Beckham reveals OCD battle

Not too long ago, we broke the story of elite footballer Wayne Schwass' battle with depression. Now we also break the story of David Beckham's battle with OCD.

ON the pitch and off, David Beckham seems every inch the completely confident, happy and high-achieving global megastar, but he recently admitted his life is blighted by a psychological disorder.

Most of us can only dream about the kind of life "Goldenballs" and Posh lead behind closed doors, with their champagne on ice, caviar by the kilo and wardrobes stuffed with designer goodies.

Dad-of-three multi-millionaire footballer David Beckham seems to have life well and truly sorted.

And so his revelations that he suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) came as a shock.

The illness drags its victims through repeated and upsetting thoughts and behaviours, regardless of how healthy or successful they might seem to the outside world.

David Beckham told TV interviewers: "I've got this obsessive compulsive 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."

Gareth Salter knows the torment 31-year-old Beckham is suffering, as his is life similarly blighted - he has an irrational fear of the numbers two and four.

His problem means he refuses to buy any item with a two or a four in the price, and cannot park next to a car with one of the digits in its registration plate.

He said: "There have been rumours that David Beckham suffers from OCD for quite a few years, and I'm glad he's had the courage to speak about it publicly.

"I've heard that people who are perfectionists are more likely to suffer from focusing on things, and his success as a footballer would suggest he's got that perfectionist tendency.

"The more that people know about and understand OCD the better, and I think Beckham's done the right thing in talking to the Press about it. Some people say he just wanted the publicity, but I think that's unfair. Good on him, I say."

Gareth, who lives in the UK, began to suffer from OCD 15 years ago, but wasn't diagnosed until much later. He was studying for his final exams at Nottingham University when the stress mounted up and tipped him over the edge.

The 38-year-old said: "I developed an irrational fear of the numbers two and four. When I'm having an off day I think if I do or see anything associated with those numbers, something bad will happen to me or someone I care about."

Cognitive behaviour therapy sessions over the phone with a therapist who has also experienced OCD have helped Gareth to go about his life, and enjoy a career as a freelance writer.

He said: "People with OCD tend to be fully aware of how mad they look, and how stupid their fears are. But they just can't stop their behaviour. It might seem strange to say it, but the best way to deal with OCD is through humour."

The laughing cure seems to be one supported by Beckham's old Manchester United colleagues, who would apparently deliberately rearrange his clothes in hotel rooms or move magazines around to make them "wonky" to infuriate him.

OCD ranges from mild traits to a debilitating dependency on rituals of cleanliness, symmetry or other issues. Asked if he wanted to stop his obsessive behaviour, the England captain said: "I would like to. I've tried and can't stop."

Charity First Steps to Freedom helped Phillip control his condition

A GRANDFATHER of four lost the life that he knew 40 years ago when his brain locked onto "repugnant, disturbing" thoughts.

Phillip Hare (65) was going through a stressful, unsettled period in his life when he developed OCD.

Upsetting thoughts would intrude on his life, making him ill and unhappy.

He said: "OCD wasn't recognised by the medical profession 40 years ago, and so I was just given high doses of tranquillisers.

"Eventually, I had a nervous breakdown. I was a mental invalid."

About six years ago, Phillip, from Orton Longueville, Peterborough, heard about the charity First Steps to Freedom, which was set up to give practical help to people who suffer from OCD.

He said: "My life now is completely unrecognisable now from the life I lived 40 years ago. I have learned methods to manage OCD, and although it is still with me, I can manage it. I'm not struggling all the time now."

He added that he respected David Beckham for talking about his problems, and was keen to stress that OCD takes in a wide range of behaviour - it isn't simply the clichÃf© of someone who can't stop washing their hands or checking the doors are locked.

OCD facts

* Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is when people experience repetitive and upsetting thoughts and/or behaviours. OCD has two main features: obsessions and compulsions.

* Obsessions are involuntary thoughts, images or impulses. Common obsessions include fears about dirt, germs and contamination, and fears that things are not safe, for examply household appliances. The main features of obsessions are that they are automatic, frequent, upsetting or distressing, and difficult to control or get rid of.

* It is common for people to carry out a compulsion in order to reduce the anxiety they feel from an obsession. Common compulsions include excessive washing and cleaning, checking and repetitive actions such as touching, counting, arranging, ordering and hoarding. Carrying out a compulsion reduces the person's anxiety and makes the urge to perform the compulsion again stronger each time.

* Almost everybody experiences the type of thoughts that people with OCD have, such as wanting to double-check the front door or the gas. However, most people are able to dismiss these thoughts. People with OCD cannot ignore unpleasant thoughts, and pay undue attention to them.

* For the majority of people, OCD can be effectively controlled and treated.

* More information is available from www.ocdaction.org.uk