Widely regarded as one of the best and most accomplished English footballers (soccer players) to ever live, David Beckham has a lived a life in the spotlight. He’s won some of international soccer’s top honors, leading iconic teams Manchester United and Real Madrid to league championships and European glory. He’s even won the hearts of American soccer fans during a five-year stint with the Los Angeles Galaxy before announcing his retirement in 2013.
Married to designer and pop icon Victoria Beckham, David Beckham has further defined himself as a philanthropist and entrepreneur. It seems like the Beckhams are larger-than-life figures. Privately, though, both have talked openly about their battles with common mental conditions: Victoria with dyslexia and David with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
OCD is a disorder characterized by patterns of unwanted thoughts and repeated behaviors. It affects between 1% to 3% of the global population, with a degree of impairment that ranges from mild to severe.
Referring to OCD has become a sort of joke, a casual offhand remark to make whenever a person is judged to be too concerned about something. In this piece, we’ll consider David Beckham’s comments about his own mental health, whether his issues could be considered obsessive-compulsive disorder and the impact it makes on his followers when he speaks about his struggles.
Understanding OCD
Definition and Symptoms
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a clinically diagnosed condition. In order for a diagnosis of OCD to apply, a couple of criteria need to be met:
- A person’s behavior — not brought on by another mental illness or substance abuse disorder — has to be marked by obsessions or compulsions, or both.
- Obsessions and compulsions typically control the life of a person with OCD.
Obsessions are things that dominate a person’s thoughts. They’re often disturbing and intrusive thoughts. Compulsions are actions that may cause intense anxiety if not carried out in a satisfactory way or as many times as a person is accustomed to.
For example, a person with OCD may wash their hands multiple times every hour, turn light switches off repeatedly or make sure certain possessions are arranged very precisely.
Causes and Triggers
Research indicates that OCD tends to run in families, suggesting that genetic influences accounting for 45% to 65% of OCD symptoms in children and between 27% to 47% of symptoms in adults.
In general, researchers believe that the development of OCD likely results from a mix of environmental and genetic factors. In other words, with specific environmental conditions, someone who’s genetically predisposed to developing this disorder is more likely to do so compared to someone who doesn’t have the predisposition or environmental exposure.
There are a variety of environmental factors and situations that play a role in triggering OCD symptoms. These may include:
- Traumatic events
- Childhood experiences, such as abuse or neglect
- High-pressure situations
- Social situations that involve criticism or conflict
- Exposure to contaminants such as dirt, germs or infections
OCD vs. Perfectionism
Although OCD and perfectionism are commonly confused, they’re quite different. OCD is a clinical diagnosis characterized by unwanted, disruptive thoughts and repetitive behaviors.
Perfectionism, on the other hand, is a personality trait that drives the individual to set high performance standards. A perfectionist may have a strong need for control or approval. While this drive can contribute to stress and anxiety, it typically doesn’t involve compulsive behaviors, and it generally isn’t disruptive to everyday functioning.
David Beckham’s Public Statements and Accounts
Media Coverage and Interviews
Beckham has spoken with journalists about his daily habits and patterns, giving his audience insights into his life. In a BBC One interview, he talked about his need for cleanliness and order, stating,
“I have got this disorder where I have to have everything in a straight line or everything has to be in pairs. I’ll put my Pepsi cans in the fridge and if there’s one too many then I’ll put it in another cupboard somewhere. I’ll go into a hotel room and before I can relax, I have to move all the leaflets and all the books and put them in a drawer.”
His wife, Victoria, has backed up David’s claims in interviews of her own, saying, “He’s got that obsessive-compulsive thing where everything has to match. If you open our fridge, it’s all coordinated down either side. We’ve got three fridges — food in one, salad in another and drinks in the third. In the drinks one, everything is symmetrical. If there’s three cans, he’ll throw one away because it has to be an even number.”
Additionally, in his Netflix documentary, he talks about spending hours tidying his home after his family goes to bed.
His Routine and Behavior
Beckham’s behaviors – his focus on symmetry and arrangement of objects – could suggest obsessive tendencies that align with OCD. Alternatively, they could reflect personality quirks or perfectionist tendencies.
Expert Analysis and Opinions
Psychological Perspective
Without more information about how his condition manifests itself and how it has affected his life, it’s not clear whether David Beckham’s OCD is diagnosable. He seems to be a perfectionist, which doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder — cases of perfectionism do often overlap with OCD because of the way they can control a person’s life.
Unlike OCD, being a perfectionist isn’t a clinically diagnosable condition, at least not according to the DSM-5. They’re similar in many ways: They both cause anxiety when certain things aren’t done the right way, and both are rooted in a sense of needing to be in control.
As studies have shown, this isn’t uncommon with athletes. One study focusing on college athletes with OCD suggested that 5.2% of athletes could be struggling with the condition. That’s more than double the 2.3% rate in the general adult population.
This makes sense. After all, it takes a certain type of person to thrive in the competitive atmosphere of playing sports at the highest level. Those with the drive and motivation to succeed on the field often have stronger, more authoritative personalities off it.
Media’s Role in Perception
Although the media can play an important role in destigmatizing mental illnesses such as OCD, it can also contribute to confusion and misconceptions surrounding this and other disorders. The names of certain conditions, such as OCD, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety disorders, are often used casually and not in reference to an actual diagnosis. This can blur the lines between genuine mental health conditions and eccentric habits.
Celebrity Influence on OCD Awareness
When famous people with OCD talk about it, the public may be more likely to listen. When athletes, celebrities and public figures open up about being challenged by their own mental health, it slowly strips away the stigma and tells regular people it’s okay to seek help for any reason. We hope that Beckham’s openness can set an example for other famous OCD sufferers.
The Fine Line: OCD as a Medical Condition vs. Pop Culture Reference
OCD Misrepresentation
People tend to trivialize OCD and dismiss it as a minor issue. It’s possible that David Beckham’s disability is relatively minor. But for some people, OCD is a major challenge. It may cause people to spend unhealthy amounts of time doing or thinking about certain things, taking away from their ability to be social and live a fulfilling life.
Implications of Labeling
Rather than opening up conversations about mental illnesses, using unverified labels can reinforce negative stereotypes about conditions such as OCD, making it more difficult for those who actually have the disorder to get help. It can also lead to the spread of misinformation and misunderstandings about what these conditions actually entail and the extent to which they can be disruptive.
On the other hand, fans may mirror or trivialize the behaviors and eccentricities of the celebrities they admire. This may contribute to self-diagnosing, further spreading misinformation and misconceptions about mental illness. Additionally, individuals may rely on pop culture for information rather than seeking help from a health care professional.
Conclusion
David Beckham has talked about his tendencies toward order and cleanliness, attributing these habits to OCD. While celebrities can help destigmatize mental illness and raise awareness, it’s important to correctly understand what these conditions entail. Diagnosing OCD and other disorders can only be done by a health care professional, and it’s crucial to seek proper medical advice rather than looking to celebrities’ personal experiences as reliable information.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder and conditions like it are often difficult to live with, but fortunately, they are treatable. With a consistent regimen of targeted therapies and/or medications, people with OCD can live a functional and fulfilling life.
If you or a loved one thinks you’re suffering from OCD, contact FHE Health and learn about your options for OCD treatment.
