According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder(OCD) affects 2.5 million adults or 1.2% of the U.S. population. OCD is a mental health condition that consists of obsessions(repetitive thoughts) and compulsions(actions performed to help relieve the stress from these thoughts). Awareness about OCD and other disorders has spread due to celebrities and famous people taking the initiative and speaking about their condition.
7 Famous People With OCD
1. David Beckham
David is a famous former English footballer and is currently the president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and Salford City. He once admitted a compulsion to have everything “in straight lines or in pairs.” He also opened up about his addiction to the sensation of getting tattoos.
2. Leonardo DiCaprio
The award-winning actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, admits that he suffers from OCD, but his symptoms are mild or moderate. He constantly has to control and resist the urge to engage in compulsions but doesn’t let the condition take over his life. He has also portrayed Howard Hughes, a late American business magnate who suffered from severe OCD.
3. Justin Timberlake
Famous singer and actor Justin admitted to having a comorbidity of OCD with attention-deficit disorder. The latter condition refers to chronic difficulty regulating or controlling your attention.
Read more: Deep brain stimulation for OCD
4. Jessica Alba
Actress and entrepreneur Jessica Alba admitted that often, “a panic would come over me, and I had to do something, and once I did it, I was ok.” This explanation fits precisely into the definition of a compulsion.
5. Howard Hughes
As mentioned above, Howard suffered from a case of severe OCD. His obsessions were focused on cleanliness, known to be a significant subtype of OCD. He went on to produce detailed instructions for his workers for maintaining cleanliness and preferred lying in a darkened “germ-free” room with fissures on his feet.
Read more: How to overcome OCD intrusive thoughts?
6. Howie Mandel
Howie is a comedian and a judge for America’s Got Talent. He has publicly admitted to having excessive germaphobic tendencies and even authored a book on the same. Titled “Here’s The Deal: Don’t Touch Me,” this book expounds on how fear of germs keeps him away from fans.
7. Howard Stern
Howard is a famous radio icon who admitted to having OCD on David Letterman’s talk show. For instance, he couldn’t turn the radio on without tapping the dial on a certain number of items. It is best to understand these actions as steps to help alleviate anxiety and ensure safety from perceived threats.
Conclusion
Celebrities speaking out about their mental health issues increases awareness and helps fight stigma. Some famous people who openly admitted to having OCD include David Beckham, Leonardo DiCaprio, Justin Timberlake, Jessica Alba, Howard Hughes, Howie Mandel, and Howard Stern. For people with OCD and their loved ones, these examples are a source of hope and awareness. Here is a blog post explaining the different types of OCD to help you understand this condition better.
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