Psychological Disorders in Film

The disorder or condition that was portrayed in the film was OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)   OCD is a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal, control, at the expense of flexibility, openness and efficiency. According to DSM-IV-TR people with OCD suffer from recurrent obsessions and/or compulsions. Obsessions are defined as “persistent ideas, thought impulses, or images that are experienced as intrusive and inappropriate and that cause marked anxiety or distress”. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors such as excessive or unreasonable cleaning, checking a stove or locks on doors, hand washing, requesting assurances, or mental acts, such as repeating certain words silently, counting or praying excessively.
Examples from the film of how it did accurately represent the disorder are; Jack Nicholson(Melvin) who suffered OCD he has a routine always goes to the restaurant, sits at the same table, he will not step on crack in the sidewalk or any flooring. He doesn’t like to be touched, uses the same plastic silverware, has to have the same waitress   and he also likes to do things 5 times. Another example is when Melvin goes to the restaurant and notices the waitress he always has Carol is not there he beings to get rather frustrated. He then tries to find out why she has not been at work and Carol tells him that her son is sick but he is unable to feel sympathy for her or to help her feel better due to the characteristics of OCD. I think that the fact that Melvin had to experience change through not having the same waitress or having to take care of a dog he slowly became less OCD then when the movie began. Throughout the movie Melvin starts to fall in love with Carol, whom at first is disgusted by his interest, soon becomes attached to him with the way he wanted to help her take care of her son even though he was only doing it to make his day go as planned. [continues]

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