Amanda Seyfried shares personal journey managing OCD for over 20 years

Amanda Seyfried reveals she was diagnosed with extreme OCD at 19 and still takes medication daily to manage it

Amanda Seyfried has offered a candid look into her life with obsessive-compulsive disorder, revealing that she was diagnosed with what she calls “really extreme” OCD at the age of 19. In a recent interview with Vogue, the 40-year-old actress reflected on how her condition shaped her early career and continues to influence her daily routine.

“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,” Seyfried recalled. It was during this period that she underwent brain scans and began medication, which she continues to take every night. Seyfried emphasised the importance of consistency in managing her condition and noted that her choices, such as avoiding late nights, alcohol, or drugs, were influenced by her OCD.

The actress explained that having OCD early in her career gave her a unique perspective on rejection and pressures within the industry. “It’s the nature of the beast,” she said, adding that she often opted out of social scenes and nightclubs, giving credit to her OCD for keeping her grounded.

Seyfried also addressed the stigma surrounding mental health conditions, noting that OCD should be taken as seriously as any physical illness. “A mental illness is a thing that people cast in a different category [from other illnesses], but I don’t think it is,” she said. “It should be taken as seriously as anything else. You don’t see the mental illness: It’s not a mass; it’s not a cyst. But it’s there. Why do you need to prove it? If you can treat it, you treat it.”

Seyfried’s openness provides insight into how she balances her personal health with a demanding acting career, offering encouragement to others managing similar conditions. She previously discussed her ongoing treatment in a 2016 Allure interview, confirming that she has remained on Lexapro since her diagnosis at 19.