She's beautiful, she's a star — but Ms Diaz has a dark secret.
By Rebecca Davies, 2 September, 2008
Have you ever felt a strong urge to wash your hands twice over or avoid stepping on drains while walking down the street? Well panic no more, there may be a reason for it, and you're not alone — even gorgeous Hollywood star Cameron Diaz suffers from this common syndrome known as obsessive compulsive disorder.
Cam's compulsions
When Cameron Diaz described herself in an interview as deeply germaphobic, most of us laughed and thought she was just another 'clean freak' but she soon publicly admitted that she suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The slim blonde told how she habitually rubs doorknobs so hard before opening doors that the original paint fades. She admitted that she also washes her hands "many times" each day, one of the more common sign of OCD.
What is OCD?
Obsessive compulsive disorder is a serious anxiety-related condition that affects as many as three in every 100 people. Because of a general lack of understanding of the condition and due to embarrassment, sufferers can often go undiagnosed for many years. OCD can affect anyone, from young children to adults, regardless of sex or background.
Many people might have felt the need to touch a lucky charm before an exam or feel the need to count the number of stairs in a flight. These are simply little 'quirks' and do not cause the distress that OCD can cause a sufferer when it begins to affect work, social life and personal relationships.
OCD can take many different forms, but in general, OCD sufferers experience repetitive and unwelcome thoughts and impulses. They find it impossible to ignore these obsessions so start to perform repetitive rituals in order to relieve themselves of the obsession. Most sufferers are aware their behaviour is irrational but don't feel capable of stopping — this eventually starts to have a significant impact on their self-esteem.
OCD affect males and females equally on average, it begins to emerge in late teens for men and early twenties for women, but it can take sufferers as long as 15 years to seek professional help. So if you think you may be showing the signs of OCD, or know somebody who might be, it's important to see your doctor as soon as you can. Since seeking help, even Cameron's condition has improved and she says herself: "I think I have made my peace with it."
Could you have OCD?
Spot the signs
If someone suffers from OCD, they may show obvious signs. Here are common obsessions to look out for:
Treatment options
If you think you might have OCD you should contact your doctor immediately. They will be able to tell if your symptoms point to this particular anxiety disorder. They then might recommend one or more of the following options:
- Treatment with certain medications.
- Exposure-based psychotherapy, in which you are encouraged to face situations that make you anxious and therefore desensitise you to them.
- Referral to a mental health professional, usually one trained in cognitive-behavioural therapy.
- There are also new treatments being researched such as deep brain stimulation, combination and augmentation treatments.
How to get help
As well as the above professional help, many people benefit from obtaining support, such as:
- Talking to a trusted friend or relative about how you're feeling.
- Joining a support group where you can chat to people in a similar situation as you.
- Confiding in a member of the clergy.
- Chatting to people with OCD in Internet chat rooms dedicated to the cause (but always beware of the dangers of the Internet).
- Avoiding drugs that could aggravate symptoms, such as caffeine, some cold medications, nicotine and alcohol.
- Looking into calming aerobic exercises.
- Learning some stress management techniques or even taking medication.
- Getting your family on side. If they don't understand OCD, show them this article to explain.
For more information on OCD, visit www.nimh.nih.gov
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