What condition does gymnast Aly Raisman have?

Aly Raisman retired from the sport of artistic gymnastics in January 2020 on the back of a very successful career. Raisman, with her graceful performances, won three Olympic gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze medal in the span of two Olympic outings.

Today, she focuses on advocating for better protection for female athletes from sexual abuse, better mental health access for athletes, and other social issues she holds in high regard.

In 2020, Raisman appeared on the Armchair Expert podcast with Dax Shepard where she shared details about a condition that has been affecting her for a long time, namely Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Alexandra Raisman of the United States looks on during the Artistic Gymnastics Women's Floor Exercise final on Day 11 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at North Greenwich Arena. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Raisman opened up about her OCD shortly after Shepard opened up about his own struggles. Thanking Shepard for sharing his story, she said:

"I struggle with it [OCD] too... It [Shepard sharing his story] makes me feel like I’m less alone, people don’t really talk about it a lot in public."

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Raisman on her struggle with OCD

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), is the authority responsible for helping professionals with diagnosing mental disorders, and it marks OCD as a disorder that presents obsessions, compulsions, or both.

Raisman, the Olympic gold medallist, said:

"I always thought OCD was ‘I have to touch this x amount of times or I have to do this x amount of times before I leave the room,' but I’ve also learned that OCD is classified with like ruminating thoughts or obsessive thoughts or catastrophic thinking. I have that."

Alexandra Raisman of the United States poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Artistic Gymnastics Women's Floor Exercise final on Day 11 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at North Greenwich Arena. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Obsessions are recurrent and persistent unpleasant thoughts that may trigger compulsive behaviors to alleviate the anxiety caused by obsessive thoughts.

Referring to her struggles with OCD, the former gymnast said:

"[It’s] that fight or flight response where it could be something so small and my body is reacting as if like, a tiger is trying to eat me ... If I had this good luck thing, and I was traveling internationally, and I forgot it, or something happened and it broke, I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, what do I do now?’ ... So it’s just different moments in my career where I was obsessive about it."

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OCD in Athletes

For athletes, a routine on performance day, such as goalkeepers slamming their cleats on the post and basketball players clapping chalk off their hands, reassures them that they are in control of the situation. However, some may face symptoms of OCD when their compulsions become time-consuming and excessive.

These symptoms may worsen as the stakes are raised; more compulsive actions need to be performed to ensure better performance. This can be debilitating and can severely affect an athlete's performance.

For athletes or anyone else, it is important to seek help to try and resolve mental health conditions before they become unmanageable.