Jenna Ortega displayed OCD traits at a young age
Jenna Ortega has recalled how she showed traits of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) through her specific morning routine as a child.
Jenna Ortega showed traits of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) from the age of seven.
The Klara and the Sun actress has spoken about how she lives with "pretty intense" OCD and explained that she knew her brain worked differently as she used to wake up before her siblings as a child to follow a painstakingly specific morning routine.
Jenna told Vogue: "I had to open the bedsheet a certain way, and open the drawer one way, and brush my hair in a slow-paced way.
"There's a lot of different trains rolling in my brain at the same time."
Jenna, 24, explained that she follows a precise routine to try and ease the anxiety that comes with OCD – including repeating the phrase "take care" a certain number of times per day, holding her breath and counting to 71.
She said: "(It) helps to take some of the pressure off."
The Wednesday star revealed that she tries to view OCD as a game and sees her acting career as a welcome reprieve from the disorder.
Jenna explained: "(When the cameras are rolling) you have to breathe. That's another reason why I like my job."
Whilst the Scream actress has been candid about her struggles with OCD and anxiety, she is fiercely protective of her private life and has no intention of sharing personal information with the world.
Ortega said: "I don't think I'll ever approach that part of my life, my personal life, with the public."
The Hollywood star also described how she is trying to become less reliant on technology, revealing that she waited several days to get her phone fixed when it broke recently.
Jenna recalled: "If I needed to get somewhere, if I had a workout class, I would look at a map on the computer, memorise the streets. If somebody needed me, I'm like, 'Well, I'm gonna be at the café at this time.' And that was so freeing."
The Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star is one of the hottest young stars in Hollywood and admits that she finds it difficult to "slow down", even though there are times when she wants to.
Ortega said: "I do think I'm somebody who always has to be moving."
