Eddie Murphy is one of the most iconic entertainers of the last half-century. From Saturday Night Live to blockbuster films and stand-up comedy specials that redefined the genre, he has built an extraordinary career fueled by sharp observational humor, unshakeable charisma, and lightning-fast wit. His success has been so immense, so enduring, and so culturally embedded that it can be easy to imagine him as invincible — a man who lives solely on applause, laughter, and creative momentum.
But hidden beneath the public persona of a comedic legend is a man who has wrestled with private battles, particularly around mental health. Among these struggles, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has played a surprisingly significant role in Murphy’s life. Not only did it shape parts of his childhood, but it has remained present even as he stepped into global superstardom.
This blog post explores Eddie Murphy’s journey with OCD and broader mental health challenges — how they emerged, how he confronted them, and how they continue to influence him today. His openness provides a rare and valuable perspective on what it means to live with mental health challenges while maintaining a high-pressure, high-visibility career.
Murphy’s earliest experiences with compulsive behavior began in childhood, long before he had the language or understanding to identify them. What he felt, he later described, was an intense need to repeatedly check household appliances — especially the gas stove. He would confirm it was off, walk away, lie down in bed, and then feel an overwhelming urge to get up and check again.
What made this ritual particularly hard was how isolating it felt. As a child, he didn’t know why he was doing it. He didn’t tell anyone. And he often believed something was wrong with him — not in a clinical sense, but in the sense that he felt "different," confused, and controlled by thoughts he did not fully understand.
For many children with undiagnosed OCD, this experience is common: the sense of a private world of rituals and intrusive worries that feel simultaneously embarrassing, irrational, and impossible to resist. Murphy’s struggle fits into this pattern. In retrospect, he recognized these compulsions as textbook symptoms of OCD, but at the time they were merely part of his everyday life — a daily loop he had little control over.
It wasn’t until his teenage years that Murphy encountered a description of OCD that aligned perfectly with his own behaviors. For the first time, he understood that his thoughts and rituals had a name — and more importantly, that he wasn’t alone.
That moment of recognition mattered deeply. Many individuals with OCD experience this phase: the shock of seeing themselves in a clinical description, followed by a sense of relief that what they are experiencing is real and recognizable. For Murphy, it was the first time he could make sense of the hours he had spent performing rituals, fighting urges, and feeling trapped in cycles he couldn’t explain.
Though he gained clarity, he did not immediately seek therapy or treatment. Like many people during that era — and especially young men — Murphy internalized the belief that he needed to deal with it himself. Instead of reaching out for help, he made the decision to “force” himself to stop his compulsions.
Murphy has openly described how he attempted to confront his OCD through sheer willpower. Rather than working with a therapist or exploring structured treatment approaches, he made a personal vow to wrestle back control from the compulsions that had shaped his early life.
But OCD is not something one simply switches off. It is a complex condition fueled by powerful cycles of anxiety, habit, and intrusive thoughts. Even for someone with Murphy’s extraordinary determination and self-discipline, breaking these cycles was not simple.
The compulsions decreased over time, but they never vanished entirely. He has spoken about how, even as an adult, he sometimes finds himself slipping back into thought loops or rituals — such as checking the stove — before catching himself. He has developed his own version of internal dialogue, stopping himself mid-compulsion and reminding himself firmly that he will not let the old patterns return.
This ongoing vigilance reveals an important truth about OCD: it rarely disappears completely. For many, it becomes something to manage, not eliminate. Murphy’s experience reflects that reality — a lifelong negotiation between intrusive thoughts and conscious resistance.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Murphy’s public reflections is his belief that OCD has influenced his comedy in positive ways. He has pointed out that humor is, at its core, an art of noticing. Comedians pay attention to details that others overlook — small habits, contradictions, anxieties, absurdities. They observe intensely, then amplify what they see.
In Murphy’s view, the heightened awareness that comes with OCD — the constant scanning, the mental repetition, the fixation on details — overlaps naturally with comedic instincts. While OCD itself can be exhausting and disruptive, certain cognitive patterns associated with it can fuel creativity, precision, and a heightened sense of human behavior.
Many artists across disciplines have spoken about similar experiences: that mental health challenges, while difficult, sometimes sharpen their perception or intensify their focus. Murphy’s perspective doesn’t glamorize OCD, but it acknowledges that the mind’s complexity can manifest in both struggles and strengths.
Being an international superstar has brought Murphy intense pressures — public scrutiny, relentless expectations, and the challenge of staying relevant in an industry that moves quickly and often harshly. Mental health struggles can be magnified in such environments.
Yet Murphy has consistently maintained a deep sense of inner stability. He has credited this to several personal anchors:
Murphy has spoken often about the importance of loving himself. To him, self-love isn’t self-absorption; it is a form of grounding that helps him navigate fame without losing his identity. He believes that this inner stability protected him from many pitfalls that have overwhelmed other public figures.
Faith and prayer have played ongoing roles in Murphy’s emotional wellbeing. Spiritual grounding provides him with a source of calm and perspective, particularly during stressful or uncertain periods.
For Murphy, comedy has always been more than entertainment. It is a way of processing life, understanding people, and finding joy in the midst of pressure. His ability to laugh — and to make others laugh — has undoubtedly contributed to his resilience.
Murphy’s willingness to discuss his mental health struggles is significant for several reasons:
Many people misunderstand OCD, thinking it is simply about being neat or organized. In reality, it involves intrusive thoughts, overwhelming anxiety, and compulsions that can consume hours. Hearing someone of Murphy’s stature describe his experience helps break down misconceptions.
OCD often begins in childhood, but many people don’t recognize the symptoms early. Murphy’s story underscores the importance of understanding how early signs manifest and encouraging open conversations about mental health from a young age.
Murphy’s achievements do not negate his challenges. His story humanizes the idea that even people who appear confident, charismatic, and unstoppable may be fighting private battles.
Understanding that someone as universally admired as Eddie Murphy deals with OCD fosters empathy for others who face similar struggles — whether publicly or silently.
What makes Murphy’s story powerful is its honesty. He does not present OCD as something he conquered or “fixed.” Instead, he acknowledges that it ebbs and flows, and that he must stay mindful of it throughout his life.
This realism is important. Mental health journeys are often nonlinear. They involve progress, setbacks, coping mechanisms, and constant learning. Murphy’s experience reflects the truth that living with mental health conditions is not a weakness; it is part of the rich, complex landscape of being human.
Eddie Murphy’s story is a reminder that even the brightest stars carry shadows behind them. His openness about OCD offers comfort, solidarity, and validation to anyone who has navigated mental health challenges — especially those who have wrestled with compulsive thoughts in silence.
His journey shows that vulnerability and brilliance can coexist. His honesty demonstrates that acknowledgement, self-awareness, and self-love can coexist with struggle. And his life proves that mental health challenges do not diminish talent, success, or joy — they simply make the person behind the achievements more real, more complex, and more deserving of compassion.