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Selma Blair reveals she has multiple sclerosis, wants to ‘give hope' to others

Actress Selma Blair attends a Paramount Network launch party at Sunset Tower on January 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.

LOS ANGELES — Actress Selma Blair has gone public with her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.

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In a social media post on Saturday, Blair, 46, said she decided to go public with her diagnosis after a costume designer on her Netflix series showed amazing kindness in helping her into a costume.

"She carefully gets my legs in my pants, pulls my top over my head, buttons my coats and offers her shoulder to steady myself," Blair said on Instagram.

Blair said that kindness prompted her to tell others about how’s she’s handling the disease, which she was diagnosed with in August.

"I am disabled. I fall sometimes. I drop things. My memory is foggy. And my left side is asking for directions from a broken GPS," she wrote on Instagram.

“I don’t know exactly what I will do, but I will do my best,” she said.

View this post on Instagram

I was in this wardrobe fitting two days ago. And I am in the deepest gratitude. So profound, it is, I have decided to share. The brilliant costumer #Allisaswanson not only designs the pieces #harperglass will wear on this new #Netflix show , but she carefully gets my legs in my pants, pulls my tops over my head, buttons my coats and offers her shoulder to steady myself. I have #multiplesclerosis . I am in an exacerbation. By the grace of the lord, and will power and the understanding producers at Netflix , I have a job. A wonderful job. I am disabled. I fall sometimes. I drop things. My memory is foggy. And my left side is asking for directions from a broken gps. But we are doing it . And I laugh and I don’t know exactly what I will do precisely but I will do my best. Since my diagnosis at ten thirty pm on The night of August 16, I have had love and support from my friends , especially @jaime_king @sarahmgellar @realfreddieprinze @tarasubkoff . My producers #noreenhalpern who assured me that everyone has something. #chrisregina #aaronmartin and every crew member... thank you. I am in the thick of it but I hope to give some hope to others. And even to myself. You can’t get help unless you ask. It can be overwhelming in the beginning. You want to sleep. You always want to sleep. So I don’t have answers. You see, I want to sleep. But I am a forthcoming person and I want my life to be full somehow. I want to play with my son again. I want to walk down the street and ride my horse. I have MS and I am ok. But if you see me , dropping crap all over the street, feel free to help me pick it up. It takes a whole day for me alone. Thank you and may we all know good days amongst the challenges. And the biggest thanks to @elizberkley who forced me to see her brother #drjasonberkley who gave me this diagnosis after finding lesions on that mri. I have had symptoms for years but was never taken seriously until I fell down in front of him trying to sort out what I thought was a pinched nerve. I have probably had this incurable disease for 15 years at least. And I am relieved to at least know. And share. 🖤 my instagram family... you know who you are.

A post shared by Selma Blair (@selmablair) on

Blair, who has starred in such movies as “Cruel Intentions,” Legally Blonde” and “Hellboy,” said MS has not gotten her down.

“I am in the thick of it, but I hope to give hope to others. And even to myself.”

She said she was overwhelmed when she was first diagnosed with MS and that she wanted to sleep all the time, but Blair said she’s more adjusted now.

“I have MS and I am OK. But if you see me, dropping crap all over the street, feel free to help me pick it up. It takes a whole day for me alone. Thank you and may we all know good days amongst the challenges,” she said.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system that is unpredictable and often disabling, according to the National MS Society.

There is no known cause or cure, but researchers believe it is triggered by environmental factors in people genetically predisposed to the disease.

More women than men suffer from the illness, and most are diagnosed between 20 and 50 years old.