Shailene Woodley Details Losing Her Hearing While Suffering “Conflation” of Health Issues

Shailene Woodley is expanding on a previous health journey. 

The Divergent actress—who previously said she was “very sick” while filming the franchise—opened up on the myriad of ailments she suffered in her 20s and her journey to getting better. 

“I haven’t spoken about what exactly it was because that feels like a personal thing that I don’t need to disclose,” Shailene—who previously noted the cause of her health problems was a “very scary physical situation”—began on the Sept. 24 episode of the She MD podcast. “I was in a position in my early 20s, it got to the point where I was losing my hearing, I couldn’t walk for long periods of time without having to lay down for hours and hours and sleep. Everything I ate hurt my stomach.”

And the 32-year-old—who filmed three Divergent movies between 2013 and 2016—detailed that her physical health was only part of the ordeal she experienced at the time. 

“It was this conflation of issues and diagnoses and different doctors telling me different things,” she added. “I come from a very holistic background and studied herbalism so I was really keen on, ‘Alright I’m gonna work with real MDs and I’m gonna work with independent healers.’ And I was just trying to search for some sense of comfort in my own skin. It was a long journey.”

Indeed, the Big Little Lies actress said it took a decade to fully heal, and her physical health issues eventually took a toll on her mental health. 

“Throughout that decade a lot of other things came from feeling so much discomfort physically, which was ‘My gosh, if everything I’m eating hurts my stomach, I’m now suddenly afraid of food,’” Shailene continued. “And then going into the mental f--kery that can happen with that—of body dysmorphia and confusion about identity and feeling safe in my own capsule.”

Despite the heaviness of her internal struggles, Shailene noted that her debilitating health journey was ultimately essential for her personal growth. 

“It forced me to take a really deep look and become introspective,” she said. “That was the path for me, alongside 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—they definitely took a toll on my body.”

These days, Shailene is doing much better.  

“My hormones are so balanced,” she emphasized. “Everything is pumping the way that it should. I am very healthy. I’m so happy to be able to say that.”