Selma Blair's documentary gives MS the visibility it needs

From interview to interview I watched how she explained in detail why she felt the need to share something so deeply personal on such a large platform.

I also felt sad for Selma. I could already see the damage MS had caused her speech and her mobility. As someone living with MS, I could instantly relate.

I already knew of a few celebrities who were living with the disease, but they were not as open about it as Selma had been. I was grateful that she had used her platform to improve awareness of MS.

A story to relate to for MSers

However, little did I know what Selma Blair had up her sleeve. In August 2021 Selma released a powerful trailer for her upcoming documentary titled, Introducing Selma Blair. I was so excited I must have replayed the trailer more than 100 times (don’t judge me).

Before watching the documentary on Discovery+, I knew that I and other MSers would relate to Selma Blair’s MS journey. That's because even though everyone with MS has a unique experience, we all have experienced similar pains and struggles and that’s what connects us.

The first couple of minutes into the documentary had me in tears because Selma was trying to explain her struggles with MS and she couldn’t get the words out.

It was hard to watch because she was so desperate to get the words out and they were not coming. It reminded me of when I was in hospital due to a relapse in February 2020 and I lost the feeling in my legs.

I was so desperate to move them because I just wanted to get home to my kids. But they wouldn’t move and I was getting so frustrated that something so simple as moving my legs was so difficult to do.

A clear portrayal of MS

I was happy that the documentary made it clear that everyone’s MS is different, and not the same as Selma’s. So that it didn’t take the light away from the fact that although some of her MS symptoms are very visible it’s not always visible in other people with MS.

I wanted people who don’t have MS to see how extreme it can be when they don’t see visible symptoms and assume we’re fine.

Not everyone with MS has it as bad as Selma, in fact, some have very mild cases of the disease but MS is unpredictable in its nature, it can go from 0 to 100 when you least expect it.

Personal insights

I wasn’t expecting Selma to reveal such personal details and moments of her life in the documentary. But I’m glad she did because I wanted people without chronic illnesses to witness what it’s like living with something like MS.

I felt sad when the interviewer asked Selma if she would consider acting again and she had this vulnerable broken sadness in her eyes when she answered "no". I cried again because I know so many people with MS, including myself, who have had MS take away the things we enjoyed doing.

I loved how Selma showed how her religion gave her comfort in uncertain times. And how her middle name is Blair but only known to friends and family. It was like she was really inviting us into the most personal and intimate moments of her life.

I liked how she added humour to lighten up the mood so it wasn’t all doom and gloom, she actually does have good days too.

I really loved how HSCT was presented in the documentary. It was explained so well by the medical professional and yet again it was clear that what Selma went through is not necessarily what someone else will experience when having the treatment. It didn’t hide the fact that HSCT was not in any way an easy procedure.

As I am currently halfway through HSCT it was interesting to have an idea of what was ahead of me.

Making MS more visible

The MS Society estimates around 130,000 people live with MS in the UK, with 7,000 new cases diagnosed each year. That’s a lot of people and yet I still get people asking me what MS is.

Even though UK TV soaps, supermarkets and public transport do their bit to raise awareness of MS, I believe Selma’s documentary helped a great deal to visualise living with it. The good, the bad and the ugly.

It’s very stressful for people with MS and other chronic illnesses to explain and or prove their disability because it’s not always obvious to the naked eye. And it’s complex in its nature so it’s hard to explain.

I recommend watching this documentary to everyone as it’s very insightful and educational.

I believe anyone who watches Selma Blair’s documentary will leave with some kind of empathy and appreciation for people living with invisible symptoms.

Natalie runs a video blog about her MS journey called The nerve of my MS, you can follow Natalie on Instagram and on YouTube.