Christina Applegate sobs in pain after 'learning lesson' about Cancer

Christina Applegate regrets not disclosing every detail of her experience with breast cancer, both the good and the bad.

In an interview with Dax Shepard for the most recent Armchair Expert podcast, Applegate, 52, said she regretted not being more forthright and honest about her feelings after receiving a double mastectomy and diagnosis in 2008.

"I learned that lesson the hard way because in 2008, when I had breast cancer at 36 years old, I went out, and I was the good girl talking about 'Oh, I love my new b**bs' that are all scarred and f***ed up. What was I thinking?" she said.

"My first interview was with Robin Roberts when I had cancer, and I'm sitting there lying my a** off about how I felt," continued Applegate.

Following the interview, the Married with Children alum claimed to have "literally fallen into the wall" and started crying because "it was a lie."

"Everything I was saying was a freaking lie. It was me trying to convince myself of something, and I think that did no service to anyone," she said.

"Yes, I started a foundation right away. Yes, I did all the things that I had to do, and we raised millions of dollars for women to get MRIs who were at high risk. Yes, we did a good thing, but at the back of it, I was taking off my bra and crying every night. And I wish that I had said that."

Using the lesson, the actress encouraged "a friend who is in the public eye" to be transparent about their experience with cancer.

On social media, Applegate's friend said, "If there's anyone that can beat it, it's going to be me."

She recalled asking her pal to remove the message right away.

"I said, 'Take it down,'" recalled Applegate.

"I said, 'Take it down right now because someone's mom just died, and she was pretty strong. Someone's daughter just died, someone's sister just died, someone's dad just died from this. Take it down.' I said, 'What you're gonna do is you're going to be honest every step of the way through your chemo, your radiation, all the stuff.' "

"It ended up that people really were helped by what she did," added Applegate.