Leonardo DiCaprio’s OCD Habits and How He Keeps Them in Check

Leonardo DiCaprio reportedly opens up about living with OCD, managing it with therapy, and channeling it into his Oscar-nominated role.

Leonardo DiCaprio may not look like it, but he actually suffers from a real mental health disorder: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

While his onscreen career has perfectly made him a household name in Hollywood, life behind the scenes hasn’t entirely been all smooth sailing for him due to his struggles with OCD.

But thankfully, he appears to know how to keep them in check.

Though this is a matter he rarely talks about, back in 2005, he reportedly explained the repetitive actions he grappled with as a result of the disorder, saying (via Mirror.co.uk):

My thing was not stepping on cracks, or not stepping on certain things.

Sometimes it took me 10 minutes to get to the set because I’d be pacing back and forth, stepping on gum stains.

Besides this, the Titanic star even reportedly fought with the urge to walk through doorways numerous times — compulsions that often delayed his work and filming on set.

But DiCaprio, on his part, asserted that while struggling with this condition is one thing, he doesn’t want it to rule his life.

And he has since worked on that, reportedly keeping it in check with therapy.

According to the NHS, obsessive-compulsive disorder is a mental health condition where the person affected deals with obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours.

It can affect men, women, and children, with people displaying symptoms as early as 6 years old.

It can be distressing and even significantly interfere with the life of the one affected.

Leonardo DiCaprio Keeps His OCD in Check With Therapy and Medication

Leonardo DiCaprio in a still from The Wolf of Wall Street. | Credit: Paramount Pictures.

As per the NHS, OCD can mainly be treated in two ways: cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which helps the patient face their fears and obsessive thoughts without “putting them right” through compulsions; and medication, usually a type of antidepressant medicine, which helps by altering the balance of chemicals in the brain.

DiCaprio, on his part, reportedly manages his symptoms with the help of therapy and medication (reported on Savant Care).

Back in his interview from 2005, he also shared how he used to control those impulsive thoughts, saying,

I’m able to say at some point, ‘OK, you’re being ridiculous, stop stepping on every gum stain you see.

You don’t need to do that.

You don’t need to walk 20 feet back and put your foot on that thing.

Nothing bad is going to happen.’

For the record, the obsessive thoughts associated with this condition are often intrusive and unpleasant, and trigger anxiety and a compulsion to do something in the patient.

Though acting on this compulsion may relieve the anxiety for the time being, doing so leads to the formation of a cycle as the obsession and unpleasant feelings return.

This is why working on keeping the disorder in check is really necessary.

Did You Know Leonardo DiCaprio Played a Character Who Spent His Whole Life With OCD?

Leonardo DiCaprio in a still from The Aviator.

While dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder in real life is one thing, Leonardo DiCaprio has even embodied a character who struggles with the same condition as him: Howard Hughes in Martin Scorsese‘s 2004 flick, The Aviator.

For those unversed, Hughes is a famous aviator and successful film producer, but suffers from severe OCD.

This role, of course, must have required him to tap into his personal understanding of the disorder and all the compulsions and obsessive thoughts it brings with it.

Talking about how he used to get into character, he reportedly said (via Express.co.uk),

I let it all go and never listened to the other voice.

At the same time, he also added how he remembered his make-up artist and assistant walking him to the set and going, “Oh God, we’re going to need 10 minutes to get him there because he has to walk back and step on that thing, touch the door, and walk in and out again,” all because he was yet another victim of OCD.

But either way, he delivered such an outstandingly nuanced and compelling performance as the character that it earned him critical acclaim along with an Oscar nod for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

Not to mention, even the movie stands at a sweet 86% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes alongside its multiple award nods and wins, so that’s that too!

What do you think about this? Got any opinions to share? Make sure to drop them in the comments section below!

The Aviator can currently be watched on Netflix.