Debby Ryan is opening up about the devastating brain injury that changed her life – and the months of neurological rehabilitation that followed.
The actor, who rose to fame as a Disney Channel star, recently spoke about the lasting effects of the injury.
Ryan shared the details during an appearance on Mythical Kitchen’s Last Meals. She said she has experienced five concussions over the years, but one dramatically affected her health.
After that particular injury, Ryan said she began experiencing “sustained shaking over a minute of time.”
“I had a pretty crazy life-altering brain injury a few years ago, and I was out of commission for like six months,” she said, according to LADbible. “I went to this neurological rehab for like six months.”
She now says there is a “pre-incident Debby” and “post-incident Debby.”
Getting her life back also meant undergoing treatment. Ryan described part of the medical care she received as “fringe science treatment,” saying the goal was to help her get “back online.”
But her recovery wasn’t simply about medical treatment.
Debby Ryan’s health today
Ryan credited the people around her with helping her navigate a period in which she was forced to accept that some changes might not be temporary.
“I feel really fortunate that I have an amazing team of people around me who sort of reminded me who I am and was and also held a lot of space for that to change, potentially permanently, and love me through that,” she said.
She has since regained some of what she lost following the injury, but not everything returned. One lingering issue means Ryan sometimes has to close her eyes when she needs to concentrate or think clearly.
She also regularly experiences migraines, which she has dubbed herself a “migraine warrior” because of how overwhelming they can become.
For Ryan, a migraine can make ordinary surroundings feel almost unbearable.
“Quite often the world is really loud,” she said. “It’s really too bright, it’s too – there’s a lot going on.”
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