Amanda Seyfried opens up on her battle with ‘extreme OCD’ and says the condition stopped her from going off the rails as a young actress as she poses for stunning Vogue shoot

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Amanda Seyfried has shared that her severe obsessive-compulsive disorder actually helped keep her grounded as a young actress, preventing her from making reckless decisions.

The 40-year-old actress recently revealed she was diagnosed with a health condition at age 19. In a frank discussion, she explained that she avoided certain behaviors common among celebrities because she worried they would negatively impact her mental health.

For Vogue’s January cover story, Amanda revealed that her mother had to temporarily stop working while doctors ran tests to determine her diagnosis.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition where people experience unwanted, recurring thoughts (obsessions) and feel driven to repeat certain behaviors (compulsions) that they find difficult to stop.

For example, someone with an intense fear of burglary might repeatedly check their doors and windows to ensure they are locked, even before leaving for a short time or going to sleep.

Amanda explained that she first went to the doctor while working on the HBO show Big Love, where she had a recurring role for the first four seasons.

My mom took a month off work and moved in with me after I had some brain scans. That’s when I started taking medication, and I still take it every night.

Honestly, learning about Amanda’s health stuff just broke my heart. She told me she really had to cut out anything that might trigger her symptoms – she completely stopped drinking, wouldn’t even think about drugs, and even started coming home earlier. It’s like she was trying to be the perfect patient, just to feel okay. I admire her so much for being so strong and taking care of herself, even though it must be incredibly difficult.

She explained that she often made plans but would end up canceling them. She acknowledged making those choices, specifically avoiding the nightclub scene, and credited her obsessive-compulsive disorder with helping her stay away.

Amanda shared some personal thoughts on balancing her career with raising her two children, ages eight and five, with her husband, Thomas Sadoski. She admitted it’s impossible to fully explain her work to them.

This follows Amanda’s recent admission to Who What Wear that she only receives Botox in one specific area.

She explained that her dermatologist always uses the same Botox injections in her forehead, and will continue to do so indefinitely, pointing to the area where she usually gets it done.

For her part in The Testament of Ann Lee, Amanda couldn’t get her wrinkles smoothed with injections because the director, Mona, wanted a natural look and didn’t allow any makeup or Botox.

Amanda explained to Vanity Fair last August that she did it to convincingly play Ann Lee, a leader from the 18th-century Shaker community.

‘I couldn’t get Botox for a year. That was a big assignment…,’ she told the publication.

I initially loved getting Botox – it really helped with my tendency to frown. However, I eventually realized I needed to be able to express myself fully for my work, so the effects wore off, which was actually a good thing.

Amanda explained to etalkctv at the Toronto International Film Festival premiere on September 9th that dealing with attention is simply part of her work.

She explained that acting is her passion and profession. She doesn’t feel a need for anything more – she simply enjoys it.

‘The things that I like, I can sacrifice a little. Of course, I can.’

We definitely had to make some sacrifices, but it was all worth it. We enjoyed every single day, and we didn’t just get by – we really flourished, she said.

Amanda recently shared that becoming a parent has made it difficult to balance work and her various projects, which she believes may be contributing to stress lines on her face.

The actress and her husband, Thomas Sadoski, have two children: a daughter named Nina, born in 2017, and a son born in 2020, whose name they haven’t made public.

‘Honestly, right now, it’s really hard,’ the actress told Us Weekly. 

I’ve never balanced work with two young children like this before, and it’s the first time I’ve had two films released so close together.

‘And so, I’m a little bit bananas right now.’

For the full digital cover story, go to Vogue.com.

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2026-01-08 17:50