ODRO
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke revealed that he is suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Clarke said that even though he hasn’t been officially diagnosed with the disorder, it is a given. Clarke said that he has had moments of deep sadness in the past.
Michael Clarke (Source: AP)
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke revealed that he is suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Clarke revealed that even though he hasn’t been formally diagnosed with the disorder, it is a given. OCD is a mental health condition where a person suffers from reoccurring, unwanted thoughts and fears that lead to compulsive behaviours.
“I have never been checked, I think it is a given,” he said on the Mental As Anyone podcast on Monday. “It is like ADD, it’s a given. Definitely, ask my parents, you don’t need to take me to a doctor,” added Clarke.
Clarke backed his claims by revealing that he is extremely clean and organised, adding that he always ensures he has petrol in his car and that clothes are laid out for his daughter, Kelsey Lee. Clarke also opened up about periods of the deep sadness he went through.
“I’ve certainly been extremely sad, devastated, floored, can’t move for days can’t get out of bed. Losing family members, losing a couple of my closest friends, so I think I’ve felt the deepest of sadness, but I think it was sadness. I don’t know if it was depression. I’ve never gone to a doctor to be diagnosed with depression, for example, or to seek medication for depression,” he added.
Clarke also revealed the reason he believes he was not embraced by the fans like other Aussie cricketers. Drawing comparisons with former Australia cricketers Allan Border, Steve Waugh, and Mark Taylor, Clarke said he did whatever he wanted which didn’t go well with his fans.
“I don’t think any of those three have tattoos or have an earring or dye their hair or, you know, played a handful of Test matches and wanted a Ferrari so went and bought a Ferrari. I did what I felt. [People believe] a 25-year-old kid from the western suburbs should be driving ute with a cattle dog drinking VB and I wanted a Ferrari so I went and bought one. Those decisions that I made that probably people didn’t agree with, fair enough as well,” Clarke revealed.
Clarke is a World Cup winning captain of Australia and led the team to a win in the 2015 World Cup. He announced his retirement from cricket after the 2015 Ashes series.
