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The world learned on Wednesday that Hollywood legend Bruce Willis, 67, would retire due to his diagnosis of aphasia, a potentially devastating condition that causes a person to lose communication skills.
Willis' family announced that the condition would cause the Die Hard star to step away 'from the career that has meant so much to him.'
Around one million Americans suffer from the condition, the National Institutes of Health reports, and around 180,000 people are diagnosed with it every year.
It can manifest itself in multiple ways, and is often either the result of a head injury, a stroke, a tumor or other brain deterioration.
Aphasia can be devastating as well, with experts saying it causes depression in over a third of cases, can lead to personality shifts and can even alienate friends and family from the affected person.
Other famous examples of aphasia include former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke.
'Imagine being dropped in a country where you do not speak the language - cannot understand, read, write or speak. It would impact all of your interactions - this is what it is like to have aphasia,' Darlene Williamson, president of the aphasia association, told DailyMail.com.
While it is impossible to say for Willis in particular how drastically the condition has effected him and his behavior, Williamson reports that it can often be devastating for patients.
'The consequences of living with a language impairment can alter someone's behavior and outlook on life,' Williamson said.
'Approximately 35 percent of individuals with aphasia experience some depression.'
The cause of the condition, which is often some sort of traumatic brain injury or a stroke, can lead to massive personality shifts.
'[Aphasia is] difficulty with language that comes about from some kind of injury to the brain. The most common source is stroke… but it could come from any other type of damage,’ Dr Brenda Rapp, a cognitive scientist at Johns Hopkins University, told DailyMail.com.
Certain infections that impact the brain's language centers can cause aphasia to form as well, along with cognitive decline and deterioration associated with dementia.
The condition can make it very hard for an actor like Willis to continue in his career, as just the process of speaking out lines can become a challenge.
'It would surely be difficult,' Williamson said about attempting to continue acting while afflicted with the condition.
'Aphasia affects comprehension of language, speaking, as well as reading and writing. There are varying levels of severity which would be another determining factor. It may not be impossible, but acting would require extra accommodations.'
Dr Rapp said that despite communication failures caused by the condition, people who suffer the condition still have the same thoughts, and are internally the same person. While the experience can be alienating, loved ones should remember that the person has not changed. Pictured: Willis with family and friends after a 'roast' event in 2018
There are four common types of aphasia that make up a vast majority of cases: fluent - often called Wernicke's; non-fluent - known as Broca's; anomic; and Primary Progressive Aphasia.
