'Family Reunion' Star Talia Jackson Opens Up About Living With Lyme Disease

Talia Jackson shows off her gorgeous curls and smile at the Global Lyme Alliance’s 2019 New York City Gala!

The 17-year-old actress, who stars on Netflix’s Family Reunion, hit the red carpet at the event held on Thursday (October 10) in New York City.

Talia battles Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness that causes flu-like symptoms, joint/muscle pain, and fatigue.

“As a child you’re really lucky if you have someone who understands what you’re going through,” she told Parade. “It’s way harder for kids who don’t. When I first saw videos of Bella Hadid from Global Lyme Alliance, I thought, ‘Oh my God. That’s me.’ Even though I know what’s going on with me, it’s refreshing to hear you’re not alone. This is a very lonely disease, so to hear another young person talk about their struggles—I know how helpful it would’ve been for me and I’d love to be that voice for people, so that they can feel like it’s not such a lonely place.”

“It makes it that much harder to be a teenager in a body you can’t control,” Talia Jackson continued. “The hardest struggle is wanting to do regular things—hang out with friends, stay up late, watch a movie. My friends go to farmers’ markets, but I’m so fatigued I can’t get out of bed before 11 a.m., except when I’m working and then I must go to bed at eight! I’m either like an 8-year-old or an 80-year-old—either eating dinner at six, going to bed at eight and waking up at seven, or I can’t get out of bed and I’m hunched over with my back and legs hurting. It’s confusing for my friends too when I have to cancel plans.”

Click inside to hear what else she had to say…

“I’ve suffered depression, anxiety and ADD since I was around 13,” she added. “It was confusing for my parents because they were like, ‘It doesn’t make sense. You were always such a happy kid.’ Once I got diagnosed it became clear I was depressed because I couldn’t do anything. It’s depressing to not be in control of your body. Everything seemed harder for me and it felt unfair. Then there’s the brain fog, where for days I’m in this hazy, confused place, which doesn’t help anxiety and depression. I’ve had some bad depression episodes and I’ve had times where anxiety was so nerve-wracking, I didn’t want to leave the house because I didn’t know how my body would act.”

“It’s hard with brain fog because you have to remember lines, know where to stand and which camera you’re on,” Talia Jackson shared. “Thankfully we’ve found remedies that help lighten the fog, like Bounce Back, a herbal, adrenal support. The days can be 12-14-hours long and there’s been times they’ll knock on my door and I’ll be passed out because I sat on the floor and fell asleep. I terrify them, but my body gets so exhausted. Tia Mowry, who plays my mom, has gone through some similar things, so she’s helpful to talk to. I’m blessed to have people on-set who understand my situation.”

READ MORE: Get To Know Netflix Star Talia Jackson With 10 Fun Facts!