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Ocd In As Good As It Gets

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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder observed in “As Good As It Gets” In the movie, “As Good As It Gets” Jack Nicolson plays a character who suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The characters name is Melvin Udall. In the beginning of the film, Melvin is extremely insensitive and arrogant while suffering from OCD. By the end of the film he is more caring and compassionate and suffers a little less from his disorder. In the movie Melvin is a writer in New York, he has an artist neighbor, named Simon, who is hospitalized after a horrible beating when he walks in on a robbery in his home. Reluctantly, Melvin is forced to watch Simons dog while he recovers and eventually lets Simon move in with him. As part of his routine, Melvin eats breakfast at the same …show more content…

When Carol takes off work to care for her sick child, Melvin gets very anxious because his routine is interrupted, tracks her down and then sends a very good doctor to care for her son with the hope that she can return to work to serve him again. Throughout the film, Melvin expresses many obsessions and compulsions, which are part of the diagnostic criteria for OCD according to the DSM-V. One obsession that he suffers from is a fear of contamination. Melvin displays this obsession through the act of cleaning himself compulsively. He washes with very hot water and a brand new bar of soap every time he washes his hands. He uses the bar of soap for only a couple seconds, tosses it, and then opens a new bar of soap to use. When he showers, Melvin again uses very hot water and stays in the shower for an excessive amount of time. Another way

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