Selma Blair Gets Candid About "Self-Medicating" With Alcohol Before M.S. Diagnosis
It was her way of dealing with her symptoms at the time.
Selma Blair has opened up about how getting sober was a necessary step for her to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis after years of suffering.
In a candid, wide-ranging new interview with Us Weekly, the actress explained, "Once I knew I had M.S.—which I’d had for a while—[things] made so much more sense. And I actually became much happier. I’d had these jerks and spasms for many years, and I’d try to suppress them or keep moving or drink excessive amounts of alcohol to stop big things that I thought were mental."
Asked why she decided to become sober in 2016, the Legally Blonde actress responded simply, "I wouldn’t have been able to be diagnosed with M.S. unless I was sober. I wouldn’t be a good mom unless I was sober. I self-medicated."
Blair is mom to 12-year-old Arthur, whom she shares with her ex Jason Bleick.
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These days, the Cruel Intentions star is "so much happier," in her own words. She is in remission, and has to get many regular treatments to stay as healthy as she can be. She also explained that she has a wonderful, close-knit support system, including her best friend, the actress Jaime King.
Beyond her illness, Blair is also in a happy new relationship. She told Us Weekly, "He’s not in this business, although he has produced before. I wanted a Midwest man and I found a real Midwest man." (Blair is originally from Michigan.)
Asked how they met, she said, "I saw him from across a table and now he’s my boyfriend."
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Blair publicly revealed her M.S. diagnosis in 2018, and has shared her journey with the illness openly ever since.
Just five days ago, she posted a video on Instagram with the caption, "The closer I get to treatment days , I notice I cry more, fall more, stay seated more and have trouble catching my breath and keeping speech more even, unless at a whisper." She added, "I am healthy and stronger now."
To learn more about multiple sclerosis or donate towards research and awareness, visit the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.
If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol use, you can find resources on Alcoholics Anonymous or SAMHSA.
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.