Famous People with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a complex anxiety-based disorder which has two elements to it, obsessions and compulsions. Unfortunately for some, the symptoms experienced do not end there. OCD is sometimes accompanied by depression, eating disorders, substance abuse disorder, a personality disorder, attention deficit disorder or another of the anxiety disorders.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder, specifically, an anxiety disorder. OCD is manifested in a variety of forms, but is most commonly characterized by a subject's obsessive drive to perform a particular task or set of tasks, compulsions commonly termed rituals.

The phrase "obsessive-compulsive" has worked its way into the wider English lexicon, and is often used in an offhand manner to describe someone who is meticulous or absorbed in a cause.

People who suffer from the separate and unrelated condition obsessive compulsive personality disorder are not aware of anything abnormal with them; they will readily explain why their actions are rational, and it is usually impossible to convince them otherwise.

Although obsessive-compulsive disorder commonly occurs in many patients with Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome, little is known about the obsessions and compulsions of Tourette's syndrome and whether they differ from those seen in pure obsessive-compulsive disorder.

It is for this reason there is some overlap between this category and our Famous People with Tourettes Syndrome list.

The tic disorder Tourette's Syndrome (TS) and Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are genetic and/or autoimmune neurological syndromes1,2,3 which are comorbid (In medicine, comorbidity describes the effect of all other diseases an individual patient might have other than the primary disease of interest) in 40-75% of patients initially diagnosed with either disorder, with comorbidity (In medicine, comorbidity describes the effect of all other diseases an individual patient might have other than the primary disease of interest) likeliest to occur in their childhood-onset forms.

Famous People with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder:

Charles Darwin - 1809-1882 Naturalist, author; OCD and stutter. Darwin's many lifelong and serious illnesses have been the subject of much speculation and study for over a century. Darwin stated that his health problems began as early as 1825 when he was only sixteen years old, and became incapacitating around age 28. The exact nature of Darwin's illness or illnesses remain mysterious at this time. Unless sophisticated molecular probing of his biological remains is allowed, no definitive diagnosis can be reached. It has been speculated that one of Darwin's conditions may have been Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Howard Hughes - Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. (24 December 1905 - 5 April 1976), was an American aviator, engineer, industrialist, film producer and director, and one of the wealthiest people in the world. By the late 1950s Hughes had developed debilitating symptoms of social avoidance behavior and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The Aviator (2004), directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Hughes focuses primarily on Hughes' achievements in aviation, in the movies, and on the increasing handicaps imposed on him by his obsessive-compulsive behavior.

Marc Summers - born Marc Berkowitz November 11, 1951 in Indianapolis, Indiana, is an American television personality, popular game show host, producer, and a two-time talk show host, perhaps best known for hosting the children's game show Double Dare on Nickelodeon. During an interview with Dr. Eric Hollander on Biggers & Summers, Summers revealed that he has obsessive compulsive disorder. Summers went public about his condition on various television shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Today Show. In 1999, Summers co-wrote a book with Hollander about his experience called Everything In Its Place: My Trials and Triumphs with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Billy Bob Thornton - (born August 4, 1955) is an Academy Award-winning American screenwriter, actor, as well as occasional director, playwright and singer. He came to fame in the mid 1990s, after writing, directing, and starring in the film Sling Blade. Billy Bob Thornton explains his particular penchant for repetitive compulsive actions. 'I have a little bit of OCD,' he says. 'The simple ones I can explain to you. The more complex ones, I don't even know how to tell anybody.' He and rock singer Warren Zevon became close friends after sharing their common experiences with the disorder.

Jessica Alba - (born April 28, 1981) is an American actress whose TV and film credits include Dark Angel, Honey, Sin City, Fantastic Four, Into the Blue, Idle Hands and 2007's Good Luck Chuck. Alba's early life was marked by a multitude of physical maladies; she suffered collapsed lungs twice, had pneumonia 4-5 times a year, a ruptured appendix, and a cyst on her tonsils. She has also acknowledged suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder during childhood. Her health improved, however, when her family moved to California.

