Obsessive Compulsive Disorder In The Movie As Good As It...

In this day and age, â€Å"OCD† has been commonly associated with words such as â€Å"neat† and â€Å"organized.† While some would believe these qualities to be quite positive, it changes how Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is viewed to the public. People tend to start to disregard the symptoms while unintentionally influencing others into repeating their actions. Unfortunately, many people aren’t properly educated in anxiety disorders. It becomes a big deal when names, such as Hollywood, that have the power to impact thousands of people’s lives, accurately depicts OCD. The movie â€Å"As Good as It Gets† has Jack Nicholson portraying Melvin Udall who suffers from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Melvin Udall isn’t your ordinary, friendly next door neighbor.†¦show more content†¦According to the DSM-5, the compulsive behaviors are defined as, â€Å"Repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed in response to an obsession or accor ding to rules that must be applied rigidly. The behaviors are not a result of the direct physiologic effects of a substance or a general medical condition. The behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation. However, these behaviors or mental acts either are not connected in a way that could realistically neutralize or prevent whatever they are meant to address or they are clearly excessive.† Some examples would be hoarding, arranging objects, checking on things such as locks, touching/tapping objects, confessing/seeking reassurance, cleaning/washing, counting/repeating actions a certain number of times or until it feels right, and list making. One of the few obsessive thoughts that Melvin suffers from is his fear of contamination. This results in his compulsive behaviors of keeping himself extremely clean and never coming in contact with anyone. He is shown using scalding, hot water and a brand new bar of soap every few seconds to wash his hands. 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