Shailene Woodley's Decade-Long Journey to Reclaim Her Health

Shailene Woodley, the acclaimed actress known for her roles in "Divergent" and "Ferrari," recently opened up about a deeply personal health struggle she faced in her early 20s. In a candid interview, Woodley shared the details of her decade-long journey to regain her physical and mental well-being, shedding light on the challenges she overcame and the lessons she learned along the way.

Uncovering the Complexities of Woodley's Health Odyssey

A Debilitating Decline

Woodley's health troubles began while she was filming the "Divergent" series in 2014. The actress found herself in a dire situation, struggling with a range of debilitating symptoms that left her barely able to function. "I couldn't walk for longer than five minutes at a time without having to lay down for hours and hours and hours and sleep," Woodley revealed. "Everything I ate hurt my stomach. It was this conflation of issues and diagnoses and different doctors telling me different things."

A Holistic Approach to Healing

Determined to regain her health, Woodley turned to a holistic approach, drawing on her background in herbalism and her belief in the power of natural remedies. She sought out "real MDs" and "independent healers," embarking on a journey of self-discovery and healing that would span nearly a decade. "It was a long journey, about a decade of unwinding and healing and getting healthy," Woodley shared, acknowledging the mental and emotional toll the process took on her.

Navigating the Mental and Emotional Challenges

As Woodley's physical health deteriorated, she found herself grappling with a range of mental and emotional challenges. The fear of food, body dysmorphia, and a deep sense of insecurity in her own skin became overwhelming. "If everything I'm eating hurts my stomach, I'm now suddenly afraid of food," she confessed. "And then going into the kind of mental f—–y that can happen with that of body dysmorphia and confusion about, you know, identity in feeling safe in my own capsule, in my own skin and what that meant and what that should be."

Uncovering Underlying Traumas

Woodley's health journey also led her to confront deep-seated traumas from her past. "That I guess was the path for me along with the physical healing was acknowledging the mental side of the healing process for myself, which involved looking at real traumas and real PTSD that I had experienced at various times in my life without going into detail about what they were," she explained. These unresolved emotional wounds had taken a toll on her body and her overall well-being.

Restoring Balance and Harmony

After years of dedicated effort, Woodley's health journey ultimately led her to a place of balance and harmony. She no longer relies on thyroid or any other medication, and her hormones are now "so balanced, and everything is pumping in the way that it should." The key, she believes, was addressing the underlying imbalance in her nervous system, which had been operating in a constant state of "fight or flight." By focusing on calming her nervous system and establishing a sense of true safety within herself, Woodley was able to achieve the physical and emotional healing she had been seeking.Shailene Woodley's candid sharing of her health struggles serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Her journey reminds us that true healing often requires a multifaceted approach, addressing both the physical and the emotional aspects of our well-being. Woodley's story is a testament to the power of perseverance, self-discovery, and the transformative potential of holistic healing.