Why Dax Shepard Tweeting His Sobriety Anniversary Is Worth Celebrating
Dax Shepard posted a heartfelt message on Twitter celebrating 12 years of sobriety. Sharing recovery milestones on social may help prevent addiction relapses.
The long road to alcohol and drug addiction recovery is often a family affair — and in the case of some celebrities, that family includes fans and friends on social media.
This week, "Parenthood" actor Dax Shepard posted a heartfelt message on Twitter to his wife, "Frozen" actress Kristen Bell, and their two daughters (plus his 784,000 followers) celebrating 12 years of sobriety:
Shepard is hardly the first celebrity to share a major recovery milestone, but his tweet reinforces the notion that sharing big moments can help promote the importance of stick-to-it-iveness for yourself and others.
A 2015 study by Recovery.org titled "Socially Sober" analyzed over 79,000 Instagram posts and found that hashtags like #soberlife are gaining in popularity and may encourage people to work toward their sobriety goals.
"By far the most widely used recovery-related tag is #soberlife, mentioned 32,707 times, while the runner-up, #sobriety, was used 19,033 times!" the Recovery.org study states.
You go to the gym more when you tell your friends you're going to the gym. You eat more healthfully when you share your diet tips on Instagram. So it stands to reason that sharing on social media about recovery from addiction would help one stay sober.
Singer Demi Lovato has shared her path to sobriety and posted annually on her sobriety anniversary in March.
Lovato also encouraged one fan to stick to her goals when they met in person, saying "I'm very proud of you, two years, right?"
More seasoned celebs have dealt with recovery in the public eye for many years, including Elton John, who recently hit the 25-years-sober mark.
As did Rob Lowe, who very publicly dealt with his addiction struggles for years.
Of course, overcoming addiction takes far more than a post on Instagram. If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction recovery, please consider getting help from a support organization like Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous or a local addiction recovery center.
What Do YOU Think?
Do you post about these kinds of milestones on social media? Can sharing on social media help you stick to your goals? Tell us in the comments!