What was Zach Braff diagnosed with at age ten?

Zach Braff was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder at age ten. He has spoken publicly about experiencing OCD during childhood, making this a documented part of his personal history rather than a detail about one of his fictional characters.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder involves recurring, unwanted thoughts or images called obsessions and repetitive behaviors or mental rituals called compulsions. These symptoms can appear in childhood, although people sometimes confuse OCD with ordinary neatness, perfectionism, or a preference for routines. OCD is specifically associated with distressing symptoms that are difficult to control and interfere with daily life.

Braff later became widely known as Dr. John “J.D.” Dorian on the television comedy Scrubs, which ran from 2001 to 2010. His real-life diagnosis is sometimes mistakenly inferred from, or blended with, the anxious and eccentric behavior of characters he has played. It is also separate from the mental-health themes explored in his 2004 film Garden State, which he wrote, directed, and starred in.

Braff has continued to discuss mental health in interviews, including his childhood OCD and later experiences with depression. The key trivia detail is the age and diagnosis: ten years old and obsessive-compulsive disorder.