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Christina Applegate is being very candid and open about her heartbreaking battle with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The actress revealed her diagnosis back in August 2021, and three years later, she confessed to being in a deep depression that has left her feeling trapped.
© GettyImagesApplegate opened up about her state of mind on her and Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s “MeSsy” podcast in an episode published Tuesday. But the episode was recorded after the “Dead to Me” star’s surprise appearance at the 2024 Emmy Awards in January, which she described as the “hardest” day of her life, saying she slept the next two days.
“I’m in a depression right now, which I don’t think I’ve felt that for years,” the 52-year-old actress shared. “Like a real, f**k-it-all depression where it’s kind of scaring me, too, a little bit because it feels really fatalistic,” she continued. “I’m trapped in, like, this darkness right now that I haven’t felt [in], like, I don’t even know how long, probably 20-something years.”
MS is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord, and nerves). It can lead to a wide range of symptoms that range from mild, (blurred vision, numbness, tingling) to severe, (paralysis, vision loss, and mobility problems), per MedicalNewsToday.
In a moment of “honesty” Applegate said as a result, she no longer enjoys living. “I don’t enjoy it. I don’t enjoy things anymore.”
Sigler, who has battled MS for more than 20 years, acknowledged the pain, “It’s so hard to live in a disabled body. It is so hard. I will not take that away from you and I am right there with you,” but tried to encourage her.
“But what makes it harder is when you compare it to how it used to be....Once we get you to this place where we’re accepting that this is how it’s going to be, maybe forever...[MS] is not a reason enough for you to stop living because I sit here across from you, and you still make me laugh like nobody else can,” she told Applegate.
Although Applegate admitted to being scared of therapy, saying, “I’m so afraid for those floodgates to open and that I won’t be able to stop,” the episode ended with the “Samantha Who?” star promising to reach out to her therapist.
According to the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), 250,000–350,000 people in the United States are living with MS. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society estimates the number could be closer to 1 million, per MedicalNewsToday.
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, it’s important to seek help. Contact a mental health professional, talk to a trusted friend or family member, or contact a crisis hotline. You can text HOME to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor.
