Dax Shepard is known for many things. He’s an actor, a father and the husband of actress Kristen Bell. The couple is usually very open and honest about their relationship and their lives, but recently Shepard was keeping a secret. 

Shepard is famously known for his sobriety. It has been 16 years since he drank alcohol or did cocaine. Earlier in September, he celebrated this anniversary during an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, but he had a secret that made that meeting “the worst hour of my life.”

Shepard has relapsed, and he hadn’t told anyone yet. He was scared, and he was trying to get it under control by himself. He didn’t want to upset or disappoint the people closest to him. Eventually, he realized he needed to come clean and admit that he needed help.

During his podcast, “Armchair Expert,” which he co-hosts with Monica Padman, he admitted to being addicted to prescription pills. It all started when he was prescribed Vicodin after a motorcycle accident. Then, he was responsible for making sure his dad, who has cancer, took Percocet. Access to the prescribed drugs was too much for Shepard to keep under control.

Shepard said he started “panicking.” He was “scared” and felt “lonely.” Eventually, he decided that he needed to come clean to both Bell and Padman. Then, he admitted his relapse to the world.

Watch the video below for more details about Shepard’s recent relapse with prescription medication.

As mentioned in the video, it can be very common for a relapse to happen. If you or someone you know has a relapse from alcohol or drugs, it is important to seek help right away. It is also important to avoid anything that may trigger another relapse and come up with a plan to prevent a future relapse. 

It sounds like Shepard is taking steps in the right direction. Many of Shepard’s fans agree and point out that his honesty about his relapse may help save lives.

In the comments of the video above, one viewer wrote, “His honesty may save many, many lives. It’s not always the long sobriety that helps people, but the getting up after the fall often times offers the most inspiration and hope.”

Another comment reads, “It’s hard to be this transparent. Hope he realizes this was courageous. This doesn’t take away what he did accomplish. Hoping for his healing.”

Does it surprise you that Shepard had a relapse and that his first thought was to try to hide it?