A while ago, Dax Shepard, actor and husband of Kristen Bell, openly discussed his relapse on his podcast, Armchair Expert. At the time of his relapse, Dax had been sober for over 16 years. He shared his concerns about publicly revealing his relapse, fearing both personal and professional consequences.
However, he ultimately realized the importance of being transparent about his struggles in order to move forward and continue his sobriety journey. During the podcast, he courageously shared that he was only 7 days sober, but emphasized that this did not diminish the 16 years of hard work and commitment he had invested in his recovery.
While some may criticize Dax for his relapse, at Sunrise Recovery, we commend him for his honesty and for highlighting the difficult reality of addiction. Sobriety doesn’t always happen on the first attempt. While some individuals may achieve lasting recovery after their first or even tenth try, the truth is, recovery is a challenging journey, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
For Dax, he initially believed his only addiction issue was combining cocaine with beer, but years later, prescription opioids following a surgery led to his relapse. Many people in active addiction believe they can control their substance use, but addiction is a disease that requires clinical and medical intervention.
At Sunrise Recovery, we offer a unique approach through our new Recovery Coaching program, which supports patients after completing inpatient and outpatient treatments as they return to their daily lives, balancing jobs and family responsibilities.
As Dax mentions in his podcast, addiction never truly disappears—it waits, preparing for the right moment. Our clinicians understand this, and during both inpatient and outpatient care, we equip our patients with the tools they need to actively fight their addiction every day.
Recovery coaches are an essential part of this support system, providing guidance during times of temptation, following surgery when pain medication may be necessary, or encouraging participation in meetings.
Dax also reflects on his relapse, noting that one of the key issues was underestimating his vulnerability to addiction in general. Though he had previously struggled with cocaine and beer, he didn’t believe he could become addicted to prescribed opioids after surgery.
These types of assumptions are dangerous and can lead to relapse, overdose, and even death. We are grateful that Dax sought help early in his relapse and recommitted to a life of sobriety.
At Sunrise Recovery in Jeffersonville Indiana, we believe in second, third, fourth, and even fifth chances for our patients. Recovery is an ongoing decision, and we understand its complexities and challenges because many of our staff are in recovery themselves or have been personally affected by addiction.
While falling can be part of the process, as Dax so bravely exemplifies, it’s about what you do when you fall. It’s about the people you surround yourself with, the boundaries you set to stay on track, the support systems—like a recovery coach—that you establish, and, most importantly, it’s about overcoming fear, facing the unknown, and rising again to live another sober day.
