“I don’t see the point of getting off of it. Whether it’s placebo or not, I don’t want to risk it. And what are you fighting against? Just the stigma of using a tool?”
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During an interview for the November 2017 cover of Allure, actress Amanda Seyfried discussed why the guest house in her New York residence has no stove. “You could so easily burn down something if you leave the stove on,” the “Mamma Mia” star said. Seyfried then admitted her irrational fear of losing her home was caused by obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Seyfried was also very open about being on medication for the disorder and doesn’t feel ashamed about it. “Yeah. I’m on Lexapro, and I’ll never get off of it,” she said. “I don’t see the point of getting off of it. Whether it’s placebo or not, I don’t want to risk it. And what are you fighting against? Just the stigma of using a tool?”
Seyfried also believes that people with mental illness are victims of a terrible double standard. “A mental illness is a thing that people cast in a different category [from other illnesses], but I don’t think it is. 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.”
It’s important when celebrities such as Seyfried go public about their struggles with mental illness. A recent study from Bowling Green University found that over 20% of people with OCD had a hard time getting help because of the shame associated with the disorder.
Seyfried’s success at managing her illness can give hope to others as well. “As I get older, the compulsive thoughts and fears have diminished a lot,” Seyfried said. “Knowing that a lot of my fears are not reality-based really helps.”
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