Sep 5, 2018 | By Tim Stoddart

Everyone In Recovery Needs A Kristen Bell In Their Life.

Addiction & Recovery News

On Saturday, Kristen Bell took to Instagram to pen a heartfelt tribute to her husband who just celebrating 14 years of continuous sobriety.

The actress posted a series of photos to dote on her husband, Dax Shepard, 43, with whom she shares two children, daughters Lincoln, 5, and Delta, 3.

The 38-year-old star wrote on the caption, “To the man mocked me when in our wedding photos because I cried too many tears of joy, who wore a baby Bjorn for 2 straight years to show his girls how to be as adventurous as possible, who held our dear little shakey man pup for 8 hrs straight on the day we had to put him down, I know how much you loved using. I know how much it got in your way. And I know, because I saw, how hard you worked to live without it,” Bell said.

A Long Road To Recovery

Shepard’s long road to recovery has not been an easy one. In a 2012 interview with Playboy, the actor revealed he was a heavy smoker, drinker, and drug user from ages 18 to 29. “I just loved to get fucked-up—drinking, cocaine, opiates, marijuana, diet pills, pain pills, everything,” he noted in the interview.

Bell additionally added to her Instagram post, “I will forever be in awe of your dedication, and the level of fierce moral inventory you perform on yourself, like an emotional surgery, every single night. You never fail to make amends, or say sorry when it’s needed. You are always available to guide me, and all of our friends, with open ears and tough love when its needed most.”

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“I Lived For Going Down The Rabbit Hole”

Before he gained his long-term sobriety, Shepard had frequent weekend benders had put him dangerous situations, such as being involved in a car accident in Hawaii while seeking out cocaine. In the interview he adds, “Mostly my love was Jack Daniel’s and cocaine. I lived for going down the rabbit hole of meeting weird people. Of course, come Monday I would be tallying up all the different situations, and each one was progressively more dangerous. I got lucky in that I didn’t go to jail,” the actor mentioned. He also went into detail about how he would get sober to film new movies but would return to using immediately after the films wrapped in several cases. Dax has been in recovery since 2004.

Calling her husband “the fertilizer in the garden of our life,” Bell praised Shepard for sharing his story. She concluded, “I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone, and I want you to know, I see you. I see how hard you work. You set an excellent example of being human. Happy 14th year sobriety birthday, @daxshepard.”

“Now I Have A Wife & Babies & Self-Esteem”

And it didn’t stop there, meanwhile, Shepard shared that his wife surprised him a unique present for the anniversary — a tour of the King’s Hawaiian factory!

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“Best sober birthday present ever. @kristenanniebell got me a tour of the @kingshawaiian factory and I ate 8 STRAIGHT oughta the oven. 2 more upstairs, and 3 at home. 13 all-in for one day is an accomplishment I will not soon forget,” he wrote on Instagram.

“Also, the fact that Kristen looks like a scientist and @mlpadman looks like she’s on a kindergarten field trip just makes my heart swell to dangerous levels. Thanks Ladies!” Shepard added.

The couple has opened up about Shepard’s substance abuse in the past. Two years ago, Shepard tweeted, “12 years ago today I came out of my last toxic, life-threatening stupor. I now have a wife & babies & some self-esteem.”

No stranger to her own struggles with anxiety and depression, Bell also pointed out that her husband’s decision to be publicly candid about his struggles and past experiences may help inspire others dealing with a substance use disorder.

Seeing The World Through Her Husband’s Eyes

In a 2016 interview with E! News, she noted, “I have a particular affinity towards helping people who feel outcast whether they’ve made mistakes, like having past felony convictions or recovering addicts.”

“Seeing the world through his eyes has really opened mine to knowing that it is a disease and nobody is choosing to drink more than others, they are doing it because a variety of reasons and they deserve the attention of a mental health professional, and not the county jail or however else we’re choosing to pretend we’re fixing the problem,” she said.

According to a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) report, approximately 21 million Americans ages 12 and up dealt with a substance abuse disorder in 2014.