Donald Trump - Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946 in Queens, New York, New York) is an American business executive, entrepreneur, television and radio personality and author. He is also known for his catchphrase "You're Fired" and his distinctive hair style. Donald Trump, host of the TV show "The Apprentice," has a germ phobia that makes him afraid to shake hands. Property tycoon Donald Trump confesses he has borderline obsessive compulsive disorder and is terrified of germs. The star refuses to touch the ground floor button of a lift and avoids shaking hands with people - especially teachers.

Cameron Diaz - Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress and former fashion model. She is perhaps best known for her roles in popular blockbuster movies such as The Mask, There's Something About Mary, My Best Friend's Wedding, Charlie's Angels, Shrek, and Gangs of New York. Cameron Diaz suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, and has publicly admitted she habitually rubs doorknobs so hard before opening doors to clean them that the original paint on the doorknobs fades afterwards. She says, she washes her hands "many times" each day and uses her elbows to push open doors. Diaz has perhaps modified her fears somewhat, saying on May 10, 2007, "I think I've made my peace with it."

Leonardo DiCaprio - Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (born November 11, 1974 is a three-time Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor who garnered world wide fame for his role as Jack Dawson in Titanic. Leonardo DiCaprio has revealed he suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The 'Titanic' star says he has to force himself not to step on every chewing gum stain when walking along and fight urges to walk through a doorway several times, because he doesn't want his condition taking over his life.

Michael Jackson - Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958), is an American musician and entertainer, who debuted at the age of five as a member of the Jackson 5, and went on to become a pop icon as a solo artist. Michael Jackson seems to have BDD. He has had over 30 cosmetic surgey operations and his ex-wife Lisa Presley has said he would never take off his make-up, even in bed. Body Dismorphic Disorder (BDD) is a negative preoccupation with physical appearance. Many who suffer from this disorder are at a greater risk of becoming plastic surgery addicts. Individuals with BDD display symptoms similar to those who are diagnosed with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).

Harrison Ford - (born July 13, 1942) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. Ford is best known for his performances as the tough, wisecracking space pilot Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the adventurous archaeologist and action hero Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr. in the Indiana Jones film series. Online encyclopedia wikipedia.org says there are lots of celebrities who have been identifed with OCD including Jessica Alba, Rose McGowen, Howard Stern, Harrison Ford and Winona Ryder.

Howard Stern - Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and TV personality, media mogul, humorist, actor, and author. Stern hosts The Howard Stern Show four days a week (Monday-Thursday) on Howard 100, a Sirius Satellite Radio station. Stern used to suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder, and now practices transcendental meditation. He is also a brown belt in Japanese Shotokan Karate.

Howie Mandel - Howie Michael Mandel II (born November 29, 1955) is a Canadian comedian and actor, known for his roles on sitcoms and television including the popular TV show Deal or no Deal.. Being one of the best stand up comedians of all times, Howie Mandel suffers from OCD and can't shake hands with anyone due to mysophobia. Basically being the fear of dirt and germs, for this reason Howie shaves his head because it helps him feel cleaner.

Penelope Cruz - (born April 28, 1974, in Madrid, Spain) Penelope is a Spanish actress who has known much success in many of her movies. She was originally a dancer but slowly started to get involved in Spanish television. With time she has now appeared in several movies in English, Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese. This beautiful and talented actress has been said to suffer from OCD.

Ludwig Van Beethoven - Beethoven was as we know a great source of confidence for himself and for others, being able to create music and play music even after being completely deaf is by itself quite a miracle. Although it was clear to everyone that beethoven was but a man, he conquered his disability and led himself to being one of the greatest musicians of all time. If there was one thing that was affecting his struggle to succeed it was not only being deaf, but having to fight all the emotions that he felt inside when he had to turn around to look at the audience applause because he could not hear.

Albert Einstein - (March 14, 1879 - April 18, 1955) Being one of the most important great minds of his century Albert Einstein was then known to suffer from dyslexia mainly because of his bad memory and his constant failure to memorize the simplest of things. It is also thought that he had OCD. He would not remember the months in the year yet he would succeed in solving some of the most complicated mathematical formulas of the time without any trouble. He may have never learned how to properly tie his shoelaces but his scientific contributions and theories still have a major effect on all of todays current knowledge of science.

