Luke Combs is opening up about dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder, which he describes as “all-consuming” in his life.
“When it hits, man, it can be all-consuming,” Combs told 60 Minutes Australia. “If you have a flare-up of it, right, it could be you could think about it 45 seconds of every minute for weeks.”
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is defined by “uncontrollable and recurring thoughts (obsessions), repetitive and excessive behaviors (compulsions), or both,” according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The condition affects approximately 2% of adults in the United States.
Combs, who spoke with 60 Minutes Australia while touring the country earlier this year, revealed that he suffers from exclusively obsessional OCD, which affects him psychologically but not physically.
While Pure O is not an official diagnosis, the American Psychiatric Association defines it as a name used by some mental health practitioners to distinguish it from OCD’s physical compulsions.
“The variant that I have is particularly wicked because, you know, there’s no outward manifestation of it,” he told me. “So for someone like myself, you don’t even realize it’s happening. It might be happening right now.
Combs claims he has had OCD since the age of 12, characterizing the illness as “tedious” and “debilitating,” adding that it can create worry and unpleasant thoughts.
He aims to utilize his experience to help children with OCD, as the disorder has held him back several times in his life.
“I want to be an example for those kids who don’t have any hope,” Combs told the crowd. “You can you can still go on and do great things even though you’re dealing with something that’s really tough.”
