OCD-UK is aware of unhelpful and misleading media articles reporting on the forthcoming David Beckham Documentary.
We have not yet seen the documentary, nor have knowledge of Mr Beckham’s clinical diagnosis.
However, the media reporting on it has failed to describe OCD as we know it, for example it doesn’t mention reoccurring intrusive thoughts, fears or worries or a severe impact on life, all of which a formal diagnosis of clinical OCD requires. Such reporting perpetuates the myths of OCD and stigmatises the suffering that people go through.
We don’t know if Mr Beckham does have OCD or not, we hope not for his sake, but the media articles, have so far failed to correctly describe clinical OCD, and that does a disservice to every person suffering because of OCD.
We call on media reporting to project accurate information when describing OCD.
Ashley Fulwood, Chief Executive of OCD-UK.
