Georges St-Pierre, an esteemed UFC fighter, has revealed that he has obsessive compulsive disorder.
St-Pierre took an indefinite hiatus from competition more than two months ago.
On a tour promoting a new documentary about him, “The DNA of GSP,” the fighter told CBC that the disorder was critical to his success but also took a toll on his personal life.
“As a fighter it’s a good thing to have it, because it makes you better because you completely obsess about being a better martial artist,” St-Pierre said. “Everything you do is oriented around that goal. But the same thing could be bad for a normal person in normal life.”
The disorder caused him to sleep poorly for 10 years--no more than five hours a night--and drove him crazy.
“That’s why I took that break,” he said. “I had my first New Year’s and Christmas with my family, a real one. I don’t have to go away because I have a fight coming up.”
St-Pierre said that he will be returning to the sport after promoting the documentary.
“I will be happy doing it again until the obsessiveness takes over and makes me unhappy again,” he said.
Friends Read Free