Christina Applegate says she lives “kind of in hell” with multiple sclerosis

Christina Applegate is set to do her first sit-down, on-camera interview for Good Morning America this week, and a preview aired on Monday is a frank assessment of her situation. “I live kind of in hell,” the actor says about her experience of multiple sclerosis. “I’m not out a lot, so this is a little difficult, just for my system. But of course, the support is wonderful and I’m really grateful.”

Applegate will appear on the show alongside Sopranos star Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who has been living with MS for over 20 years. The two are currently promoting their new podcast, MeSsy, which premieres March 19, according to People. The pair connected after Applegate was diagnosed, and Sigler “wanted to give her tools and things that I’ve learned that have helped me,” she told the outlet. She added that “the way that Christina disarms me and allows me to talk about the hard stuff, I needed desperately.”

“We would talk on the phone for two hours, and we’d be laughing and crying and we were like, “This is helping us. Let’s record this. Let’s do it,” Applegate shared. The podcast will feature guests like former co-stars like Martin Short and Edie Falco, as well as conversations about the challenges of living with MS. “It’s not about the specific experience we’re having,” Sigler said. “It’s us facing something hard and it’s about figuring out how to still push through. I’ve never been more … nervous isn’t the word, but like a good anxious about any project I’ve ever put out more than this, because I care so deeply about it. We are sharing the deepest parts of ourselves.”

Applegate recently made her first public appearance since she retired from acting on-screen, presenting at the 75th Emmy Awards. Her hilarious quips made one of the most memorable moments of the night, but the Dead To Me star “kind of blacked out,” she admits on Good Morning America. “People said, ‘Oh you were so funny,’ and I’m like, I don’t even know what I said. I don’t know what I was doing. I got so freaked out that I didn’t even know what was happening anymore. And I felt really beloved, and it was a beautiful thing.” However, she notes: “I probably shouldn’t say this, that audience stood up for everybody!”

The full interview will air on Good Morning America on Tuesday.