Michelangelo - One of the greatest artists of all times, his attention was constantly on his art work and he suffered from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. He was not a social person and had a short temper which would often blow to anger inside normal conversations with family members or strangers. He would avoid people most of the time and sometimes would even walk out of a conversation for no apparent reason. When an opinion would offend his beliefs he would get angry and simply leave. Michelangelo was also known for always sleeping in his clothes including even his boots. he would almost never remove his boots even when they would cause damage to his feet. He would isolate himself for long periods of time working on himself and his arts, while ignoring and showing no emotion towards his surroundings. There was no doubt that Michelangelo had suffered from OCD, that did not keep him from being the best at his work.

Charlie Sheen - (born September 3, 1965) Sheen had started being an actor at the age of 9 alongside his father in a TV movie named ''The Execution of Private Slovik ''. His film career began in 1984 where he took part in many minor supporting roles for several films such as ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'', ''Red Dawn'' and finally his first major role in the hit movie ''Platoon''. He has also starred alongside Clint Eastwood in the action film ''The Rookie''. Outside his career Charlie Sheen has suffered from both OCD and drug abuse.

David Beckham - David suffers from OCD and it manifests itself through constant cleanliness and perfection of all that is around him. Anything out of order is enough to cause a conflict and must be attended to immediately. Examples of this complete order is that everything must be in pairs, if there are three books on a table one must be added, or one must be removed. Only 2% of the population suffer from this strong OCD.

Ian Puleston-Davies - Born 1959 in Flint, Wales) is a British actor and writer. He has starred in the ITV drama Vincent alongside Ray Winstone, and "Ghostboat" (also for ITV), alongside David Jason. He wrote the ITV drama Dirty Filthy Love based on his own experiences of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). "My fear was that if I sat down too quickly I would crack my coccyx," he says. "And I also have a problem with germs, contamination and harm. My OCD would be saying, "Do you know how many people have sat on that seat in the past half hour?" I'm not so bad now, but two or three years ago . . . well, I couldn't go out for lunch with friends."

Justin Timberlake - Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981 is an American pop singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Justin Timberlake came to fame as one of the lead singers of pop boy band 'N Sync. In 2002, he released his debut solo album, Justified. Timberlake's second solo release, FutureSex/LoveSounds, was released in 2006 with the U.S. number-one hit singles "SexyBack", "My Love", and "What Goes Around... Comes Around". According to an interview that Timberlake gave Timberlake said he has a "complicated" mix of OCD and attention deficit disorder. Like the British soccer star David Beckham, Timberlake states that he has to make sure that things are lined up perfect and also makes sure that the fridge is stocked only with certain foods. Although he struggles with OCD and ADD Timberlake says he still loves to perform and it doesn't stop him from living.

Joey Ramone - (May 19, 1951 - April 15, 2001) Joey Ramone was a vocalist and songwriter best known for his work in the punk rock group the Ramones. During his youth, he was by general accounts something of an outcast and had a dysfunctional family life, which inspired the song "We're A Happy Family". Hyman was said to be the "heart and soul" of the Ramones, and his favorite songs from their repertoire were often the ballads and love songs. C.J. Ramone called him the "hippie of the group". Joey has admitted that he has OCD, which he certainly had never done before (he actually got in a big fight with Marky on the Howard Stern Show once because Marky had been telling people about his OCD - they made up at the end).

John List - (September 17, 1925 - March 21, 2008) John List was an American convicted mass murderer. On November 9, 1971, he murdered his mother, wife and three children in Westfield, New Jersey, and then disappeared. He had planned everything so meticulously that nearly a month passed before anyone noticed that anything was amiss. A fugitive from justice for nearly 18 years, he was finally apprehended on June 1, 1989 while living under the pseudonym Robert Peter "Bob" Clark, after the story of his murders was broadcast on America's Most Wanted.

