Applegate 'doesn't enjoy living' after MS diagnosis

Actress Christina Applegate has spoken about her feelings of "real depression", following her multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis in 2021.

The actress, known for Anchorman, Married With Children and Bad Moms, said she was "still mad about" having the disease.

Speaking on the latest episode of her Messy podcast, Applegate said: "I don’t enjoy living. I don’t enjoy it. I don’t enjoy things anymore."

MS is a disease where the body's own immune cells attack the brain and spinal cord, leading to symptoms including muscle stiffness and problems walking and talking.

Applegate said she currently felt like she was experiencing "a real, [screw]-it-all depression".

"Like, a real depression, where it’s kind of scaring me too a little bit because it feels really fatalistic, it feels really ‘end of,'" she said.

"I don’t mean that, but I’m trapped in this darkness right now that I haven’t felt in probably 20-something years."

As a result of her mental health struggles, Applegate said she had booked an appointment with her therapist, "which was a big thing for me to do".

Applegate said she had previously avoided therapy because she was "afraid to start crying... and I'm not going to be able to end crying".

She added she was dealing with her medical diagnosis with self-deprecation to "make people feel more comfortable about it".

The actress has been praised for speaking openly about the condition in recent years, and making public appearances on red carpets with her walking stick.

Applegate won an Emmy Award for playing Rachel's sister Amy in Friends, and was also nominated for her performance in comedy-drama series Dead To Me.

On the podcast, Applegate revealed she had turned down an opportunity to star in The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills around 10 years ago.

What is multiple sclerosis?

Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that affects nerves in the brain and spinal cord.

The nerves in these areas are surrounded by a protein called myelin, which helps signals from the brain get to the rest of the body.

The myelin becomes damaged in people with MS because the immune system mistakes it for something that shouldn't be there and attacks it.

This means signals from the brain struggle to get through properly.

MS affects the body in different ways and has many symptoms, but people with MS won't normally experience them all.

Some of the most common symptoms include: feeling very tired during the day; bladder problems; problems with balance and co-ordination - for example when walking.

Problems seeing - like blurring and loss of vision are also common, as is muscle stiffness and uncontrolled movements, or spasms.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, please find support via the BBC Action Line.