Eddie Murphy Opens Up About Lifelong โBattle with OCD and teh Powerโข of Self-Love
Eddie Murphy recently revealed he has lived with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) since childhood, a condition he initially attempted to suppress due to societal stigma. He described realizing his behaviors were linked to a mental illness and making a conscious effort to stop. “That’s what I do, I do things like that,”โค he explained, recalling hisโค initial reaction. “When I saw that it was a โmental illness, I forced โmyself to stop doing it.” At a time when mental health wasn’t widely discussed, Murphy’s preconceived notions led him toโค a drastic decision: “I thought it was strange so I โขsaid to myself: ‘I’m not going to do it anymore. I don’t have any mental illness. Mental illness, โmy nose!’โ and I โคforced myself to stop.” OCD โis characterized by โฃunwanted, intrusive thoughts and fears (obsessions) that drive repetitive behaviors (compulsions) which disrupt daily life.
While Murphy โฃhas โmade significant progress, he admits his compulsions haven’t entirely disappeared. “I still check the gas every night. But every once in a โฃwhile, I double check it and I’m like, ‘No, you son of a bitch, you’re not going to start that shit again. Go to bed,'” he shared with a laugh.
The actor also credited โa strong sense of self-love with helping him navigate theโ pitfalls of Hollywoodโ and avoid the substance abuse issues that plagued many of his peers. In a recent documentary spanning almost two hours, Murphy discussedโค his childhood and how โฃself-loveโ allowed him to “evade โฃmanyโค dangers of Hollywood.” He told People โbefore the premiere, “My greatest blessing is that I love myself.” โ He continued, “I โฃhave always loved myself, I have always been my biggest fan. That is the basis of all the decisions I make. Some โคpeople spend their entire lives and at the end thay say: ‘I finallyโ love myself.’ I started like that.”
Today, Murphy finds immense joy in his large family. He isโฃ the father of โฃten children, ranging in age fromโฃ 6 to 36. He shares five children with his first โขwife,Nicole,and two โwith hisโค current wife,Paigeโข Butcher. He has threeโ children from previous relationships. “It just happened. I never thought I would have ten children, but now it is the best thing that has happened to me. If you can affordโฃ it,โข youโ shoudl have asโฃ many children as you can. โIt’s a lot โof fun,” he said. He concluded โproudly, “My children are all good people. โI don’t have aโข single badโฃ one, and Iโ like to think that they have inherited some of that from me.”