Ben Miller, the actor who played Professor Jasper Tempest in the ITV drama Death In Paradise, has opened up about his personal battle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The star revealed that he struggled a lot with OCD, especially in his twenties.
“I did struggle a lot with OCD, particularly in my twenties, and I’m very lucky in that it’s all very manageable now,” Ben said.
He also shared how there were times when his symptoms became “unmanageable,” much like his character in the show, Professor T.
“But there were times where it was unmanageable, as it is for Professor T, so I know how that feels and I know how I dealt with it.”
Ben Miller played Professor Jasper Tempest on Death In Paradise
(Image: Denis Guyenon)
Ben found that the sequences in the show where Professor T imagines himself free of OCD were a great way to depict what’s going on inside a person suffering from this condition, reports the Express.
“I’ve found these sequences – where in the Professor’s imagination he doesn’t have OCD and he’s free of all those behaviours – are a great way to show what’s going on inside.”
He further explained that while someone lining up items on a desk might seem harmless, the person could be dealing with a lot more internally.
“Seeing somebody lining up items on a desk looks pretty innocuous but inside, that person can be a lot more complicated.”
OCD is a chronic mental health condition characterised by uncontrollable, recurring thoughts (obsessions) and behaviours (compulsions), hence its name.
Ben Miller is married to Jessica Parker
For instance, someone who is extremely scared of being robbed might feel the need to check all their windows and doors are locked multiple times before they can leave their house. While everyone may have “rituals or habits” occasionally, people with OCD usually don’t find joy in these behaviours.
Instead, they cause significant issues in their daily life.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIH) explains that some people with OCD also have a tic disorder. Motor tics are quick, short, repetitive movements like eye blinking, facial grimacing, shoulder shrugging, and head or shoulder jerking.
Common vocal tics include repetitive throat-clearing, sniffing, or grunting sounds.
Talking about his own symptoms, Ben said: “I was very OCD about doorways and doors. For me, it was a way of mitigating and controlling my anxieties.”
“I thought if I touched an object a certain number of times, then bad things won’t happen. Of course it doesn’t work – I constantly had to amplify my behaviours to try and reduce my anxiety.”
Ben opened up about his struggles with OCD and panic disorder
(Image: (Image: Getty))
“Mine was quite a mathematical one. I have quite a mathematical mind and sometimes that goes a little bit into overdrive.”
“There comes a point where the OCD behaviours themselves make the anxiety worse and you enter into a positive feedback loop; it gets out of control. There were crisis points when I decided to seek professional help.”
The actor shared that he has anxiety along with OCD, which can get worse because his job is very stressful. He said this can lead to panic attacks.
Talking about his panic attacks, he said: “I don’t know what triggers it for me. It can happen any time of day or night and it can literally happen during a conversation it doesn’t seem to follow any pattern.”
“I’ve never woken up in the morning and thought: ‘I’m going to have a panic attack today.’ I always seem to be surprised by them.”
Ben Miller’s Death In Paradise character, Professor T, also suffered from OCD
(Image: BBC/Red Planet Pictures/Denis Guyenon)
Luckily, for those suffering with OCD and anxiety, there are various treatments available to try and help individuals live an undisturbed life. The main treatment methods include medication, psychotherapy or a combination of the two.
Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs), which include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are used to help reduce OCD symptoms. The NIH warns that SRIs often require higher daily doses in the treatment of OCD than of depression and may take eight to 12 weeks to start working, but some patients experience more rapid improvement.
If these types of medications don’t improve symptoms, studies have shown that some patients might respond well to an antipsychotic medication. This is particularly true for people who have both OCD and a tic disorder.
On the other hand, studies have shown that certain types of therapy, like cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and other related therapies, can be as effective as medication for many people. One particular therapy technique – where individuals spend time in a situation that triggers compulsions but do not act out any behaviours – has been found to be effective in reducing compulsive behaviours.
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