John Melendez - (born October 4, 1965) commonly known as "Stuttering John" and "Hero of the Stupid", a Puerto Rican - American television/radio personality. On Stern's show, Melendez conducted outrageous street interviews, premised on the idea that celebrities would not want to look bad by refusing an interview from a stutterer. He sported long hair and metal t-shirts and would often confront celebrities with puerile questions about their private lives. His interviews were characterized by punchline-free "joke" questions, such as asking Melanie Griffith "how her father, Andy, was." Melendez also appeared at press conferences and asked off-the-wall questions to Gennifer Flowers, Ringo Starr, and the Dalai Lama. He asked the Dalai Lama, if anyone ever greeted him with "Hello Dolly!", in a joking reference to the play and movie; the Dalai Lama's translator whispered the translation to the Dalai Lama and a delayed chuckle came from the Dalai Lama. It seemed like he got the joke. He also provided comic interest with his misadventures, poor grammar and sloppy pronunciation. John also suffers from OCD.

Nikola Tesla - (10 July 1856 - 7 January 1943) Nikola Tesla was an inventor, physicist, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer. He is best known for his many revolutionary contributions to the discipline of electricity and magnetism in the late 19th and early 20th century. After his demonstration of wireless communication (radio) in 1893 and after being the victor in the "War of Currents", he was widely respected as America's greatest electrical engineer. Much of his early work pioneered modern electrical engineering and many of his discoveries were of groundbreaking importance. He is stated as being "the man who invented the 20th Century" by some. He was a germophobe, hated touching round objects, disliked hair other than his own, found jewelry repulsive, and tended to do thinks that were either in 3's or in numbers divisible by 3. For meals he insisted on estimating the mass of everything he was about to consume, always used 18 napkins, and refused to eat alone with a woman.

Roseanne Barr - (born November 3, 1952) Roseanne Barr is an Emmy Award-winning American comedian, actress and writer. Roseanne became famous in the early 1980s with her stand-up comedy routine, receiving critical acclaim for her unglamorized portrayal of the typical American working-class housewife. In her routine she coined the now well-known phrase, "domestic goddess," to refer to a homemaker or housewife. The success of her act led to her own series on ABC, called Roseanne. The show ran from 1988 to 1997, and co-starred Emmy winners Laurie Metcalf and John Goodman. Roseanne herself also won an Emmy for her part in the show. For the final season Roseanne earned $650,000 an episode. In 1997, after the end of her sitcom's run, she portrayed the Wicked Witch of the West in a production of The Wizard of Oz at Madison Square Garden.

Stanley Kubrick- (July 26, 1928 - March 7, 1999) Stanley Kubrick was an influential and acclaimed film director and producer considered among the greatest of the 20th century. Kubrick's father taught him chess at age twelve; the game remained a life-long obsession. When Stanley was thirteen years old, Jacques Kubrick bought him a Graflex camera, triggering Kubrick's fascination with still photography. He was also interested in jazz, attempting a brief career as a drummer. In 1951, Kubrick's friend, Alex Singer, persuaded him to start making short documentaries for the March of Time, a provider of newsreels to movie theaters. Kubrick agreed, and independently financed Day of the Fight (1951). Although the distributor went out of business that year, Kubrick sold Day of the Fight to RKO Pictures for a profit of one hundred dollars.

Martin Scorsese - (born November 17, 1942) Martin Scorsese is an American Academy Award-winning film director, writer, producer and film historian. Scorsese is widely considered to be one of the most significant and influential American filmmakers of his era, directing landmark films such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas; all of which he colloborated on with legendary actor Robert De Niro . Martin Scorses often makes movies based on intelligent people with flaws or diseases. He himself suffers from OCD maybe aiding him to better understand the characters in his movies.

Fred Durst- (born August 20, 1970) is an American singer, actor and film director, known primarily as the founder of nu metal band Limp Bizkit. Fred Durst is well known for his great use of energy on stage and getting large crowds of people pumped. His image made Limp Bizkit what they are today and is considered to be an icon to many lead vocalists. In some cases, however, Durst's live stage presence has created controversy on multiple occasions. In 1999, the media portrayed his performance of "Break Stuff" during Woodstock 1999 as contributing to many of the festival's problems with violence and vandalism. OCD is very present in Fred Durst's life although he does not like talking about it to the media, he did admit that it is hard to deal with.

Paul Gascoigne - (born 27 May 1967) Paul Gascoigne often referred to as Gazza, is a retired English football player who is widely regarded as one of the most gifted footballers of his generation. In Gazza's childhood, he often showed signs of a compulsive personality. At one stage he was so addicted to gaming machines that, having spent all his money, he stole 15 Pounds from his sister's purse before going out and losing it. He also developed an early shoplifting habit, which he describes as being about the buzz, not the merchandise.

Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson - (January 21, 1824 - May 10, 1863) Thomas Jackson was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, and probably the most revered Confederate commander after General Robert E. Lee. Jackson rose to prominence and earned his most famous nickname at the First Battle of Bull Run (also known as First Manassas) in July 1861. As the Confederate lines began to crumble under heavy Union assault, Jackson's brigade provided crucial reinforcements on Henry House Hill, demonstrating the discipline he instilled in his men.

Volkert van der Graaf - (born July 9, 1969) Van der Graaf was said to be a highly intelligent perfectionist who was emotionally uncommunicative and intolerant of those with different values to his own. He is the confessed murderer of Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn. On Tuesday, April 15, 2003, Van der Graaf was convicted and sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment. The prosecution and the defence both made appeals against this sentence. Prior to the appeal, suggestions in the media that Van der Graaf may be suffering from Asperger's syndrome were rejected by workers at the PBC, who said they had considered and rejected the possibility.

Warren Zevon - (January 24, 1947 - September 7, 2003) was a Grammy Award-winning American rock singer-songwriter and musician. Zevon turned to a musical career early, including a stretch with high school friend Violet Santangelo as part of a Sonny and Cher-type male/female duo called lyme & cybelle (in a 60s-ish affectation, the band name eschewed capitalization). In the mid-1970s, Zevon returned to Los Angeles, where he roomed with then-unknown Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham and became associated with the then-burgeoning West Coast music scene. There, he collaborated with Jackson Browne, who would produce and promote Zevon's self-titled major-label debut, with the Eagles, who appeared on Zevon's second album, and with Linda Ronstadt, who both appeared on Zevon's albums and covered many of his songs, including "Hasten Down the Wind", "Carmelita", "Poor Poor Pitiful Me", and "Mohammed's Radio".

Jane Horrocks - (born 18 January 1964) Jane is an English actress, musician, and singer. While working on Road, a play directed by Jim Cartwright, Horrocks warmed up by doing singing impressions of Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey, and Ethel Merman, among others. Cartwright was so impressed with her gift for mimicry he wrote the play The Rise and Fall of Little Voice to showcase her talent. Horrock's voiceover talents have been used on the big screen in films like Chicken Run (2000), Christmas Carol: The Movie (2001), and Corpse Bride (2005).

Andrew Kehoe - (February 1, 1872 - May 18, 1927) Andrew Kehoe was an American mass murderer who perpertrated the Bath School Disaster on May 18, 1927. While on the school board, Kehoe was appointed the Bath Township Clerk in 1925, but was unsuccessful at retaining this position in the election later that year. During this time, Nellie Kehoe was chronically ill with tuberculosis, and her frequent hospital stays may have played a role in putting the family into debt. At the time of the Bath School disaster, Kehoe had ceased making mortgage and homeowner's insurance payments, and the mortgage lender had begun foreclosure proceedings against the farm.

John George Haigh - (July 24, 1909 - August 10, 1949) John Haigh nicknamed the "Acid Bath Murderer", was an English serial killer during the 1940s. He was convicted of the murders of six people, although he claimed to have killed a total of nine, dissolving their bodies in sulphuric acid before forging papers in order to sell their possessions and collect substantial sums of money. He acted under the mistaken belief that police needed a body before they could bring a charge of murder. He was convicted through forensic evidence and executed.

Kathie Lee Gifford - (born August 16, 1953) Kathie is an American television host, singer, actress and playwright, famous for her 15-year run (1985 - 2000) on the television talk show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, which she co-hosted with Regis Philbin. She has received 11 Emmy nominations. Before her long stint in talk shows, Gifford's first television exposure was that of Tom Kennedy's lovable singer/sidekick on Name That Tune, from 1974 to 1978.

Rose McGowan - (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress best known for her role as Paige Matthews in The WB TV series Charmed, and the cult-classic The Doom Generation. She has also appeared in several major Hollywood films, with leading roles in Scream, Jawbreaker, and the Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez double-feature Grindhouse. McGowan is currently the co-host of TCM's film-series program, The Essentials. Rose has agoraphobia and OCD.

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