His brave admission may help many
via Flickr user (cc) antsnax
Although addiction has many causes, sexual assault victims are shown to have very high incidences of drug and alcohol abuse problems. According to RAINN, victims of sexual assault are 26 times more likely to abuse drugs than those who haven’t been victimized. That’s why actor and recovering addict Dax Shepard’s recent admission that he was molested at the age of seven is so important.
The star of Idiocracy and TV’s Parenthood, opened up about being molested on Monday’s episode of The Jason Ellis Show on Sirius XM. “It took me 12 years to tell anyone that,” Shepard says. “Then all that time, I was like, A) ‘It’s my fault.’ As generic as that is...And, I’m gay. I must have manifested this because I’m secretly gay.’ I had all these insane thoughts for 11 years or 12 years.”
Shepard made the connection between his molestation and addiction after his mother, a court-appointed child advocate, told him, “If you’ve been molested, you only have a 20 percent chance of not being an addict.” His brave admission may help other addicts understand the roots of their problems and, ultimately, overcome their disease. Understanding the link between molestation and addiction can also help victims, parents and healthcare professionals prevent abuse victims from falling into the clutches of addiction.
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