Obessive Compulsion Disorder

Obessive Compulsion Disorder

The movie “As Good as It Gets” stars Jack Nicholson as the character of Melvin Udall. Melvin suffers from a severe form of obsessive compulsion disorder (OCD). It is important to understand what the disease entails, and the symptoms it causes. Obsession is recurrent, persistent thoughts, impulses, or images the person encompasses. They also attempt to ignore, suppress, and/or neutralize various situations. Even though these characteristics sound harsh, a person who has this disorder and easily recognize that their thoughts are irrational, and they will openly admit to it. For example, in the movie, Melvin explains to Helen Hunt’s character, Carol, that he knows what he says is hurtful when he criticizes her. Even though he knows it is wrong to say, it is difficult for him to hold back the impulses. Some common obsessions with OCD are contamination, need for order, lucky or unlucky numbers, pathological doubt, aggressive impulses, and hyperreligiousity. In the movie, Melvin must use gloves when driving, picking up the dog, and he refused to wear the suite that was provided at the restaurant. These are classic signs of obsessing over contamination, commonly referred to mysophobia or “germophobia”. The compulsion aspect of OCD refers to repetitive behaviors, or the person feeling the need to perform in response to obsession. General signs of compulsion are washing, cleaning, checking, ordering, counting, asking or confessing, hoarding, touching, and opening and closing. There are many examples of these compulsions in the movie when Melvin walks into his apartment. He has to lock the door five times, turn the light switch on and off five times, and then do the same to the next light switch. When he washes his hands, he must use three bars of soap and throw away each one after it is used. He also does not allow himself to step on the cracks while walking on the sidewalk. His obsessions and compulsions dominate his daily life because he cannot enter certain...