experience where I did that, I felt bad, but there wasn’t any fallout from it. It was like, I felt bad, I said I felt bad, and then I did just move on and it was fine.”
He went on to explain that he would struggle to balance taking medication to treat pain relating to his surgeries against his addiction.
He explained: “I go ride a lot. After I ride sometimes on the track, I feel I’m entitled to take two Vicodin at the end of the day because I am in pain. That again doesn’t feel that crazy.”
However the star says he found himself becoming “shadier and shadier” about his painkiller use about six months ago.
He said: “For the last eight weeks maybe, I don’t know … I’m on them all day. I’m allowed to be on them at some dosage because I have a prescription.
“And then I’m also augmenting that. And then all the prescriptions run out and I’m now just taking 30 mil Oxys that I’ve bought whenever I decide I can do [it].”
Dax says he realised he had started lying about his use to his wife, Kristen, and his podcast co-star, Monica Padman.
He said: “And I’m lying to other people and I know I have to quit. But my tolerance is going up so quickly that I’m now in a situation where I’m taking, you know, eight 30s a day, and I know that’s an amount that’s going to result in a pretty bad withdrawal. And I start getting really scared, and I’m starting to feel really lonely. And I just have this enormous secret.
“I now start getting pretty visibly detoxy and withdrawly. And I lie and start saying I’m having an arthritis flare-up.”
Apologising to his wife and co-star, he continued: “My fear was that if I have one day, I’m going to drink and I’m going to do coke.
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