Daisy Ridley’s Healthcare Problems Are Unfortunately Familiar to Many Women

Daisy Ridley has opened up about her Graves Disease diagnosis and, in the process, made a poignant point about women’s healthcare. In a new interview with Women’s Health, Ridley shared how she knew that something was wrong but she also talked about what women are taught.

I am someone who didn’t know what was wrong with me for years. It took going to a female doctor to actually get an answer, and for the last year, I’ve been happily fixing what years of not knowing did to my body. What Ridley shared about her own diagnosis is unfortunately a similar story, and it is a trend for women. We don’t want to act like we’re sick or weak, as that’s often how our health concerns are perceived even if something is really wrong, so we just say we’re fine even when we’re not.

Ridley is no stranger to health issues (my own diagnosis of PCOS was made a little easier knowing stars like Ridley also went through similar things, as she has PCOS and endometriosis). But she shared with Women’s Health that her Graves Disease diagnosis came with clarity. “I thought, ‘Well, I’ve just played a really stressful role; presumably that’s why I feel poorly,’” Ridley said. “It was funny, I was like, ‘Oh, I just thought I was annoyed at the world,’ but turns out everything is functioning so quickly, you can’t chill out.”

Graves Disease is an autoimmune disorder that effects the thyroid and puts you into hyperactive mode, which is presumably why Ridley couldn’t find that balance.

She went on to talk about what she was doing to help herself feel better and said, “I didn’t realize how bad I felt before. Then I looked back and thought, ‘How did I do that?’” Through this experience, Ridley had the realization that I think many of us women do: We have to advocate for ourselves to get answers.

This happens too often

As someone who was also underdiagnosed despite the symptoms being there for doctors, I understand what Ridley is saying about how she felt once she knew what was happening to her. “We all read the stats about women being undiagnosed or underdiagnosed and sort of coming to terms with saying, ‘I really, actually don’t feel good,’ and not going, ‘I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine.’ It’s just normalized to not feel good,” Ridley said.

Even when I got a diagnosis, I was the one who had to take the proactive steps to seek medical help. The doctor simply told me what was up and said, “Okay, now figure it out.” So often women are told to either suck it up and push through or doctors dismiss us, and to see Ridley talking about this means a lot. “In the grand scheme of things, it’s much less severe than what a lot of people go through,” she said. “Even if you can deal with it, you shouldn’t have to. If there’s a problem, you shouldn’t have to just [suffer through it].”

Women shouldn’t have to suffer or go through their lives without answers. And unfortunately, it does take someone of Ridley’s status and calibre talking about this for people to actually pay attention. I am glad Ridley got answers and is talking about this so maybe other women can find the same relief.