My Public Battle With Graves' Disease Nearly Destroyed Me
The author shares her struggle with Graves' disease, which went undiagnosed for years while she worked on the television show The Boys. Despite portraying a resilient character, she faced debilitating symptoms that affected her memory and emotional well-being. Finally diagnosed in May 2025, she reflects on the trauma of her experience and the grief for the time lost due to her illness.
- ▪The author experienced a range of debilitating symptoms before being diagnosed with Graves' disease.
- ▪Her illness impacted her ability to perform as an actress, particularly during the filming of The Boys.
- ▪After receiving her diagnosis, she faced a mental health crisis that highlighted the emotional toll of her condition.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Post-birth-control syndrome. Bipolar disorder. Anxiety disorder. Clinical depression. Chronic fatigue. An intestinal parasite. Burnout. IBS.My doctors floated all of these potential diagnoses before arriving at the correct one. At my core, I knew none of them were right. But as my symptoms intensified, so did my self-doubt. I needed lucidity to advocate for myself while dealing with an illness that impaired it. I found out the heartbreaking way that a medically confused woman is rarely considered credible. Women are often taught to distrust the severity of our own pain. I did, too. At the very moment I was losing trust in my own body, I was publicly portraying a character defined by her resilience and endurance.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at TIME — Top.
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