• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

FHE Health | Inpatient Rehab & Mental Health Facility in Florida Homepage

Drug, Alcohol and Mental Health Treatment

ContactCareers

Call for Immediate Help (833) 596-3502

MENUMENU
  • About
        • About FHE Rehab
          • About FHE Health
          • Our Staff
          • Locations We Serve
          • Testimonials
        • Our Campus
          • Gallery
          • Our Videos
          • The Health and Wellness Center at FHE Health
        • Our Locations
          • Alcohol Rehab
          • Detox Center
          • Drug Rehab
          • Mental Health Center
          • Outpatient Rehab
        • Careers at FHE Health
          • Employment Opportunities
        • Our Expertise
          • Accreditations
          • Educational Opportunities
          • Community Impact Award
          • First Responder Families Podcast
          • First Responder Paws
          • Education Scholarship
  • Addiction
        • Treatment Programs
          • Treatment Program Overview
          • Alcohol Addiction
          • Drug Addiction Treatment
          • Behavioral Addiction
        • Levels of Care
          • Continuum of Care
          • Addiction Detox
          • Inpatient Addiction Treatment
          • Outpatient Addiction Treatment
        • What We Treat
          • Alcoholism
          • Amphetamines
          • Benzodiazepines
          • Cocaine
          • Heroin
          • Opioids
          • Sedative
  • Mental Health
        • Mental Health Rehab
          • Mental Health Rehab
          • Onsite Psychiatric Care
          • Dual Diagnosis
        • Levels of Care
          • Residential Mental Health Care
          • Outpatient Mental Health Care
        • What We Treat
          • ADD & ADHD
          • Anxiety Disorders
          • Bipolar Disorder
          • Depression
          • Eating Disorders
          • Personality Disorders
          • PTSD
          • Schizophrenia
          • Substance Use Disorder
          • Trauma
  • Programs
        • FHE Programs
          • Specialty Program Overview
          • Restore (Mental Health)
          • Empower! (Women's Program)
          • Shatterproof FHE Health(First Responders)
          • Compass Program
        • Support Programs
          • Alumni
          • Family Support
        • Therapies
          • Acupuncture
          • Breathwork Therapy
          • CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
          • DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy)
          • EMDR Therapy
          • Expressive Arts Therapy
          • Individual Therapy
          • Group Therapy
          • Gambling Therapy
          • Massage
        • Medical Care
          • Medical Integration
          • Ketamine Infusion
          • IV Vitamin
          • Fitness & Nutrition
          • Medication-Assisted Treatment
          • Medication Management
        • NeuroRehab Services
          • Neuro Rehabilitation
          • Neurofeedback Training
          • Neurostimulation Therapy
          • EEG Brain Mapping
          • Insomnia Treatment for PTSD
  • Resources
        • FHE Guides
          • Understanding Drug Abuse
          • Signs of Addiction
          • The Disease of Addiction
          • Confronting Addiction
          • Staging an Intervention
          • Rehab Success Rate – Does It Really Work?
          • Withdrawal Timelines
          • Life After Rehab
          • LGBTQ+ Community Resources
          • Veteran Resources
          • FHE Podcasts
          • Remote Resources Toolkit
        • Learning Center
          • Help for You
          • Help For Loved Ones
          • Help For Alcoholism
          • Help With Substance Abuse
          • Behavioral & Mental Health
          • Life in Recovery
          • Rehab Explained
          • Addiction Statistics
          • Our Research Articles
          • View All Articles
        • The Experience Blog
          • Addiction News
          • Alumni
          • Community Events
          • Expert Opinions
          • FHE Commentary
          • FHE News
          • Treatment Legislation
          • View All Articles
  • Admissions
        • Insurance
          • Blue Cross Insurance
          • Beacon Health / Value Options Insurance
          • Cigna Insurance
          • Humana Insurance
          • TRICARE Insurance
        • Admissions
          • Steps to Addiction Help
          • Will Insurance Cover Behavioral Treatment?
          • Self-Pay Rehab
        • FAQ
          • Keeping Your Job in Rehab
          • Example Day in Rehab
        • Contact Admissions
          • Contact Us
          • Secure Payment Form
  • Contact
  •  
Home > Learning > Behavioral & Mental Health > Does David Beckham Really Have OCD?

September 23, 2020 By Kristina Robb-Dover

Does David Beckham Really Have OCD?

David Beckham

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 treatment.

 

Filed Under: Behavioral & Mental Health, Featured in Mental Health

About Kristina Robb-Dover

Kristina Robb-Dover is a content manager and writer with extensive editing and writing experience... read more

Primary Sidebar

Learning Center

  • Help for You
  • Help For Loved Ones
  • Help For Alcoholism
  • Help With Substance Abuse
  • Behavioral & Mental Health
  • Life in Recovery
  • Rehab Explained
  • All Articles

Sign up for the Blog

Our Facilities

Take a look at our state of the art treatment center.

View Our Gallery

The Experience Blog

  • Addiction News
  • Alumni
  • Community Events
  • Expert Columns
  • FHE Commentary
  • FHE News
  • Treatment Legislation
  • All Articles

Footer

FHE Health

© 2025 FHE Health

505 S Federal Hwy #2,
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441
1-833-596-3502
youtube facebook instagram linkedin twitter
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • AI Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
A+ BBB and Top Places to Work - Sun Sentinel

Copyright © 2025 · FHE Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}

The FHE Health team is committed to providing accurate information that adheres to the highest standards of writing. If one of our articles is marked with a ‘reviewed for accuracy and expertise’ badge, it indicates that one or more members of our team of doctors and clinicians have reviewed the article further to ensure accuracy. This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care.

If there are any concerns about content we have published, please reach out to us at marketing@fhehealth.com.

833-596-3502

Text/Call Me