Ellen DeGeneres details her struggles with OCD and other health issues, says 'I'm losing my memory'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Former talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has detailed her health challenges in new Netflix special, 'For Your Approval.'

The 66-year-old comedian used her platform to candidly discuss her diagnoses of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), among other health conditions.

Ellen DeGeneres discusses OCD and ADHD diagnosis

Ellen DeGeneres also shared her journey of seeking mental health support which followed accusations of fostering a toxic work environment on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show.'

DeGeneres revealed that a therapist suggested she might have OCD, saying she initially misunderstood the disorder.

"I may have OCD because a therapist said so, and I said, 'Yes, I am very organized,' because I thought that was the O," she said.

DeGeneres admitted she was unfamiliar with OCD due to her Christian Science upbringing which didn't acknowledge disorders or diseases, however, she admitted it kept her "well adjusted," RadarOnline reports. 

Reflecting on her childhood, she added, "I look back now and I realize my dad for sure had OCD. He would check the doorknob 15 times before we'd leave, he'd check the faucet 15 times."

"He would unplug all the appliances before we left the house because lightning could strike and it could catch fire," she said, adding, "They say it could be hereditary."

She also shared that her wife of 15 years, Portia de Rossi, confirmed her suspicions about her own OCD tendencies.

"It's funny, I never thought of myself as obsessive. I think of myself as careful and everyone else careless and out of control," she said.

Ellen DeGeneres opens up on living with ADHD

In addition to OCD, Ellen DeGeneres opened up on her struggles with ADHD, noting that it affects her ability to focus.

"My ADD makes it really hard to sit down and focus on anything at all," she shared.

"So, I have ADD, I have OCD, I'm losing my memory," DeGeneres said, discussing how ADHD and OCD have impacted her.

DeGeneres then joked, "But I think I'm well-adjusted because I obsess on things, but I don't have the attention span to stick with it, and I quickly forget what I was obsessing about in the first place."

"So, it takes me all the way around to being well-adjusted, I think," she continued.

Ellen DeGeneres faces osteoporosis and arthritis

Ellen DeGeneres also revealed she suffers from osteoporosis, describing it as a "full-on" bone disease that makes her feel like a "human sandcastle," adding, "I don't even know how I'm standing up right now."

"I could disintegrate in the shower," she added. In addition, the former talk show host discussed her experience with arthritis, recounting how she mistook the pain for a torn ligament.

"I had excruciating pain one day... I got an MRI, and they said, 'No, it's just arthritis.' I said, 'How did I get that?' And he said, 'Oh, it just happens at your age,'" she explained.

"It's hard to be honest about aging and seem cool," DeGeneres said.