Amanda Seyfried Opens Up About ‘Really Extreme’ OCD Diagnosis, Says She Still Takes Medication

Amanda Seyfried has lived all her life with compulsive disorder. In a recent interview, the actress reflected on her experience navigating life with the mental health condition, as she was diagnosed with a “really

extreme” version when she was just 19 years old. “I was living in Marina del Rey at the time, shooting Big Love, and my mom had to take a sabbatical from work in Pennsylvania to live with me for a month,” the Housemaid star recalled. “I got my brain scans, and that’s when I got on medication—which, to this day, I’m on every night,” she told Vogue. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterised by unwanted, intrusive thoughts that become an obsession, causing significant anxiety and leading to repetitive behaviours or mental acts performed to relieve that anxiety, often becoming time-consuming and interfering with daily life. Common obsessions involve contamination, harm, or symmetry, while compulsions include excessive washing, checking, or arranging, with causes linked to genetics, brain chemistry, and environment. To prevent any kind of triggers in her early career, Amanda said she had to take many precautions, like “drinking too much alcohol, or doing any drugs at all, or staying out too late”—a much different experience from her peers in the industry at the time. “I would make plans and then just not go,” she said with a laugh. “I guess I did make choices…. I didn’t enter that realm of nightclubs. I have to give credit to my OCD,” she said. “I’m on Lexapro, and I’ll never get off of it,” she said in an earlier interview, adding, “I’ve been on it since I was 19, so 11 years. I’m on the lowest dose. I don’t see the point of getting off of it. Whether it’s a placebo or not, I don’t want to risk it. And what are you fighting against? Just the stigma of using a tool?”

What is OCD?

OCD is a condition that makes you focus on different worries or behaviours. You might fear germs or contamination, need things to feel symmetrical or “just right”, have unwanted intrusive thoughts, or feel the urge to collect or save items. It affects about two out of every 100 people in the United States. While many people “obsess” over things now and then, OCD is not short-term. These thoughts and behaviours are strong and overwhelming. A doctor can help you manage this condition.

Signs and symptoms of OCD

The two main signs and symptoms of OCD are:

Obsessions

Unwanted, intrusive thoughts, urges, or mental images that cause strong anxiety

Compulsions

Repetitive actions or mental rituals you feel you must do to ease or get rid of the obsessions According to experts, it is possible to have an obsession without a compulsion and a compulsion without an obsession.

• Common obsessions that you may have if you are living with OCD include:
• Contamination, such as fear of germs, dirt, or body fluids
• Fear of hurting yourself or others
• Strong need for order, neatness, or symmetry, and fear of making mistakes
• Worry about offending a higher power or about what’s right and wrong
• Doubting your romantic partner’s attraction or love
• Fear that something terrible will happen because of you
• Focus on body sensations or automatic functions, like breathing or heart rate
• Fear of harming yourself or others

What causes OCD?

Doctors say even though the exact cause of OCD is not known, a few factors that may play a role include:

Brain changes

People with OCD often show differences in brain areas that control thinking and behaviour.

PANDAS syndrome

Some children develop symptoms after infections, like strep throat or scarlet fever.

Stressful life events

Difficult experiences or certain personality traits may also play a role in triggering symptoms.