Shailene Woodley opens up about mysterious illness and recovery
The 2014 film "Divergent" catapulted Shailene Woodley to the heights of popularity. Today, the actress reflects on that time, which turned out to be dramatic. It took her a long time to discover the truth about what was happening to her body.
3:28 PM EDT, September 25, 2024
The actress, also known for her roles in "Big Little Lies" and "The Fault in Our Stars," spoke about her difficult experiences on the medical podcast "She MD." She revealed that on the set of the hit series over 10 years ago, she began to lose her hearing and had difficulty walking.
"I was losing my hearing. I couldn't walk for more than five minutes without having to lie down for many hours afterward. My stomach hurt from everything I ate," recalled Woodley.
A difficult diagnosis
During her conversation with hosts Mary Alice Haney and Dr. Thais Aliabadi, she admitted that diagnosing her symptoms was a challenge.
"I always ate healthily and was very physically active," she said. "Therefore, I couldn't understand what I was doing wrong. Why do I faint every month when I have my period? Why do I have hypothyroidism?"
Woodley described how different doctors gave her different diagnoses, which only deepened her confusion. "One doctor said it was probably endometriosis, another suggested something else. Another said I had a deformed uterus. Each gave me different information, and that sent me on my path of exploration," she recounted.
Amid such significant discomfort and the constant signals from her body that something was wrong, the actress also experienced many mental health problems. "Suddenly, I became afraid of food, and then issues with my body perception, identity, and security arose," Woodley confessed.
Her health problems led her to deeply introspect her psyche and work on both her physical and mental health. "I had to look at the traumas I experienced at different stages of my life, without getting into details," she added.
She spent nearly a decade rebuilding her health. "After adopting a holistic approach from within, the health issue eventually resolved itself. I no longer take thyroid medication or any others. My hormones are balanced. Everything works as it should," she concluded on the podcast.
You can watch the film "Divergent" on Prime Video, Canal+, and TVPVod. Woodley's latest title is the thriller "Killer Heat," where she starred alongside Richard Madden and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
