Selma Blair’s Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis Took 20 Years: Find Out Why

Numbness. Vision problems. Pain and exhaustion that wouldn't go away. Loss of balance. For actor Selma Blair, the symptoms began at a young age. Seeking answers, she saw multiple doctors over many years. They blamed her symptoms on everything from depression, anxiety, and exhaustion to hormones and malnutrition. Some said it was all in her head. When she finally got a multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2018, the "Cruel Intentions" and "Legally Blonde" actor felt relief.

“When Dr. Berkley said the words, ‘You have MS,’ I felt an adrenaline rush of emotion,” Blair writes in her recently published memoir, "Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up."

“It felt like giving birth. The release of it. The catharsis of it. But more than anything, I was overwhelmed by a sense of relief."

Having a multiple sclerosis diagnosis after so many years of questions and unknowns clearly had a powerful impact. But why did it take over 20 years to happen?

What is Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition. The body’s immune system attacks healthy cells in your myelin, the protective layer around your brain and spinal cord nerves. Over time, the damage leaves scars – also called lesions. This damage interrupts nerve signals from the brain to other parts of the body.