Yes you heard me right- even celebrities suffer from chronic pain illnesses! Read on to find out their stories and experiences dealing with chronic pain.
1. Kim Kardashian West
Perhaps you recognize her from the popular reality show ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’, but what many don't know is that Kim Kardashian West was diagnosed with psoriasis: a skin condition which causes skin rashness and flakiness, as well as arthritis, causing weakness in her hands. In the morning of her first experience, she mentions that she ‘physically could not pick up her phone, the pain was too unbearable’, and soon after, was diagnosed with psoriasis arthritis.
“It’s still painful and scary, but I was happy to have a diagnosis. No matter what autoimmune condition I had, I was going to get through it, and they are all manageable with proper care.” - Kim on her website
She has now taken a more serene approach, as she now openly admits to her diagnosis, and ‘doesn't try to cover it up anymore’.
2. Nick Jonas
The lead singer of the ‘Jonas Brothers’ was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the young age of 13. He describes it as ‘one of the most frightening moments of my life’. Jonas has mentioned that he uses a diabetes pump to deal with his ongoing symptoms, whilst also revealing how diabetes has changed his life and mindset on various social media platforms. Since then, he has been one of the leading voices in advocating for diabetes awareness, even founding his own charity ‘BeyondType1’, which he established in 2015.
“You can’t always see what goes into managing an invisible illness, and Type 1 diabetes can feel lonely and isolating,” he continued. “That’s why I co-founded @BeyondType1 in 2015, to make sure no one feels alone with this diagnosis and to share how you can thrive with Type 1 diabetes.”
3. Selena Gomez
In 2015, Selena Gomez, at just 24 years old, opened up that she has been diagnosed with Lupus, a rare autoimmune disease which causes the immune system to attack its own tissue. In her case, it attacked her kidney, meaning she had to undergo a kidney transplant in 2017. She mentions that the therapy has taken a toll on her mental health, telling Vogue, “I wish more people would talk about therapy.”
4. Gigi Hadid
Supermodel Gigi Hadid was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, a condition which affects the thyroid gland, causing bloating and other symptoms. The change in her appearance caused her to receive massive backlash on social media, with fans claiming she did drugs. She later opened up to her diagnosis and tweeted “Those of you calling me ‘too big for the industry’ were seeing water retention and inflammation due to the disease”
5. Lady Gaga
Several years ago, the star was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a widespread musculoskeletal disease accompanied by fatigue, pain and occasional spasms. She blames her illness on deteriorating mental and physical health, and she mentions that throughout the process, she has dealt with intense ‘global and mental pain’. Her Netflix documentary “Gaga: Five Foot Two” reveals her struggles with the disease whilst attempting to film the documentary and go on tour simultaneously.
"I just think about other people who have maybe something like this, that are struggling to figure out what it is, and they don't have the money to have somebody to help them. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have everyone here to help me. What the hell would I do?" - Lady Gaga from an episode of her film
Sources:
- Mazziotta, J., 2019. Kim Kardashian West 'Physically Couldn't' Move Her Hands Due to Her Psoriatic Arthritis. [online] PEOPLE.com. Available at: <https://people.com/health/kim-kardashian-west-physically-couldnt-move-her-hands-due-to-her-psoriatic-arthritis/>
- HARVEY-JENNER, C. and BLAIR, O., 2021. 19 celebrities who have opened up about chronic illnesses. [online] Cosmopolitan. Available at: <https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/body/health/g12246774/celebrities-chronic-illnesses-lady-gaga-selena-gomez-lupus/>
- Abad, M., 2018. 40 Celebrities Living With Chronic Medical Conditions. [online] Men's Health. Available at: <https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/g23453919/celebrities-chronic-illnesses/?slide=15>
- Prevention. 2019. Celebs Who Are Fighting Chronic Illnesses, From Halle Berry to Sarah Hyland. [online] Available at: <https://www.prevention.com/life/g20671508/celebrities-chronic-illness/?slide=12>
- Hughes, L., 2019. Selena Gomez Opens Up About How Therapy Changed Her Life. [online] WebMD. Available at: <https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/selena-gomez-opens-up-about-therapy>
- Berman, M. and Boguski, M., 2018. Lady Gaga: Music Icon, Budding Actress... and Fibromyalgia Patient. [online] Medpagetoday.com. Available at: <https://www.medpagetoday.com/popmedicine/celebritydiagnosis/75914>
- Cdc.gov. 2019. Fibromyalgia | Arthritis | CDC. [online] Available at: <https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/fibromyalgia.htm#:~:text=Fibromyalgia%20(fi%C2%B7bro%C2%B7my,pain%20than%20people%20without%20fibromyalgia.>
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