Kristen Bell opens up on helping husband Dax Shepard with addiction

Kristen Bell and husband Dax Shepard have struggled with overcoming addiction. Photo / Supplied

Kristen Bell's husband's addiction has "opened" her eyes.

The 35-year-old actress - who married Dax Shepard in 2013 - has admitted helping her spouse recover from his substance abuse has enabled her to see life from his perspective, and she's gained a new perception of the world.

Speaking openly to E! News about Shepard - with whom she has daughters Lincoln, 3, and 18-month-old Delta with - the blonde beauty said: "I have a particular affinity towards helping people who feel outcast, whether they've made mistakes, like having past felony convictions or recovering addicts.

"My husband is in recovery and is almost 13 years sober. And 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 of 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."

This news follows an interview 41-year-old Shepard gave with Playboy magazine, where he uncovered the extent to his addiction.

Speaking previously, he said: "I just loved to get f****d up - drinking, cocaine, opiates, marijuana, diet pills, pain pills, everything. Mostly my love was Jack Daniel's and cocaine.

"I was famous for going out on Thursday night to have a couple of beers, and that just led all the way to Saturday night...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."

Meanwhile, Bell has revealed she has had to work hard at her marriage, which isn't always as perfect as it may seem.

Speaking previously, she explained: "I need to remind people that you don't just find one person and then it's all peaches and cream for the rest of your life. Marriage and a relationship is hard work, and it's a lot of compromise. But if you compromise a lot, it's worth it."