GREENSBORO, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 24, 2023--

Selma Blair has opened up about how “older male doctors” dismissed her early multiple sclerosis symptoms, and suggested she get a boyfriend to help with the pain. The Cruel Intentions star, 51, discussed how her multiple sclerosis (MS) went undiagnosed for years during an interview with Kristen Welker on Meet The Press. While speaking with Welker on 26 November, Blair revealed that doctors had chalked up her early MS symptoms as simply menstrual issues. “Everything does not need to be blamed on menstruation or something,” she said, noting that the long delay in her diagnosis was likely due to “older male doctors who really probably did not know the intricacies of a girl”. One medical professional even told Blair that maybe she “needed a boyfriend” after seeking help for her chronic pain, the actress said. “I just cried,” Blair said, when asked about her response to the doctor’s suggestion. “I had no capability to process: ‘What am I supposed to do with this information?’ I knew the pain was real. I thought it was. But I did start to convince myself: ‘You’re overly sensitive. There’s nothing wrong with you. Get it together, you lazy, lazy whatever.’” The Legally Blonde actor went on to explain how she began experiencing symptoms of MS as early as just seven years old. “There is a prodromal period so I’m not certain that it actually was full on,” Blair told Welker. “I had very clear signs at that time. I had optical neuritis as a child, which really is only from brain trauma or MS, and yet they didn’t recognise it even though I was seeking doctors my entire childhood.” Blair admitted that she’s experienced “so much medical trauma” due to doctors “taking advantage of that time” or “really just not seeing me” while trying to be diagnosed for her chronic health condition. “I’ve been advocating for myself for a long time, trying to find what was ailing me, why I was not able to keep up with anyone really my entire life,” she said. The Mean Baby author acknowledged that much of her misdiagnosis has to do with “gender bias” in medicine. She recalled an incident when a boy in her class was experiencing “the exact same chronic headache and fever” and he received “surgery and an MRI within the week”. “But they just said: ‘Oh, [you’re] just dramatic,’ you know?” Blair recounted. While she noted that MS symptoms are “different for everyone”, the actor explained how she began experiencing symptoms that were “disguised as emotional” mood swings. “I have prefrontal damage that would cause hysterical crying and laughing,” Blair explained. “I just thought: ‘Wow, I’m just that wild one that wakes up in the middle of the night, like, waking myself up laughing hysterically, or sobbing, or in front of people just very moody maybe.” “And I believed all these things,” she added. “I was put on really strong antidepressants from a really young age. And I drank. I drank because I felt so other. I just went in the basement and I drank from a really young age.” In October 2018, Blair publicly shared that she had been diagnosed with MS - a condition that affects the central nervous system, disrupting the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and body, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Since then, she’s offered deeper insight into her health struggles in the Discovery+ documentary Introducing, Selma Blair. The film, which was released in 2021, follows Blair as she undergoes a risky stem cell transplant to treat the disease. In August that year, Blair revealed that she was in remission following the stem cell transplant. Read More Revealed: Healthy mental health patients trapped in hospitals for years Major study focuses on key lifestyle change that can add decade to life expectancy Dan Walker recalls having ‘out of body experience’ during a kidney cancer scare Revealed: Healthy mental health patients trapped in hospitals for years Major study focuses on key lifestyle change that can add decade to life expectancy Dan Walker recalls having ‘out of body experience’ during a kidney cancer scare

Max Verstappen’s crushing dominance of Formula 1 continued at the Austrian Grand Prix after he put his Red Bull on pole position. The world champion, a winner at six of the first eight races, saw off his rivals at the Red Bull Ring to seal his fourth pole on the spin for today’s 71-lap grand prix. F1 grid: Starting positions for Austrian Grand Prix Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc provided Verstappen with a late scare, but the Monegasque had to settle for second place, crossing the line 0.048 seconds shy of the Dutchman. Carlos Sainz took third in the other scarlet car, while Lando Norris impressed in his revamped McLaren to take fourth spot. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finished fifth, 0.428 sec adrift. Sergio Perez’s torrid time continued after all three of his laps in Q2 were deleted for track limits. He lines up a lowly 15th on Sunday. Follow live updates from the Austrian GP with The Independent - the race starts at 2pm (BST). Read More Dutch driver Dilano van ‘t Hoff, 18, dies after tragic accident in junior race at Spa F1 grid: Starting positions for Austrian Grand Prix Max Verstappen claims team-mate Sergio Perez pushed him off track in Austria sprint win

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