Amanda Seyfried Reflects on Living With OCD: “I Gotta Give Credit to It”

Amanda Seyfried is speaking openly about her mental health journey, nearly 20 years after being diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD.

In a recent interview with Vogue, the actress shared that she was formally diagnosed with what she described as “really extreme” OCD at just 19 years old—right as her acting career was taking off.

At the time, Seyfried had already made a splash as Karen Smith in the 2004 hit Mean Girls. Her schedule quickly filled up with roles, including a recurring part on Veronica Mars and a starring role in HBO’s Big Love.

“I was living in Marina del Rey, shooting Big Love, and my mom had to take a sabbatical from work in Pennsylvania to live with me for a month,” Seyfried recalled. During that time, she underwent brain scans and began medication—something she says she still takes every night.

OCD, according to medical experts, involves intrusive thoughts and fears that lead to repetitive behaviors and can seriously interfere with daily life. Seyfried said that while the condition was challenging, it also shaped some of her choices in a positive way.

She explained that she avoided common Hollywood pitfalls that many young stars face, such as heavy drinking, drug use, and constant late nights. “I would make plans and then just not go,” she said with a laugh. “I didn’t enter that realm of nightclubs. I gotta give credit to my OCD.”

Seyfried also believes it helped that she didn’t become famous overnight. Unlike some of her peers—such as Mean Girls co-star Lindsay Lohan—she says her rise was slower and less overwhelming. “I wasn’t the star. I was just somewhat recognizable and appreciated,” she noted.

This isn’t the first time the actress has spoken candidly about her diagnosis. In a 2016 interview with Allure, she described undergoing an MRI and being referred to a psychiatrist, adding that her symptoms have eased with age and treatment. “Knowing that a lot of my fears are not reality-based really helps,” she said at the time.

Seyfried has also been outspoken about breaking the stigma around mental illness. “A mental illness is a thing that people cast in a different category,” she explained. “But I don’t think it is. It should be taken as seriously as anything else.”

She shared that she has remained on medication for years and sees no reason to stop. “Whether it’s placebo or not, I don’t want to risk it,” she said. “What are you fighting against? Just the stigma of using a tool?”

By continuing to speak openly, Seyfried hopes her experience helps normalize conversations around mental health—and reminds others that seeking treatment is a strength, not a weakness.